S. fragariae

Sitobion fragariae (Walker, 1848)

Blackberry-grass aphid

Sitobion fragariae : adulte aptère
Sitobion fragariae : adulte ailé
Sitobion fragariae : colonie

Morphological characters

2.0-3.0 mm.
Apterous: apple green, more or less yellowish or pink, cornicles long, black, straight and reticulated.
Alate: yellowish green or pink, marginal and dorsal sclerites black, antennae long and dark, cornicles cylindrical, long (more than two times the length of the cauda), black and reticulated, cauda pale and long..

See identification file

Life cycles

Dioecious  holocyclic.

Host plants

Primary hosts: Rubus fructucosus (bramble) and sometimes on Rosa (roses), Fragaria (strawberry).
Secondary hosts: Poaceae: Avena (oats), Hordeum (barley), Bromus (brome), Dactylis (cocksfoot), Holcus (soft-grass), Phleum (timothy).

Agronomic impact

S. fragariae does not cause direct damage.
It is a vector of the barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV).

Natural enemies

Parasitoids :