Hyadaphis foeniculi - Mature nymph of alate

Lots of these on Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium), providing ample food for about six species of ladybirds and some plant bugs.

comments (4)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Interesting body shape, not seeing this at any other aphid species we've documented so far. Posted 4 years ago
1. Pudding4brains
  
  Lion
  
  Aphids are complex in their life history and as such may have different generations, living on different hosts, that may or may not look quite different from other generations and may or may not have just females or females and males.
  To migrate to the next host, at sometime "Alatae" are produced - winged specimen, with a development much like your average winged bug (several nymphal stages, with visible increase of the size of the wing pads between them, finally resulting in the winged adult after the last moult). This is the mature nymph of an alate of this specie, that will become a fully winged adult at the next moult.
  What makes it weird-looking are the, quite long and thin, black wing cases on the sides of the thorax and the bulky shape of the thorax itself that already has the developing flight muscles in it.
  I'll upload (a not so well focused) lateral view for comparison, as it is easier to discern the structure on that.
  ...
  Thereyago:
  
  Posted 4 years ago, modified 4 years ago
2. 1. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    Wow, what an answer. Such complex life cycles in such tiny critters, I can see why you dig into this so much :) Posted 4 years ago
3. Pudding4brains
  
  Lion
  
  Here is the "next step" in a different species of Aphid. I missed shooting the mature nymph, but you can still somewhat recognize the same shapes on the exuviae top left:
  
  Posted 4 years ago