Classification

Aphidinae: Aphidini

Diagnosis

Small, brown aphids with dark siphunculi and a pale cauda, usually forming colonies at the bases of spikelets of plants belonging to Poaceae, sometimes on leaves or unripe seeds; often attended by ants. Hind wing with a single oblique vein, long terminal process of antenna and long pale cauda. Alatae with greenish-grey abdomen. Antennal segment III, IV and basal half of V white; remainder of antennae black. Siphunculi black, 0.125x as long as body. Cauda white in contrast to siphunculi, with only four hairs.

Distribution

Allover India; Australia, South Africa, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan.

Host plant(s)

Cyperaceae: Cyperus rotundus Miq., Cyperus sp.; Poaceae: Bothriochloa insculpta (Hochst.) A. Camus, Cenchrus setigerus Vahl., Chloris barbata Sw., Cymbopogon sp. (Poaceae), Cynodon dactylon (Linn.) Pers., Dactyloctenium aegyptium (Desf.) Beauv., Digitaria longiflora (Retz.) Pers., Eleusine coracana (Linn.) Gaertn., Eragrostis sp., Oryza sativa Linn., Sorghum vulgare Pers., Panicum antidotale Retz., Panicum flavidum Retz., Panicum montanum Gaudich, Pennisetum sp., Saccharum spontaneum L., Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Stapf & Hubbard, Zea mays L.; Liliaceae: Chlorophytum sp.

Measurements

Aptera: Length of body 1.85, width 0.89; antennae 1.81, segments III: IV: V: VI 0.25: 0.17: 0.15: (0.06+0.45); u.r.s. 0.09; h.t.2 0.11; siphunculus 0.22; cauda 0.15.
Alata: Length of body 1.89, width 0.91; antennae 1.80, segments III: IV: V: VI 0.42: 0.30: 0.24: (0.11+0.53); u.r.s. 0.11; h.t.2 0.10; siphunculus 0.32; cauda 0.19.

Seasonal occurrence

June-September and January-March. More common immediately after rains.

Natural enemies

Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Cheilomenes sexmaculata (F.), Pseudaspidimerus trinotatus (Thunberg).

Diptera: Syrphidae: Ischiodon scutellaris (F.).

Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae: Aphidius matricariae Haliday, Diaeretiella rapae (M'Intosh), Trioxys indicus Subba Rao & Sharma.

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Habitus