Insect Gallery

Name: Aphids - Black Aphid

Latin Name: Black Aphid, Melanocallis caryaefoliae

Description: Black pecan aphids are small, soft bodied insects with piercing sucking mouthparts. Black aphids are a "dull" black in color. Shiny, polished, black, parasitized yellow aphids are often confused with the black pecan aphid.

Insects Life Cycle: Black pecan aphids have similar life cycles. Black aphids overwinter as eggs. Wingless females hatch in March and migrate to the newly emerging pecan leaves. These females give birth to living young without mating. This first field progeny is also female and give birth to subsequent generations of aphids without mating. In early fall, winged females and males mate, and the females lay eggs that will overwinter. There are 20-30 generations of aphids per year.

Insects Symptons: Black pecan aphids can significantly reduce pecan yields. Aphids suck photosynthates from leaves, excrete "honeydew", and reduce the flow of nutrients to nuts. Black aphid damage is characterized by small, chlorotic areas on the leaflets. Heavy infestations cause rapid leaf drop. Black aphids can cause premature leaf drop, reduced nut quality, and subsequent yield reductions the following season.