Lettuce Root Aphid – Pempighus bursarius

Lettuce Root Aphid (Pempighus bursarius)

 

Latin Name: (Pempighus bursarius)

Common Name: Lettuce Root Aphid

Appearance: 

• Winged adults have a black head with short antennae and are 2 mm long. The thorax is dark brown or black, while the abdomen is brownish-orange with a small amount of wax powdering.
• Adults without wings have a yellow head and green-grey antennae that are substantially shorter than the rest of their bodies. The body is yellowish-white in color and is frequently coated in a thick layer of white-grey wax. There are no siphunculi to be found.

Hosts plants:

Dandelions and sow thistles are examples of wild hosts.

Territory: 

This class is thought to have originated in Europe. Still, it may now be found in places including the Middle East, South Africa, Australia, Central Asia, Siberia, North and, and North America. It flourishes in a moderate climate.

Damage caused by Lettuce Root Aphid:

Lettuce root aphids can be differentiated from other aphids by their short antennae and undeveloped “tailpipes” (cornicles). They are discovered on lettuce roots in grouped colonies covered with white powdery wax. Aphid populations that are extremely high for an extended time might cause the plant to collapse and die.

Description about Gall markers:

Gall-making insects aren’t usually considered pests, and some galls are even decorative, being utilized in flower arrangements and other crafts. Most gall-making insects do not harm the host plant; but, certain species can cause aesthetic damage to the expensive nursery or landscaping plants, such as leaf discoloration, early defoliation, or twig and stem loss. Pecan output can be reduced by heavy infestations of the pecan stem phylloxera.

Life History and Habits:

Lettuce-root aphid (Pemphigus bursarius) is a relatively frequent pest of summer lettuce outdoors. Because they live underground, these ubiquitous pests go entirely ignored. The eggs hatch in the spring, causing pouch-like galls on the tree’s leaf stalks. By mid-summer, the winged forms had dispersed to lettuce crops and the closely related weed sowthistle, carried by the breeze. Wingless forms quickly colonize the roots of the new host. A gray waxy coating forms on the yellow/white aphids. By late summer, winged forms had moved forth in search of winter host trees where they might mate and deposit eggs for the following year. Some will make it through the winter in the soil.