Abdomen

Abdomen

The abdomen of aphids can be glossy, matt or covered with a variously abundant waxy secretion. It can be elongate, round, tapering or flattened.

In alates, the abdomen is clearly differentiated from the thorax. It is made of 10 segments, more or less well marked.
The last segment forms the cauda. The junction between segments V and VI is where cornicles are carried.
The end of the ventral side bears the genital plate and the anal plate.

The shape of the abdomen varies with the different species.

Hyalopteroides humilis : adulte aptère
Brachycaudus cardui : adulte aptère et larves
Macrosiphum euphorbiae : adulte aptère vert et sa colonie
Crypturaphis grassii : adulte aptère sur Alnus cordata

 Hyalopteroides humilis
 (elongate)

 Brachycaudus cardui
 (round)

 Macrosiphum euphorbiae
(tapering)

 Crypturaphis grassii
 (flattened)

    

Aphids are often green, yet they can be seen in a whole range of colours.
Some species even produce clones that differ in colour (green or pink in Acyrthosiphon pisum,  green or orangey in Sitobion avenae, Macrosiphum euphorbiae for example).

Myzus ascalonicus : adulte aptère
Aphis nasturtii, adulte aptère
Neotoxoptera formosana : adulte aptère
Dysaphis pyri : adulte aptère

Myzus ascalonicus
(light green)

Aphis nasturtii
(yellow)

Neotoxoptera formosana
(black)

Dysaphis pyri
(purple)

Uroleucon tanaceti : nymphe 3, nymphe 4
Acyrthosiphon pisum, larves roses et larves vertes

Uroleucon tanaceti
(reddish brown)

Acyrthosiphon pisum
(pink and green colony)

Modification date : 17 April 2024 | Publication date : 23 November 2010 | Redactor : Evelyne Turpeau, Maurice Hullé, Bernard Chaubet