Soybean Aphid

Aphis glycines

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Sternorrhyncha
Superfamily: Aphidoidea
Family: Aphididae
Subfamily: Aphidinae
Tribe: Aphidini
Subtribe: Aphidina
Genus: Aphis
Species: glycines

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Aphis glycines: //ˈeɪfɪs ˈɡlaɪsiːniːz//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Harmoniafeeding by Marlin Rice, Iowa State University. Used under a Attribution license.

Soybeanaphid by Claudio Gratton, University of Wisconsin. Used under a Attribution license.

Cycle de vie du puceron du soja by David Voegtlin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Winged Soybean Aphid (15536218135) by NY State IPM Program at Cornell University from New York, USA. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Aphis glycines 5268061 by Christina DiFonzo, Michigan State University. Used under a CC BY 3.0 us license.

MaigloeckchenBesucher roscheiderhofH6 by Helge Klaus Rieder. Used under a CC0 license.

Summary

Aphis glycines, commonly known as the soybean aphid, is a significant pest of soybean in North America, originally from East Asia, that causes substantial agricultural damage through phloem feeding and indirect effects like viral transmission.

Physical Characteristics

<2 mm in size; green to yellow-green; often forms colonies on leaves of host plants.

Identification Tips

Look for small, green or yellow-green aphids clustered on soybean plants, especially on the underside of leaves.

Habitat

Soybean fields, particularly near populations of buckthorn (Rhamnus spp.) which serves as the primary overwintering host.

Distribution

Native to East Asia; introduced to North America in the 1990s; widespread across the eastern United States, especially in the Midwest.

Diet

Phloem sap from host plants, primarily soybean (Glycine max).

Life Cycle

Heteroecious holocyclic, alternating between primary host (buckthorn, Rhamnus spp.) and secondary host (soybean); undergoes sexual reproduction on primary hosts and parthenogenetic reproduction on secondary hosts.

Reproduction

Overwinters as eggs on buckthorn; in spring, eggs hatch into fundatrices that reproduce parthenogenetically; produces both winged (alate) and wingless (apterous) forms.

Predators

Natural enemies include ladybeetles, lacewings, pirate bugs, predatory flies, and entomopathogenic fungi.

Ecosystem Role

Acts as a key herbivore affecting soybean crop yields; serves as a food source for natural predators.

Economic Impact

Major pest of soybean; can cause yield loss of 50 to 70% in severe infestations.

Evolution

Part of the Aphididae family, known for its complex life cycles and host plant specificity.

Similar Taxa

Misconceptions

Sometimes mistaken for other aphids; its small size and color can be confused with non-pest species.