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Morphological characters

1.5-2.5 mm.
Apterous: body with numerous hairs and in different colour depending on the host, yellowish with dark spots on primary host, whitish to yellowish on secondary host.
Alate: dark, with a large dorsal patch and black pterostigma on wing.

See identification file

Life cycles

Dioecious holocyclic or anholocyclic in regions with mild climate.

Host plants

Primary host: Cornus sanguinea (dogwood).
Secondary host: roots of Poaceae, cultivated (wheat, barley, cocksfoot (Dactylis)) or wild (couch grass).

Particular characteristics

The genus Anoecia comprises 20 or so species that are difficult to separate.
Some are holocyclic and dioecious. They alternate between Cornus, where sexual reproduction takes place in autumn, and Poaceae roots where they migrate to in spring.
Others are anholocyclic and stay completely underground on Poaceae roots.

Agronomic impact

To limit damage from the aphids, it is recommended not to grow a cereal directly on a preceding cereal crop. Any remaining straw must be destroyed, along with Poaceae weed plants and couch grass by passage superficiel harrowing after the harvest.

Natural enemies