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Black bean aphid
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species:

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Aphis fabae
ORDER: Homoptera (sap suckers)
FAMILY: Aphididae
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identification:
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nymph & adult
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piercing-sucking
mouthparts |
| distinguishing characteristics: |
olive-green to black
bodies
light-colored legs with darker “knees” and “ankles”
1/8-inches long
winged + wingless
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damage and symptoms:
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direct injury - suck
sap from leaves
indirect injury - disease transmission (BWY virus)
above ground symptoms
- leaf curling & distortion esp. young leaves at
center of crown
- dense colonies on underside of leaves white cast
skins from prior generations
- leaf yellowing, wilting (1st along leaf edges)
- secrete sticky honeydew black sooty mold
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biology:
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Life Cycle
winter
eggs on Euonymus & Viburnum
snowball bush, burning bush
spring
2-to-3 generations on winter hosts
initially
wingless, asexual females
later winged, asexual females
summer
colonizing flights to summer hosts
beans, corn,
sugarbeets
lambsquarters, pigweed
explosive, multiple generations
wingless,
asexual females
fall
winged asexual females + winged sexual males
return flights
from summer crops
to winter host plants
Euonymus
& Viburnum
1 generation sexual females
eggs on
Euonymus & Viburnum
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CONTROL
OPTIONS |
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strategy:
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minimize initial
colonization & establishment
slow rate of increase once established |
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cultural:
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biocontrol:
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- conserve natural
enemies
(1) recognize common species
- lady beetle
(adult + larva)
- green lacewing
(adult + larva)
- hover fly
- parasitic
wasps
(2) manage foliar insecticides
(3) supplemental foods & habitat for natural
enemies
field
border plantings of “insectary plants”
alfalfa, buckwheat, clover, mint, vetch
(small-flowered, long-blooming plants)
- nectar & pollen
- additional prey or hosts
- insecticide-free refuges
beneficials
recolonize beets after insecticide use
- mass-releases from commercial insectaries
WWW Resources
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scouting & thresholds:
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University of California
- visually inspect individual plants (weekly)
- estimate average % leaf area w/aphids

fig. 1 Black bean aphid scouting
| MAY/JUNE |
JULY |
AUG/SEPT |
| up to 20% leaf surface
with aphids on most leaves |
up to 40% leaf area
with aphids on all leaves |
up to 60% leaf area
with aphidsonall leaves |
(source: University of California)
Colorado State University
- visually inspect plants in 10-ft row (weekly)
- score (rate) plants as either
infested 4 or more new leaves
w/aphids
not-infested < 4 new leaves
w/aphids

(source: Colorado State University)
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conventional insecticides:
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Ecologically
selective applications
(1) spot spray aphid infested areas
vs entire field
(2) soil-applied systemic insecticides for aphids
vs foliar-applied contact insecticides
(3) caterpillar stomach poisons
vs contact poisons
Physiologically selective applications
-NO selective aphicides for sugarbeets
vs pymetrozine (Fulfill) for
potato aphids
(1) horticultural oil (Concern Spray Oil,
Ultra-Fine Oil)
0-day pre-harvest interval
0-day re-entry interval
(2) insecticidal soap (M-Pede and others)
0-day
pre-harvest interval
0-day re-entry interval
short residual contact insecticides
- highly effective vs soft-bodied insects
- no control after spray dries
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