From the economics point of view the cereals make up the great majority of the production seeing that they cover over 9 million hectares and are grown on one out of two of all farms. Their role in crop rotation is especially significant in that these farms are very large-scale operations.   

Three species of aphids regularly occur on wheat, barley and maize:

• Rhopalosiphum padi is particularly abundant on maize at the end of summer and beginning of autumn, and on early-sown winter cereals (beginning of October)
• Metopolophium dirhodum and Sitobion avenae in their active stage mainly in spring, on barley but especially on wheat

See Aphid damage on Poaceae

Frequent aphids

• Metopolophium dirhodum
• Metopolophium festucae
• Rhopalosiphum padi
• Rhopalosiphum insertum
• Sitobion avenae
• Sitobion fragariae

Occasional aphids

• Diuraphis spp
• Rhopalosiphum maidis
• Schizaphis graminum
• Sipha (Rungsia) elegans
• Sipha (Rungsia) maydis

Root aphids

• Anoecia spp.
• Aploneura lentisci
• Baizongia spp.
• Forda spp.
• Geoica spp.
• Paracletus spp
• Tetraneura spp

In the Aphid key folder you will find simplified keys based on photos or morphological criteria to help with identification of species.

These aphids are followed by a whole procession of parasitoids, which in turn are divided into frequent and occasional species. In the Parasitoid key folder you will find a simplified key based on morpohological criteria  (wing venation) backed with photos.

Frequent parasitoids

• Aphidius avenae
• Aphidius ervi
• Aphidius rhopalosiphi
• Aphidius uzbekistanicus
• Ephedrus plagiator
• Praon volucre

Occasional parasitoids 

• Adialytus ambigus
• Aphidius colemani
• Aphidius matricariae
• Binodoxys angelicae
• Diaeretiella rapae
• Lysiphlebus fabarum
• Lysiphlebus testaceipes
• Monoctonus caricis
• Monoctonus cerasi
• Praon gallicum
• Praon abjectum
• Praon necans
• Trioxys auctus

In a similar way the parasitoids are followed by a procession of hyperparasitoids as listed here. In the Hyperparasitoid key folder a simplified key is presented based on morphological criteria and backed with photos.

Parasitica (Suborder)

Chalcidoïdea (Superfamily) :

○ Pteromalidae (Family) :

  - Asaphinae (Subfamily) :

• Asaphes (Genus)

   - Pteromalinae : 

• Pachyneuron sp.
• Coruna sp.

○ Encyrtidae : 

  - Encyrtinae :

• Syrphophagus sp.

○ Eulophidae :

  - Tetrastichinae :

• Tetrastichus sp.

Ceraphronoïdea :

○ Megaspilidae : 

  - x

• Dendrocerus sp.

Cynipoïdea :

○ Charipidae : 

  - Alloxystinae :

• Alloxysta sp.
• Phaenoglyphis sp.