A. nasturtii

Aphis nasturtii Kaltenbach, 1843

Buckthorn-potato aphid

Aphis nasturtii, adulte aptère
Aphis nasturtii, adulte ailé
Aphis nasturtii, colonie sur féverole

Morphological characters

1.2-2 mm.
Apterous: small (1.2 mm), yellowish to greenish, cornicles short and slightly pigmented at end, cauda pale.
Alate: yellow to pale green, antennae short, cornicles short, straight and slightly pigmented, cauda digitate, pigmented like cornicles.

See identification file

Life cycles

Dioecious holocyclic in cold regions.
Anholocyclic in the temperate regions

Host plants

Primary hosts: Rhamnus (buckthorn) and Frangula (alder buckthorn).
Secondary hosts: Solanaceae: Solanum tuberosum (potato), Brassicaceae: Nasturtium officinale (watercress) and Polygonaceae: Polygonum spp (knotweed).

Particular characteristics

Since 1996, this species has occurred in crops of potato in the North of France.
The first individuals are observed in June but colonies develop significantly in July.

Agronomic impact

A. nasturtii cause direct serious damage by sucking up the sap.
It transmits many different viruses, some of which depend on the non-persistent mode (potato viruses Y (PVY) and A (PVA)) and the potato aucuba mosaic virus (PAMV)), others on the persistent mode (potato leaf-roll virus (PLRV)).

Natural enemies

Predators 
 

Parasitoids : 

In this folder

Modification date : 23 April 2024 | Publication date : 27 September 2010 | Redactor : Evelyne Turpeau, Maurice Hullé, Bernard Chaubet