Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris, 1776)

Morphological characters

2.3-4.4 mm.
Large green or pink aphid, eyes red, cornicles long, straight and light-coloured.
Apterous: antennae as long as body, cauda long and tapering.
Alate: antennae longer than body, cauda long, curved into sickle shape, pointed.

See identification file

Life cycles

Monoecious holocyclic and anholocyclic in regions with mild climate.

Host plants  

Cultivated Fabaceae: Pisum (peas), Phaseolus (haricot), Trifolium (clover), Medicago (lucerne), Vicia (broad bean), Lens (lentil), also wild species: such as Onobrychis (sainfoin), Cytisus (broom), Genista (greenweed, petty whin).

Particular characteristics

Colonies are established preferentially at the base of flowers, on youngest organs in full bloom at the end of stems.
They drop down readily if disturbed (phenomenon of thanatosis).

Agronomic impact

Acyrthosiphon pisum is an early developing species which explains why it is so harmful.
It causes direct damage by sucking up sap which leads to aborted flowers, decreased grain weight and number of pods.
Acyrthosiphon pisum transmits more than 30 viruses (bean common mosaic virus (BCMV), bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV), cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), and so on).
The illustration shows the damage done by the pea enation mosaic virus (PEMV).

Natural enemies :

Prédateurs : 

• Coleoptera
• Propylea 14 punctata
• Coccinella 7 punctata
• Coccinella 11 punctata
• Hippodamia variegata

Parasitoids : 

• Aphelinus asychis
• Aphidius avenae
• Aphidius eadyi
• Aphidius ervi
• Aphidius picipes
• Aphidius smithi
• Aphidius urticae
• Ephedrus lacertosus
• Ephedrus plagiator
• Praon barbatum
• Praon volucre