Brachycaudus helichrysi

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Brachycaudus helichrysi
Scientific classification
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B. helichrysi
Binomial name
Brachycaudus helichrysi
Kaltenbach, 1843 [1]

Brachycaudus helichrysi is a species of aphid first described by the German naturalist Johann Heinrich Kaltenbach in 1843. [2] Its common names include leaf curl plum aphid, [3] and leaf-curling plum aphid, and it is a serious pest of plum and damson trees. [4]

Contents

Description

The viviparous wingless females have an oval or pear-shaped body and grow to a length of up to 2 mm (0.08 in). Early in the season they are brownish but later they are yellowish-green. The antennae are pale green and short, about half the length of the body. There is no dark, shining patch on the dorsal surface of the abdomen, a fact which distinguishes it from the otherwise similar thistle aphid ( Brachycaudus cardui ). The cauda (tail-like elongation) is bluntly rounded, the legs are pale except for the extremities, and the cornicles are pale-coloured, short and flanged. [4] [5] Winged females range from 1.3 to 1.8 mm (0.05 to 0.07 in) in length and have a blackish head with longer antennae, blackish thorax and a green abdomen with dark spots on the third to sixth segments. The overwintering eggs are black. [5]

Biology

Brachycaudus helichrysi overwinters as fertilised eggs which hatch during the winter or early spring, before the plum and damson trees on which they are laid come into leaf. The fundatrices (viviparous parthenogenetic females produced on the primary host) feed at first at the base of buds but as the buds begin to expand, they move on to softer tissues, and later on to the new shoots and underside of the foliage. By May, some winged forms are beginning to appear and these fly to secondary hosts, such as Asteraceae, Chrysanthemum and Trifolium , where they found new colonies. The colonies on the primary host gradually die out. Further generations develop on the secondary hosts and in the autumn, winged forms fly back to the primary host. Here sexual forms develop, mating takes place and eggs are laid on twigs and spurs of the plum and damson trees. [4] Natural enemies include ladybirds, lacewings, soldier beetles and hoverflies. [3]

Damage

Brachycaudus helichrysi is a serious pest of stone fruits. It forms dense colonies on the underside of the leaves of the primary host causing curling, [3] twisting and distortion of the foliage, the shedding of flowers and the dropping of young fruit. [6] It is one of several species of aphid that can transmit the virus that causes plum pox. [6]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Lepidosaphes ulmi</i> Species of true bug

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<i>Macrosiphum rosae</i> Species of true bug

Macrosiphum rosae, the rose aphid, is a species of sap-sucking aphids in the subfamily Aphidinae. They have a world-wide distribution and infest rosebushes as the main host in spring and early summer, congregating on the tips of shoots and around new buds. Later in the summer, winged forms move to other rose bushes, or to a limited number of secondary hosts, before returning to rosebushes to lay eggs in the autumn.

<i>Aphis gossypii</i> Species of insect

Aphis gossypii is a tiny insect, an aphid ("greenfly") in the superfamily Aphidoidea in the order Hemiptera. It is a true bug and sucks sap from plants. It is a widely distributed pest of a variety of agricultural crops in the families Cucurbitaceae, Rutaceae and Malvaceae. Common names include cotton aphid, melon aphid and melon and cotton aphid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black bean aphid</span> Species of true bug

The black bean aphid is a small black insect in the genus Aphis, with a broad, soft body, a member of the order Hemiptera. Other common names include blackfly, bean aphid, and beet leaf aphid. In the warmer months of the year, it is found in large numbers on the undersides of leaves and on the growing tips of host plants, including various agricultural crops and many wild and ornamental plants. Both winged and wingless forms exist, and at this time of year, they are all females. They suck sap from stems and leaves and cause distortion of the shoots, stunted plants, reduced yield, and spoiled crops. This aphid also acts as a vector for viruses that cause plant disease, and the honeydew it secretes may encourage the growth of sooty mould. It breeds profusely by live birth, but its numbers are kept in check, especially in the later part of the summer, by various predatory and parasitic insects. Ants feed on the honeydew it produces, and take active steps to remove predators. It is a widely distributed pest of agricultural crops and can be controlled by chemical or biological means. In the autumn, winged forms move to different host plants, where both males and females are produced. These mate and the females lay eggs which overwinter.

