Tag: aphids (Page 3 of 4)

Bug of the Week: Aphids

Aphids are actually cool insects.

Look at the way the light passes through their antennae and the “tailpipes” on their back ends, which are technically called cornicles.

But most aphids are cool insects in another way, too. They like cool weather. As soon as it gets relatively warm here in Arizona, they are gone.

In fact that one with wings, called an alate, is probably getting ready to go. Can you see the “tube” it uses to suck juices from the flower bud? That’s called a proboscis.

When aphids arrive where you live, see what you can discover from looking at them closely. Let us know what you find out.

A drawing of an aphid to look at and color

Bug of the Week: Rose Aphids

Aphids are typically active only during the cool part of the spring season in Arizona, so now is when we see aphids.

Every wonder how aphids show up? After all, it looks like they don’t have wings.

rose aphids

These are rose aphids. Aren’t they a lovely pink color? By the way, the long tubes on their backs are called cornicles. Aphids emit chemicals from the cornicles. Some of the chemicals alert other aphids of danger (alarm pheromones) and/or actually deter enemies (defensive compounds).

The first aphids to arrive on your plants do have wings, like this one. They aren’t strong fliers and mostly they are carried in the wind.

rose aphids

The winged ones quickly have live babies.  Unlike most insects, these aphids do not lay eggs during this part of the life cycle.

I’ve circled the baby aphids in this photo.

rose aphids

I’m not worried about seeing these aphids. Even if I do nothing at all, they will disappear as the weather warms up.

For more information, try:

Cicadas and Aphids: What They Have in Common (Animals in Order Series) by Sara Swan Miller


Aphids (Blastoff! Readers: World of Insects) by Colleen Sexton


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Bug of the Week Update

Just went out to check the aphids on the asparagus fern from last week. As I predicted, the aphids have virtually disappeared. I saw a few at the very tips of a couple of plant stems.

Insects have definite seasons and cycles, and it is worthwhile to pay attention to them. It can save you money, time and effort if you realize the pests are going to go away on their own.

Ants are particularly known for this. I think one reason there are so many wacky home remedies for ants is because people do something and when they check again, the ants are gone. The thing is, ants are highly mobile and it is likely they would have moved even if the homeowner had done nothing. (That isn’t to say there aren’t some useful home remedies, because there are.) When it comes to insects, being a procrastinator can really pay off.

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