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Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris)
Macrosiphum pisum, Acyrthosiphon onobrychis Boyer de Fonscolombe

Insecta, Homoptera, Aphididae .

Pea aphid, Green pea louse

Description, Biology, Life Cycle, Damage, Common Names, Images

[R]Description
- Adult: 2.2-3.0 mm long; elongate; pale green or pink according to strain; eyes red; antennae as long as body; cauda long and tapered (*) .
Nymph: similar to adult; without a cauda.
Aphids readily fall to the ground if disturbed or if plants are shaken.

[R]Biology
- Host plants: wild and cultivated Leguminoseae, especially sainfoin, lucerne, deervetch, vetch, pea, bean and clover.
- Winter eggs hatch precociously in February. Fundatrices feed on the buds of the collar of perennial Leguminosae (e.g; lucerne) and give birth to parthenogenetic females. Winged virginoparae emerge in May-June and migrate to other leguminous plants (*) , colonizing preferably the base of flowers, the youngest parts of flowering plants or the tips of stems.
Large numbers of aphids are present on lucerne from September, sexuales (apterous males and females) later appearing to produce winter eggs.

[R]Life Cycle
- An autoecious species living exclusively on Leguminosae, the progeny of annual hosts being infested by aphids that survived the winbter on pernnial host.

[R]Damage
- Colonies cause crop losses. Besides, this aphid is a major vector of several plant virus diseases.

[R]Common Names
DE: Erbsenblattlaus, Grüne Erbsenblattlaus ES: Pulgon verde del guisante FR: Puceron vert ou rose du pois IT: Afidone verdastro del pisello PT: Piolho grande da ervilha GB: Pea aphid, Green pea louse

[R] Images

  1. Acyrtosiphon pisum (Harris) (Coutin R. / OPIE)
    Winged adult
  2. Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) (Coutin R. / OPIE)
    Colony on leaf of pea

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