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Insecta, Homoptera, Aphididae .
Description, Biology, Life Cycle, Damage, Common Names, Images
[R]Biology
- Primary hosts belong to the genus Rubus. Secondary hosts mostly belong to the Gramineae, including grasses (e.g. cocksfoot grass, but especially cereals: oats, wheat, rye, barley. However, development on the primary host has been abandoned in most cases and this species can be considered to be autoecious and restricted to the Gramineae.
- Winter eggs are laid on the straw of graminaceous plants and hatch in late winter, giving rise to several generations of apterous, virginoparous fundatrigeniae. Winged aphids emerge, spreading to other graminaceous plants and developing on the uppermore leaves before moving to ears as soon as these emerge (*) .
When populations are abundant or when the ripening grain hardens, winged aphids appear in a few days (*) , leaving to create new colonies on Gramineae which are still green.
In autumn, some individuals become sexuparae, giving birth to sexuales. Females lay eggs in the winter.
[R]Life Cycle
During mild winters, this species survives parthenogenetically on new growth of winter cereals and other Gramineae.
[R]Damage
- A major pest of cereal crops in the spring. Heavy infestations can cause a reduction of the number of grains per ears and thus a noticeable reduction of the yield. Sooty moulds develop on the honeydew which they secrete.
This aphid is also a vector of the barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV).
HYPPZ on line : Species (scientific name), Pests (common names), Glossary, Crops.
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