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The Silent Killer? – What are Aphids and What Do They Look Like?

Of course, aphids aren’t vicious…towards people. Plants? That’s a whole different story. I’ve just recently discovered that the silent killer of my mother’s rose plants for years only has one sneaky culprit.

This article will discuss that culprit: aphids, including:

• Quick facts
• Identification
• What do they eat?
• What damage do they cause?

Aphid Quick Stats

• Adult aphids are wingless, although most species do appear in winged form.
• There seems to be an endless number of species of aphids – 4401 to be exact.
• Are distinguished by their cornicles (read further for more details) – that haven’t been seen in any other insects to this day.

Imagine being born pregnant – aphids are! They have embryos within embryos and are all female. These baby aphids reach maturity within a week.

A Rainbow of Aphids

Aphids can be a variable rainbow of colors. These tiny, little green, yellow, gray, pink, red, brown, or black soft-bodied insects reside mostly in flowerbeds and gardens.

Other distinguishing features include:

• Are pear-shaped
• About 2-3 millimeters long
• Have long legs
• Have 1 pair of antennae located towards the top of their small bodies

One very distinct part of their bodies is their long, thin mouthpiece. They use this slender apparatus to suck fluids out of plant stems and leaves. This causes them to grow deep holes, and the majority of time, to wither and die – unless closely watched and taken care of in due time.

Another interesting part is called the cornicle. There are usually 2 of these. These elongated, almost sharp-looking pieces are located on the back of their body, most often called the abdomen. These cornicles are long tubes that stick out from their bodies and excrete a couple of unique fluids:

• First, the cornicles can release a defensive fluid called cornicle wax that is quick-hardening and works against enemies, because of the chemicals that the cornicle wax includes. This defense mechanism is a glyceride that is mixed with 3 fatty acids, some of which are the main ingredients for vegetable oil and animal fats.
• The next fluid is honeydew. This harmful chemical (to plants) is the excess sap that the aphids gather from plants, collected and secreted, only to destroy plant beds.

What do they eat and what kind of damage does this cause?

Aphids eat a variety of plants, which vary throughout the different species. They do tend to stick to one type of plant when they find one they like, though. Some plants affected are roses, sugarcane, and citrus plants, just to name a few. They suck the sap out of their victims and into their food canal. Many times, this can pass viruses onto the plants, which end up killing them not long after.

Plants, although rich in nutrients, contain low amounts of nitrogen compounds, which aphids need to build protein. Because of this, they take in too much of this sap most of the time. This excess sap is called honeydew. This is also secreted out of the cornicles after this sugary chemical is processed through their bodies. Honeydew is high in carbohydrates and is enjoyed by ants, which is sometimes called a mutualistic relationship.

There is more severe damage that can be caused to plants, also. Plants and flowers can show symptoms, such as:

• Decreased growth rates
• Spotted or blotchy leaves
• Yellowing
• Stunted growth
• Curled leaves
• Wilting

All of this can lead to the demise of the plant in question. In addition, the honeydew secreted can add to the spread of fungus.

If aphids are causing a problem, try the all-natural EcoSMART. These organic pesticides are pet friendly and child safe. They’re a great way to control any garden nuisance.

Chelsea Roeser