Elatobium abietinum (Walker, 1849)

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).