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How to control oleander aphids? A full breakdown of practical methods

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Oleander aphid, also known as the kapok aphid, belongs to the order Homoptera, family Aphididae. It is distributed throughout southern China, as well as in various countries of Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America. Damage symptoms: nymphs or aphids attack oleander, stunting the growth of affected new shoots, turning the upper and lower leaves black, and causing flower buds and flowers to develop incompletely and open abnormally, reducing ornamental value. Morphological characteristics: the wingless parthenogenetic female is oval in shape, 2.3 mm long, yellow like a banana peel. The frontal tubercles are raised, higher than the median frontal tubercle; the antennae are dark, with coarse tile-like sculpturing; the rostrum reaches the middle coxae. The cornicles are long and tubular, dark

Oleander aphid, also known as the kapok aphid, belongs to the order Homoptera, family Aphididae. It is distributed throughout southern China, as well as in various countries of Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America.

Damage symptoms: nymphs or aphids attack oleander, stunting the growth of affected new shoots, turning the upper and lower leaves black, and causing flower buds and flowers to develop incompletely and open abnormally, reducing ornamental value.

Morphological characteristics: the wingless parthenogenetic female is oval in shape, 2.3 mm long, yellow like a banana peel. The frontal tubercles are raised, higher than the median frontal tubercle; the antennae are dark, with coarse tile-like sculpturing; the rostrum reaches the middle coxae. The cornicles are long and tubular, dark, with tile-like sculpturing and marginal tubercles; the cauda is tongue-shaped, constricted at the middle.

The winged parthenogenetic female is long-oval in shape, with a black head and thorax and a paler abdomen. It has markings. The third antennal segment has 5-11 large secondary rhinaria; the rostrum reaches the hind coxae, normal. The cornicles are long and tubular; other features are similar to those of the wingless parthenogenetic female.

Life history and habits: the oleander aphid produces multiple generations a year, overwintering as adult or nymph aphids in the leaf axils of branch tips. It begins activity and damage in late April and early May, reproduces fastest and occurs most commonly from May to June, when many winged parthenogenetic migrant aphids appear, fly off, and spread the infestation. In the hot summer season, population density drops noticeably, then rises again from September to October, causing a second peak of damage. After November it gradually decreases, disperses, and hides away, beginning overwintering.

The oleander aphid is the main pest of oleander. From May onward it often clusters on new shoots, not only arranged fairly evenly but also "acting in unison" - that is, when a branch tip densely covered with aphids is given a slight shake, their abdomens sway left and right 2-3 times, very neatly, almost with no lag, which is rarely seen among aphids. The natural enemies of the oleander aphid include the transverse ladybird, green lacewings, various hoverflies, and aphidid wasps.

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