Aphis vernoniae

Thomas, 1878

Ironweed aphid

Aphis vernoniae is an described by Thomas in 1878. The "Ironweed aphid" suggests an association with plants in the Vernonia (ironweeds). As a member of the genus Aphis, it shares characteristics with other aphids in this large and economically significant genus. The species appears to be rarely documented, with minimal observational records available.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Aphis vernoniae: //ˈeɪfɪs vɜːrˈnoʊni.aɪ//

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

Host Associations

Vernonia - associated with plant inferred from specific epithet and 'Ironweed ', though direct documentation is limited. Vernonia are commonly known as ironweeds.

Similar Taxa

Aphis neriiBoth are with specific plant associations in their names (nerii with oleander, vernoniae with ironweed), though A. nerii is far more commonly encountered and documented.
Other Aphis speciesMany Aphis are morphologically similar and require examination for accurate identification; plant association may provide a distinguishing clue.

More Details

Taxonomic status note

Catalogue of Life lists this as a synonym, while GBIF and NCBI treat it as accepted. This discrepancy suggests taxonomic uncertainty that may warrant further investigation.

Data scarcity

With only 5 observations recorded on iNaturalist, this appears to be rarely encountered or underreported, possibly due to plant specificity, limited geographic range, or identification challenges.