[Darren]

I found this awesome article about the oleander aphid, Aphis nerii Boyer de Fonscolombe, sometimes called the milkweed aphid. Good pictures too.

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/orn/shrubs/oleander_aphid.htm

[medusa]

Dave Rippey/Jaqui, I am very interested in the cold tea theory, is that with milk and sugar or plain?

Seriously, I want to try it and want to do it right to get rid of the damn aphids, they are driving me crazy.

[Darren]

K.M.Hwa and C.T.Yun. 1999. Population Parameters of Aphis nerii and the Effect of Temperature on It?s Development. Chinese J. Entomol. 19:297-306. http://140.112.100.38/english/journal/19vol/no4/2.htm

The developmental duration of each stadium of oleander aphid (Aphis nerii Boyer de Fonscolombe) reared on the blood-flower (Asclepias curassavica L.) at seven temperatures varying from 5 to 35 ?C, photoperiod of LD 12:12 differed significantly.

The longest duration for nymphal development was observed at 5 ?C and the shortest at 30 ?C. The greatest longevity of adults was 42.67 days at 10 ?C, and the shortest was 6.69 days at 30 ?C.

Fecundity of adults at 15, 20, and 25 ?C did not differ significantly; more then 12 offspring could be reproduced by each female. Age-specific survivorship (lx) extended as temperature decreased. The highest peak of fecundity lines (mx) was at 25 ?C, and no nymph was produced at 5 and 35 ?C. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) and the finite rate of increase (?) were highest at 25 ?C(r = 0.1436/d , ?= 1.1575/d), and lowest at 10 ?C (r = 0.0014/d , ?= 1.0001/d).

Reproductive rate (Ro) was greater at 15, 20, and 25 ?C. The shortest mean generation time (T) was 11.8 days at 30 ?C. The optimal temperature for development of the aphid ranged from 28 to 30 ?C.

[Darren]

Another reference. Not sure how useful, but I found it interesting.

Increased nitrogen availability influences predator?prey interactions by altering host-plant quality. John J. Couture, Jason S. Servi and Richard L. Lindroth. Chemoecology
Volume 20, Number 4, 277-284
http://www.springerlink.com/content/c5m7n250642l782p/

Abstract: Little is known about how plant nutritional and defensive qualities interact to influence predator?prey interactions. To address this need, we provided the neo-tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, with two levels of nitrogen availability and examined how altered host-plant quality influenced the responses of a specialist aphid, Aphis nerii, and a coccinellid predator, Harmonia axyridis. Aphis nerii uses A. curassavica for multiple resources, including nutrition and sequestration of cardenolides for defense against natural enemies. Increased nitrogen availability improved A. curassavica quality by decreasing carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratios and cardenolide concentrations, resulting in A. nerii that also had lower C:N ratios and cardenolide concentrations. Aphis nerii population growth was higher on plants with high nitrogen availability, compared with aphids on plants with low nitrogen availability. In no-choice feeding trials, Harmonia axyridis consumed more high C:N ratio aphids, suggesting a potential compensatory response to reduced aphid nutritional quality. Additionally, H. axyridis were able to consume more low-quality aphids at the expense of increasing exposure to increased cardenolide concentrations, suggesting that interactions between H. axyridis and A. nerii may be strongly influenced by prey nutritional quality. This work highlights the need to consider how variation in plant quality influences herbivore nutritional and defensive quality when examining mechanisms that influence predator?prey interactions.

[Darren]

Another useful reference
http://www.ladybirdplantcare.co.uk/Aphid.html

[Anonymous]

This is a good article, Darren.
Sadly, when we create great environments for Monarchs, we provide perfect places for these flipping little beasties and wasps too.
Trisha

[Darren]

I have added our little yellow enemies to the other species list on the top menu.
other species
/factsheets
/pests and predators
/Aphis nerii

[Jacqui]

Have never heard of cold tea before, Dave. I just use high pressure water and make sure I leave any ladybirds to do their thing.

Have you thought about buying some Aphidius colemani? See the information under Projects/Pests.

I bought some a few years ago from Bioforce, Email office@bioforce.net.nz, Phone +64 9 294 8973

[Dave Rippey]

The scourge of the waikato?? At my place anyway? Blimin yellow devils!!!! Someone told daughter that cold tea gets rid of them and so (without me knowing) she tried it and presto no aphids!!! I am a bit concerned that the cats will be similarly affected? Can anyone answer this question?

[Jacqui]

Fantastic photos, Darren. Thanks for sharing them, very useful.

[Charlotte]

Yes Darren we have a few aphids here in West Auckland also.

Cheers
Char

[Darren]

Well it is certainly aphid time again at my place. But yesterday I noticed the ladybird beetle population is, um, multiplying, to take advantage of the increased food supply. There are lots of the peculiar looking ladybird beetle larvae feasting on the aphids. Photos here:

Aphids and Ladybirds

[Darren]

This article examines the relationship between the plant, the aphids, and ants. It seems the ants are after more than just honeydew. Different chemicals from the plant are also found in the honeydew depending on which bits the aphids are on, and ants prefer the colonies from the flower tips 3-4 times more than colonies from the leaf terminals.

Are ant-aphid associations a tritrophic interaction? Oleander aphids and Argentine ants. C. M. Bristow. Oecologia, Volume 87, Number 4 / September, 1991
http://www.springerlink.com/content/v22m7345j61q4120/

[Darren]

The MBNZT fact sheet on aphids is also a good read, although it is a 2mb download

https://www.monarch.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/aphids-fact-sheet.pdf

[Author]

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