Drepanosiphum

Associated with deciduous trees, particularly maples (Acer spp.). D. platanoidis specifically colonizes sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus).

Europe and North America. GBIF records confirm presence in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Active primarily during the growing season. Autumn represents a critical transition period when sexuparae switch from producing oviparae to producing alate males, with a reproductive pause of 2.5–4.0 days between morph types.

Phloem-feeding on host plant sap. Stylet penetration involves cell membrane puncture during feeding.

• Acer pseudoplatanus - primary hostsycamore maple; primary host for D. platanoidis
• Acer - host genusmaple trees; genus-level association for Drepanosiphum species

Complex holocyclic life cycle with seasonal polyphenism. Sexuparae produce oviparae (apterous sexual females) followed by alate males after a brief reproductive pause. Nymphal development time differs between sexes: approximately 22 days for oviparae versus 18 days for males under field conditions. Development time varies with host nutritive status (20–23 days for oviparae; 17–19 days for males).

Flight activity correlates with body size and wing loading: larger aphids with higher wing loading engage in frequent short trivial flights within or between trees, while smaller aphids with lower wing loading undertake long-distance migratory flights. Both sexes exhibit high-level polygamy with multiple matings.

Serves as prey for predatory bugs including Anthocoris nemorum and A. confusus. Parasitized by hymenopteran parasitoids including Monoctonus pseudoplatani, Trioxys cirsii, and Dyscritulus planiceps. Acts as a vector for plant viruses, though with low efficiency for potato virus Y (<1% acquisition efficiency).

D. platanoidis is a significant pest of ornamental and forest maples. Genome has been sequenced, contributing to genomic resources for aphid research.

• Periphillus acericolaAlso associated with maple trees; compared in mating behavior studies revealing similar high-level polygamy
• Brachycaudus helichrysiCompared in vector efficiency studies; B. helichrysi shows substantially higher potato virus Y transmission efficiency (15% vs. <1% for D. platanoidis)

• aphid
• maple
• sycamore
• wing dimorphism
• polygamy
• vector
• pest

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• WING LOADING AND FLIGHT ACTIVITY IN THE SYCAMORE APHID, DREPANOSIPHUM PLATANOIDES
• FECUNDITY OF BRACHYPTEROUS AND MACROPTEROUS ALATAE IN DREPANOSIPHUM DIXONI (CALLAPHIDIDAE, APHIDIDAE)
• Mating behaviour and high level polygamy in the aphids,Periphillus acericolaandDrepanosiphum platanoidis(Homoptera Drepanosiphidae)
• Plant quality, progeny sequence, and the sex ratio of the sycamore aphid, Drepanosiphum platanoidis
• The Effect of Population Density and Nutritive Status of the Host on the Summer Reproductive Activity of the Sycamore Aphid, Drepanosiphum platanoides (Schr.)
• Stylet activities and potato virus Y vector efficiencies by the aphids Brachycaudus helichrysi and Drepanosiphum platanoidis
• The Biology of Monoctonus Pseudoplatani, Trioxys Cirsii and Dyscritulus Planiceps, With Notes on their Effectiveness as Parasites of the Sycamore Aphid, Drepanosiphum Platanoides
• THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ANTHOCORIS NEMORUM AND A. CONFUSUS (HEMIPTERA: ANTHOCORIDAE) AS PREDATORS OF THE SYCAMORE APHID, DREPANOSIPHUM PLATANOIDES.
• The genome sequence of the Common Sycamore Aphid, Drepanosiphum platanoidis (Schrank, 1801).