INSECT AND RELATED PESTS OF FOLIAGE PLANTS
Aphids
Aphids and Biocontrol in Greenhouses and Nurseries
Aphids are a major insect pest of plants in greenhouses and nurseries. There are thousands of aphid species (>4000) in the world. Most of the economically important aphid species are polyphagous, but the norm for aphids is host specificity. Most species (ca. 3,500) are considered to be host-specific. The most common pest species include Myzus persicae (the green peach aphid, Figures 1 & 2), Aphis gossypii (the melon or cotton aphid, Figure 3), and Macrosiphoniella sanborni (the chrysanthemum aphid Figure 4). Promising biological controls have been identified that can be used to reduce plant losses and pesticide use.
Knowledge of aphids and biological controls is key to the use of these techniques. Aphids are soft-bodied, pear-shaped insects generally less
than 1/8 inch long. They feed by piercing-sucking mouth-parts and often can be found feeding on stem tissue of infested plants. Major foliage plant hosts of aphids are Aphelandra, Dieffenbachia, Gynura, Hoya and Schefflera.