<i>Aleurocanthus woglumi</i> Citrus pest from India, now worldwide

Aleurocanthus woglumi is a species of whitefly in the family Aleyrodidae. It is a pest of citrus crops, and is commonly known as the citrus blackfly because of its slate-blue colour. It originated in Asia, but has spread to other parts of the world. The parasitic wasps, Encarsia perplexa and Amitus hesperidum can help control the pest.

<i>Macrosiphum euphorbiae</i> Species of true bug

Macrosiphum euphorbiae, the potato aphid, is a sap-sucking pest insect in the family Aphididae. It infests potatoes and a number of other commercially important crops.

<i>Euceraphis betulae</i> Species of true bug

Euceraphis betulae, the birch aphid or silver birch aphid, is a species of aphid in the order Hemiptera. It is a tiny green insect with a soft body and wings. It is found living on the European silver birch tree where it feeds and multiplies on the buds and leaves by sucking sap.

<i>Lipaphis erysimi</i> Species of true bug

Lipaphis erysimi is a species of aphid of the family Aphididae. Its common names include mustard aphid and turnip aphid. It is found in most temperate and tropical areas of the world and feeds only on cruciferous plants. The insects are almost exclusively female and are very prolific, with wingless females producing around one hundred young during a lifespan of a few weeks.

Cinara confinis, the black stem aphid, is a species of aphid in the genus Cinara, found feeding on the twigs of various species of fir (Abies) and on several other species of coniferous trees. This aphid has a Holarctic distribution and is known from Europe, Asia, North America and Argentina.

<i>Aphis pomi</i> Species of true bug

Aphis pomi, commonly known as the apple aphid, or the green apple aphid, is a true bug in the family Aphididae. It is found on young growth of apple trees and on other members of the rose family where it feeds by sucking sap. Reproduction is mainly by parthenogenesis, in which unmated females give birth to live young.

<i>Brachycaudus cardui</i> Species of insect (aphid)

Brachycaudus cardui is a species of aphid, commonly known as the thistle aphid or the plum-thistle aphid. It infests trees in the genus Prunus in the spring and autumn, and mostly plants in the aster family in the summer.

<i>Dysaphis crataegi</i> Species of true bug

Dysaphis crataegi, the hawthorn-carrot aphid, is an aphid in the superfamily Aphidoidea in the order Hemiptera. It is a true bug and sucks sap from plants.

<i>Schizaphis graminum</i> Species of true bug

The greenbug, or wheat aphid, is an aphid in the superfamily Aphidoidea in the order Hemiptera. It is a true bug and feeds on the leaves of Gramineae (grass) family members.

<i>Eriosoma lanigerum</i> Species of true bug

Eriosoma lanigerum, the woolly apple aphid, woolly aphid or American blight, is an aphid in the superfamily Aphidoidea in the order Hemiptera. It is a true bug and sucks sap from plants.

<i>Metopolophium dirhodum</i> Species of true bug

Metopolophium dirhodum, the rose-grain aphid or rose-grass aphid, is a species of sap-sucking insect in the family Aphididae found worldwide. Its primary host is rose, and its secondary host is a grass, including cereals such as wheat, barley, oats and rye. It is an important vector of the barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) which causes serious reductions in yields of affected crops.

<i>Phyllaphis fagi</i> Species of true bug

Phyllaphis fagi, the woolly beech aphid, is a species of aphid in the family Aphididae.

References

  1. "ITIS standard report - Brachycaudus helichrysi (Kaltenbach, 1843)". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  2. "Brachycaudus helichrysi (Kaltenbach, 1843)". Global Biodiversity Information Facility . Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "UC IPM - Leaf Curl Plum Aphid". University of California, Davis . Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 Alford, David V. (17 July 2014). Pests of Fruit Crops: A Colour Handbook, Second Edition. CRC Press. pp. 74–75. ISBN   978-1-4822-5421-1.
  5. 1 2 Berim, M.N. "Pests: Brachycaudus helichrysi Kalt. - Leafcurl Plum Aphid". AgroAtlas. Retrieved 2015-02-18.
  6. 1 2 Van Emden, Helmut Fritz; Harrington, Richard (2007). Aphids as Crop Pests. CABI. p. 658. ISBN   978-0-85199-819-0.