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Black-backed daisy aphidOn this page: Identification & Distribution Biology & Ecology Other aphids on the same host
Identification & Distribution:
The adult aptera of Nasonovia compositellae has a black head, and black cross bars across the pronotum and mesonotum. There is an extensive shining black dorsal abdominal shield covering the metanotum and abdominal tergites 1-VI , and tergites VII and VIII with black cross bars (see pictures below) (cf. Nasonovia ribisnigri and Nasonovia pilosellae which have no black dorsal abdominal shield, but only dark intersegmental sclerites between each abdominal segment). The body is dark green, often (as here) strongly tinged with orange-red. The antennae are 0.8-0.9 times the body length. The siphunculi are thick at the base and 1.3-1.6 times the length of the cauda. The cauda is finger-shaped with 7 hairs. The body length of the Nasonovia compositellae adult aptera is 1.8-2.5 mm.
The first image (below) is a micrograph of the adult aptera in alcohol. The second picture shows the lengths of the terminal process (PT) and base of antennal segment VI for a specimen of Nasonovia compositellae ssp. compositellae from the north of Scotland.
There are two subspecies of Nasonovia compositellae:
Nasonovia compositellae feeds on hawkweeds (Hieracium species). In spring it feeds on the upper sides of the leaves which fold upwards to enclose the colonies, and later colonizing stems and flowers. Nasonovia compositellae subspecies compositellae produces sexuales in autumn and overwinters as eggs. It is found in the north and west of England and in Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Outside Britain it is only known from Norway and Iceland, so it is a true northern subspecies. Nasonovia compositellae ssp. nigra mainly overwinters as parthenogenetic viviparae. It is found in southern England and Wales, and is widely distributed in Europe.
Biology & Ecology:
We have only found this species in Britain on one occasion - Nasonovia compositellae subspecies compositellae at Dundreggan in Inverness-shire. There we found several colonies on Hieracium pilosella. Blackman (2010) comments that most British records so far come from another Hieracium species, Hieracium exotericum.
The colonies we found were quite heavily parasitized. The picture below shows several immature aphids which subsequently turned out to be parasitized.
The parasitoid which emerged was identified by Ed Baker as Aphidius hieraciorum.
Croft (2007) identified the parasitoid Aphidius hieraciorum (together with the use of resistant varieties) as components for the integrated control of the currant-lettuce aphid (Nasonovia ribisnigri) under the low temperatures and short day lengths of a winter crop.
Other aphids on same host: