Green Peach Aphid
Myzus persicae
Classification
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Hemiptera
- Suborder: Sternorrhyncha
- Superfamily: Aphidoidea
- Family: Aphididae
- Subfamily: Aphidinae
- Tribe: Macrosiphini
- Genus: Myzus
- Species: persicae
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Myzus persicae: /ˈmaɪ.zəs ˈpɜr.sɪˌki/
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Summary
Myzus persicae, commonly known as the green peach aphid, is a significant agricultural pest due to its transmission of plant viruses and ability to colonize various crops. Native to East Asia, it has a diverse host range and a rapid reproductive cycle, leading to economic challenges in crop production worldwide.
Physical Characteristics
Eggs measure about 0.6mm long and 0.3mm wide, initially yellow or green but turn black; nymphs are initially green and then yellowish; adults are 1.8 to 2.1mm long, with winged forms having a black head and thorax and yellowish green abdomen with a dark dorsal patch. Wingless adults can be yellowish-green, red, or brown; cornicles are moderately long and the appendages are pale.
Identification Tips
Convergent inner faces of the antennal tubercles in dorsal view; slightly clavate siphunculi that are dark-tipped.
Habitat
Overwinters on Prunus plants, particularly peach and related species; in summer, moves to herbaceous hosts including crops from families Solanaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Compositae, Brassicaceae, and Cucurbitaceae.
Distribution
Found worldwide, likely of East Asian origin. Common in greenhouses and anthropogenic habitats; introduced into 16 countries or islands.
Diet
Feeds predominantly on phloem sap of host plants, extracting sugary fluids; can uptake chloroplast DNA while feeding.
Life Cycle
Life cycle varies with temperature; takes about 10-12 days for a generation, with over 20 generations reported in mild climates. Reproduces primarily through parthenogenesis with sexual reproduction occurring in autumn.
Reproduction
Normally reproduces through cyclical parthenogenesis; produces many generations before shifting to a sexual generation. Eggs undergo diapause over winter.
Predators
Natural enemies include lady beetles, soldier beetles, hoverflies, various flies, midges, flower bugs, leaf bugs, damsel bugs, stink bugs, lacewings, parasitic wasps, mites, and fungal pathogens.
Conservation Status
No specific conservation status; considered an invasive pest worldwide without endangerment concerns.
Ecosystem Role
Plays a significant role in pest dynamics affecting crops; serves as a vector for numerous plant viruses.
Economic Impact
High economic concern due to its role in transmitting plant viruses and affecting crop production; resistant to many insecticides, complicating management efforts.
Collecting Methods
- Visual inspection of host plants
- Sticky traps
- Sweep nets
Preservation Methods
- Ethanol preservation
- Conservation using pinning
- Cold storage for live specimens
Evolution
High genetic variability; speciation events observed with subspecies like M. persicae nicotianae, primarily asexual with a stable genome across geographic areas.
Similar Taxa
Misconceptions
Often mistaken as a pest limited to peach trees, but capable of infesting over 100 plant species from various families.
Tags
- Green Peach Aphid
- Agricultural Pest
- Invasive Species
- Plant Virus
- Hemiptera