Also known as melon aphids, black aphids are oval-shaped tiny insects that multiply quickly and could potentially harm your plants as they suck the sap out of them.
Adult aphids generally have pear-shaped bodies with long antennas, yet they are often invisible to the naked eye. Young aphids (nymphs) resemble adults, but most species have two cornicles.
Winter: Overwinter as eggs on Viburnum (snowball bush) and Euonymus (burning bush).
Spring: Before giving birth to winged females, asexual wingless females spend two to three generations on winter hosts.
– Green lacewings: voracious aphid predators that feed as larvae.
– Brown lacewings: similar to green lacewings but smaller, there are frequently found on trees.
As previously mentioned, aphids feed on the plant’s sap, which weakens them and reduces their growth. But aphids can also carry and transmit viruses from plant to plant.