The hawthorn-carrot aphid, (''Dysaphis crataegi''), also known as ''Dysaphis (Dysaphis) crataegi'', is an
aphid in the superfamily
Aphidoidea in the order
Hemiptera
Hemiptera (; ) is an order (biology), order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, Reduviidae, assassin bugs, Cimex, bed bugs, and shield bugs. ...
. It is a true bug and sucks sap from plants.
Taxonomy
The hawthorn-carrot aphid was
first described by the German entomologist
Johann Heinrich Kaltenbach
Johann Heinrich Kaltenbach (30 October 1807, Cologne – 20 May 1876, Aachen), was a German naturalist and entomologist mainly interested in pest species. He was a teacher in Aachen.
Important Works
* ''Monographie der Familien der Pflanzen ...
in 1843.
It has three
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
in Europe. All overwinter on their primary
host,
hawthorn trees (''Crataegus'') spp., but each migrates to a different secondary host in the family
Apiaceae during the summer; ''D. c. crataegi'' moves to
wild carrot (''Daucus carota''), ''D. c. kunzei'' to
wild parsnip Wild parsnip is a common name for several plants and may refer to:
__NOTOC__
*Wild parsnip (''Pastinaca sativa''), is a Eurasian weed with edible root but toxic sap in the leaves and stems
*Garden angelica (wild celery)
*Giant hogweed (''Heracleum m ...
(''Pastinaca sativa'') and ''D. c. aethusae'' to
hedge parsley (''Torilis'' spp.) or
fool's parsley (''Aethusa cynapium''). Two further subspecies are found to Asia.
Description
On the primary host, these aphids are about long, with short
antennae and short
siphunculi, greenish-grey and dusted with wax particles. On the secondary host,
wingless viviparous females are greenish-grey or yellowish-grey, again dusted with fine wax particles. Winged viviparous females are greyish-red with black markings. Egg-laying females are reddish-brown and winged males are reddish with black markings.
Ecology
The hawthorn-carrot aphid migrates to its primary host in late summer and forms red, curling
gall
Galls (from the Latin , 'oak-apple') or ''cecidia'' (from the Greek , anything gushing out) are a kind of swelling growth on the external tissues of plants, fungi, or animals. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to be ...
s on its leaves. The following spring, females move to its secondary host, an umbellifer in the family Apiaceae, and produce live offspring, When these nymphs are sufficiently mature, they produce further live young. Most offspring are wingless, but some winged females are produced which are able to colonize new secondary hosts. In late summer winged females and males are produced and migrate to hawthorn trees. These aphids are attended by ants on both their primary and secondary hosts.
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References
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10478205
Macrosiphini
Agricultural pest insects
Gall-inducing insects
Insects described in 1843