Aphis craccivora Koch

Aphis craccivora is distributed throughout India. It is a serious pest of groundnut and also of lentil, peas, mungbean, urdbean, ricebean, safflower and some weeds. It causes considerable losses to groundnut in Gujarat, India. The aphids settle on the undersurface of the leaves and young shoots. Each female produces 8-30 young ones in a life span of 10-12' days, the young ones or nymphs develop into adults in 5-8 days. The developing colonies suck sap. As a result the plant becomes weak. Attacked plant may wither. The aphid is a vector of rosette disease of groundnut and stunt disease in chickpea. The pest is not injurious during rainy season.

Aphis craccivora is multiplied on cowpea Vigna sinensis seedlings. Good quality clean seed of cowpea is soaked in water for 24 hrs. The germinating seeds are dribbled in a large jar 20 x 15 cm) with the bottom lined with sterilized sand meant for dribbling the seeds. About 100 seedlings could be accommodated in this jar and once the sprouting seeds are dribbled 100 apterous females are released. The jars are covered by insect proof nylon net lid. Within a week about 6,500 aphids develop in the jar. An assembly of such jars could be prepared and kept in insect proof net house. Cool fluorescent lights are provided for the proper growth of cowpea and the sand is kept moist to provide sufficient moisture.