Crop plants

The aphids of crop plants

In a temperate climate, all crop plants are host to at least one species of aphid. Among the 4700 species of aphids, a few tens of them are crop pests.

French agricultural production is the highest in Europe. The overall territory in France extends over nearly 55 million hectares and agriculture takes up 30 million of these areas. Cultivated plants therefore constitute an extremely important food resource for the aphids. Like wild plants, cultivated species harbour from one to several species of aphids which can reproduce on every level of the plant from the roots upto the flowers. Contrary to natural ecosystems, for aphids cultivated fields are rather unusual as living spaces, characterized as they are by a small number of species of plants available only for the designated growing period. Cultivation practices and treatment operations also pose constraints that aphids have to adapt to.

Here the major aphid species affecting crop plants are presented. The crop plants are grouped together by botanical family. The aphids are only sensitive to the physiological and biochemical characteristics of plants and function independently from the cultivation methods followed. Therefore in the same botanical family the same aphid species can be found again.

The aphids are grouped as frequent or occasional species and, where appropriate, as root aphids. They are followed by a list of parasitoids, which in turn are grouped together as frequent or occasional species.

For each botanical family, you will find identification keys concerning the aphidsand also a list of their hymenopteran  parasitoids.

APIACÉES (BOTANICAL FAMILY) : 

ASTÉRACÉES :

BRASSICÉES :

CHÉNOPODIACÉES :

CUCURBITACÉES :

FABACÉES :

GROSSULARIACÉES :

LILIACÉES :

POACÉES :

ROSACÉES :

SOLANACÉES :

Botanical family

Identification keys

Apiaceae

Aphids

  

Asteraceae

Aphids

  

Brassicae

Aphids

  

Chenopodiaceae

Aphids

  

Cucurbitaceae

Aphids

  

Fabaceae

Aphids

  

Grossulariaceae

Aphids

  

Liliaceae

Aphids

  

Poaceae

Aphids

Parasitoids

Hyperparasitoids

Rosaceae

Aphids

  

Solanaceae

Aphids

  

Modification date : 29 April 2024 | Publication date : 05 September 2012 | Redactor : Evelyne Turpeau, Maurice Hullé, Bernard Chaubet