Minnesota Seasons - aphid (Uroleucon spp.)

Overview • Description • Distribution • Taxonomy

Overview

Photo by Alfredo Colon

Uroleucon is a large genus of medium-sized to large aphids. They occur in Europe, Asia, Australia, and North and South America. There are 226 described species of Uroleucon worldwide, at least 71 in North America north of Mexico, and at least 2, probably many more, in Minnesota. Unlike many aphids, they are not attended by ants. They All but one species feeds on plants in the Aster (Asteraceae) family. Unlike most aphids, they complete their life cycle on one host. They do not migrate to a secondary plant species.


	Description
	Uroleucon aphids are soft-bodied, somewhat pear-shaped, and ⅛″ to 5⁄16″ (4 to 8 mm) long. They may be red, reddish-brown, or blackish-brown. The antennae are about as long as the body. There is a pair of elongated processes (cornicles) near the end of the abdomen. Uroleucon aphids are specialist feeders, feeding on just one plant species or a few related species. They can often be identified by the plant host species. However, some plants host multiple species of aphids. There are at least 22 species that feed on goldenrods (Solidago spp.).


	Distribution
			Sources 7, 24, 27, 29, 30, 82.
	12/20/2020


	Taxonomy
	Order	Hemiptera (true bugs, cicadas, hoppers, aphids and allies)
	Suborder	Sternorrhyncha (plant-parasitic hemipterans)
	Infraorder	Aphidomorpha (aphids)
	Superfamily	Aphidoidea
	Family	Aphididae (aphids)
	Subfamily	Aphidinae
	Tribe	Macrosiphini

	Subordinate Taxa
	bronze-brown dandelion aphid (Uroleucon taraxaci) brown ambrosia aphid (Uroleucon rudbeckiae) crimson tansy aphid (Uroleucon tanacetii) dark-tailed thistle aphid (Uroleucon aeneum) goldenrod aphid (Uroleucon solidaginis) harebell aphid (Uroleucon campanulae) large chicory aphid (Uroleucon cichorii) large hawksbeard aphid (Uroleucon grossum) large hawkweed aphid (Uroleucon obscurum) large knapweed aphid (Uroleucon jaceae) large sowthistle aphid (Uroleucon sonchi) large thistle aphid (Uroleucon cirsii) mouse-ear hawkweed aphid (Uroleucon pilosellae) red goldenrod aphid (Uroleucon nigrotuberculatum) red yarrow aphid (Uroleucon achilleae) yellow-legged knapweed aphid (Uroleucon jaceicola)

	Synonyms


	Common Names
	aphids


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	Alfredo Colon







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	Other Videos


	Red Aphid (Aphididae: Uroleucon) on Plant Stem Carl Barrentine

	About Aug 9, 2010 Note the pattern of the leaf miner as well as the small insects on the leaf gleaning honeydew dropped by feeding aphids (or are these not insects, but mottled aphid exuviae?) . Photographed at the Turtle River State Park, North Dakota (09 August 2010).



	Uroleucon aphids on sunflower leaf brian0918

	About Jun 7, 2019 Uroleucon sp. aphids have infested the leaves of our Ox Eye Sunflowers (Heliopsis helianthoides)

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Alfredo Colon 8/29/2019	Location: Woodbury, Minnesota



Alfredo Colon 8/13/2019	Location: Woodbury, Minnesota



Alfredo Colon 8/9/2019	Location: Woodbury, Minnesota



Alfredo Colon 8/2/2019	Location: Woodbury, Minnesota



MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

Tiedemann WMA Vermillion River WMA Woodbury WMA