365 Urban Species. #034: Lettuce Aphid

[urbpan]

Urban species #034: Lettuce aphid Nasonovia ribis-nigri

I discovered this relative newcomer to North America in a head of Romaine lettuce earlier this week. It grew up in a hothouse, or a field in California or perhaps Mexico. The lettuce aphid is thought to be native to Europe. It is already widespread in the U.S., and quarantined from import to Japan, and farmers in Australia are nervous about it as well. A quick search of its scientific name turns up worried studies of insecticide-resistance (the lettuce this individual was found on, was not organic, that is, treated with pesticide). Aphid population growth is rapid, and includes sexual and asexual reproduction.

There are over a thousand species of aphids in North America, and nearly every plant species is fed upon by at least one aphid species.

Comments

[ankhanu.livejournal.com]

Lettuce is home to a lot of different insect "pests". I was working on an irrigation demonstration project through the summer and one of our test fields was a lettuce field. I saw a LOT of Coccinella septempunctata (Seven spotted Ladybird) in that field. Saw plenty of other predatory beetles as well (Carabids, Cicindellids, etc).

I wonder how widespread this aphid species is in North America.

[(Anonymous)]

Cool! You got one of those trash dematerializers. I'm afraid to get one, because I know I'm such a klutz that I'd bump my head into the matrix and give myself an unintentional haircut, if I'm lucky or lobotomy if I'm not.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Non sequitur comment of the day award to:
Anonymous.
Isn't that always the way?

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

Apropos of nothing, 'lettuce aphid' sounds like the punchline to a knock-knock joke!

[turil.livejournal.com]

Hey, not that this has anything at all to do with aphids, but Pywaket and I saw a white squirrel in Somerville today. we didn't get to see it for long before it ran into someone's backyard, but it seemed all white. Well, not pure white, but a slightly dirty white, I guess. Maybe an albino?

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Possibly albino, possibly leucistic. Either way, very cool!