Adelges laricis Vallot, 1836
on Picea, primary host plant
Picea glehnii, Hungary, Budapest, arboretum, 31.v.2019 © László Érsek
larvae at the outside of the gall
opened gall with larvae and honey dew droplets
larva
Picea abies, France, Rhône-Alpes, Haute-Savoie, Saint-Gervais-les-Bains © Arnold Grosscurt
the pale colour of the gall is diagnostic
opened gall
Picea abies, Germany, Bavaria, Schwangau; very young gall, with aphids (so called “strawberry gall”) © Arnold Grosscurt
gall
The gall has has a creamy colour, 1-1.5 cm diameter, a globular shape and a waxy texture.
host plants
Pinaceae, monophagous
Picea abies, alcoquiana, glauca, glehnii, koraiensis, mariana, orientalis, pungens, sitchensis.
on Larix, secondary host plant
Larix decidua, Heerde, lg de Dellen © Hans Jonkman
Larix decidua, Hongarije, Budapest © László Érsek
detail
fresh infestation
aphid with eggs
close-up
two larvae in different stages, both recently moulted,
therefore without wax
larval alata (wing pad clearly visible)
gall
On the secondary host plant no gall formation takes place. In he autumn a larval female establishes itself on a shoot of the current year. In the following spring she is mature and produces a mass of eggs. The resulting aphids feed on the fresh needles and produce copious amounts of wax-wool and honeydew. The needles are discoloured, swollen and untidily curved in all directions. The aphids are dark green to black
host plants
Pinaceae, monophagous
Larix decidua, x eurolepis, gmelinii, kaempferi, laricina, lyallii, sibirica.
synonyms
Adelges lariceti (Altum, 1889); A. strobilobius (Kaltenbach, 1843); A. coccineus (Ratzeburg, 1843).
predators
notes
The species is closely related to, and very difficult to separate from, Adelges tardus (Dreyfus, 1888); that species does not migrate to Larix and the galls ripen later, in August-October, instead of June.
references
Albrecht (2017a), Barbagallo, Binazzi, Pennacchio & Pollini (2011a), Béguinot (2002e,g,h, 2007b), Bellido, Ros-Farré & Pujade-Villar (2003a), Börner & Franz (1956a), Buhr (1964b, 1965a), Chinery (2011a), Coulianos & Holmåsen (1991a), Dauphin & Aniotsbehere (1997a), Favret, Havill, Miller ao (2015a), Grosscurt (2017a), Hellrigl (2004a), Houard (1908a), Kollár (2007a, 2011a), Lambinon, Carbonnelle & Claerebout (2015a) Carter (1971a), Castresana & Notario (1992a), Covassi & Binazzi (1981a), Lambinon & Romain (2009a), Lambinon & Schneider (2004a), Lampel (1988a), Lampel & Meier (2003a), Lehmann & Hannover (2016a), Notario, Baragaño & Castresana (1992a), Osiadacz & Wojciechowski (2008a), Rakauskas & Trukšinaitė (2011a), Redfern & Shirley (2011a), Ripka, Reider & Szalay-Marzsó (1998a), Roskam (2009a), Sylvén (1960a), Tomasi (2003a, 2012a, 2014a), Wojciechowski, Depa, Halgoš ao (2016a).