Salicaceae
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Salicaceae

Salicaceae

This family essentially brings together two genera: poplars (Populus) and willows (Salix).
There is a vast number of species of poplars and willows with about 350 species.recorded.

The Salicaceae are trees and shrubs of cold and temperate regions.

The most cmmon of the Salicaceae in France have been grouped together here.  In the Aphid key folder a simplified key based on photos is provided to help you identify aphid species.

Poplar (Populus)

The poplars comprise spontaneous and cultivated species resulting from cultivars most of which are hybrids. A quick-growing, tree, the poplar is grown for its soft, light wood used in a range of timber-related industries (paper pulp, packaging and so on).

The Table below gives the species of the most frequent aphids found on different species of poplars: white poplar (Populus alba), black poplar (P. nigra), aspen (P. tremula) and species obtained from cultivars.

Frequent aphids : 

Occasional aphids :

  • Chaitophorus tremulae
  • Pemphigus spyrothecae
  • Pterocomma populeum
  • Stomaphis longirostris
  • Thecabius lysimachiae
  • Tuberolachnus salignus

Willow (Salix)

There are great numbers of species of willow. Sizes vary enormously between heights of 0.50 to 40m. They are the first shrubs to colonize waste land. They are good at withstanding pruning and their branches grow again after every cut. Willow bark contains salicin and salicylic acid used as an ingredient in aspirin. It is employed in basket weaving and in carpentry. It is also an element in manufacture of pulp and packaging. New outlets for willow are emerging in biomass production. Finally, it can serve as an effective filter for purifying waste water.

The Table below puts together the most frequent species of aphids found on the different species of willows, such as: white willow (Salix alba), goat willow (S. caprea), grey willow (S.cinerea), crack willow (S.fragilis) and osier (S. viminalis).

Frequent aphids : 

Frequent aphids :

Modification date: 16 May 2024 | Publication date: 31 January 2017 | By: Evelyne Turpeau, Maurice Hullé, Bernard Chaubet