Body - Stout, soft bodied. 1.5 mm long fully grown.
Legs - 6.
Wings - Mostly wingless, except some formed in spring.
Mouth Parts - Piercing stylet.
Nymph - Amber coloured.
Biology:
Life Cycle:
Over summer they infest the roots of the tree, away from heat and dryness. In cooler weather they are found on laterals. No male Black peach aphids have been found in Australia. Numerous generations are possible each year with one generation in optimum conditions taking only 10-12 days.
Habitats:
Origin and History:
Distribution:
Significance:
The Black peach aphid is found most commonly on peach trees. It infests both the roots and aerial parts of the tree. It also infests apricots growing on peach stocks, nectarines, plums and almonds. Root infestations do not appear to harm the tree unlike aerial infestations where damage can be severe. Roots are infested throughout year, but aerial parts are free of aphids from December to March with aphids migrating to the roots during the warmer temperatures of summer. With the onset of cooler moist weather, the aphid reinfests lateral growth in low numbers clustered around buds. The most severe damage is caused to young shoots in spring where large aphid numbers after leaf bud burst can result in dieback of lateral growth with shoots turning yellow, withering and finally dropping off. Flowers and flower buds may also be damaged. The peach aphid infests blossoms, sucking the sap from the flower parts or young developing fruit resulting in premature flower drop or the shrivelling up and eventual dropping off of fruit.
Management and Control:
Autumn-Winter
Maldison
Spring
Metasystox
Dimethoate
Ekatin
Related Species:
Similar Species:
References:
WADA Farmnote "Black Peach Aphid".
NSW Dept of Agric Information leaflets.
Acknowledgments:
Collated by HerbiGuide. Phone 08 98444064 for more information.