''Metopeurum fuscoviride'', the pink tansy aphid, is an
aphid of the
family Aphididae. The species was first described by H.L.G. Stroyan in 1950.
Distribution
The species is widespread in parts of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Britain, North Germany, Spain, Bulgaria and Russia.
Ecology
It can be found on
tansy
Tansy (''Tanacetum vulgare'') is a perennial, herbaceous flowering plant in the genus ''Tanacetum'' in the aster family, native to temperate Europe and Asia. It has been introduced to other parts of the world, including North America, and in ...
and occasionally ''
Achillea millefolium.''
They feed of the stem of tansies and form large colonies there. On average a single insect produces 1 milligram of
honeydew per hour. Compared to other aphids
ants prefer collecting honeydew from Metopeurum fuscoviride.
Large colonies often get destroyed by parasitoids of the order
Hymenoptera
Hymenoptera is a large order (biology), order of insects, comprising the sawfly, sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Over 150,000 living species of Hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones. Many of the species are Par ...
.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10583184
Fauna of Bulgaria
Aphidini