Elatobium abietinum (Walker, 1849)
green spruce aphid
on Picea, etc.
green spruce aphid
on Picea, etc.
Abies alba, UK © Bob Dransfield & Bob Brightwell, InfluentialPoints.
Picea abies, Germany, Saarland, Bexbach, 250 m, 27.iv.2022 © Volker Fäßler
alate
gall
De aphids sit in small groups on the older needles. De needles turn yellow and drop prematurely. Especially in the sitka spruce this may lead to serious defoliation. The aphids don’t have a cover of wax-wool. No host plant alternation, not ant-attended.
host plants
Pinaceae, oligophagous
Abies alba, cephalonica, homolepis, lasiocarpa, nordmanniana; Larix decidua; Picea abies, engelmannii, glauca, glehnii, jezoensis, mariana, omorika, orientalis, pungens, schrenkiana subsp. tianschanica, sitchensis; Pinus sibirica; Pseudotsuga menziesii.
Picea species are the most important hostplants by far, much more important than Abies; the occurrence on other genera must be interpreted as xenophagy.
synonyms
Liosomaphis abietina.
references
Albrecht (2017a), Barbagallo, Binazzi, Pennacchio & Pollini (2011a), Blackman & Eastop (2017), Börner & Franz (1956a), Buga & Stekolshchikov (2012a), Heie (1992a), Hellrigl (2004a), Influential Points (2022), Kollár (2007a), Lampel & Meier (2007a), Piron (2017a), Ripka, Reider & Szalay-Marzsó (1998a), Tambs-Lyche (1970a), Wojciechowski, Depa, Halgoš ao (2016a).