Euceraphis punctipennis · amaras ^Thumbnails^Thumbnails

Euceraphis punctipennis · amaras

  • Euceraphis betulaea
  • European birch aphid, Downy birch aphid
  • Birkebladlus, Stor dunbirkebladlus
  • Mszyca brzozowa srebrzysta
  • vanlig björkbladlus

Host plants: Betulaceae, monophagous. Adult apterae are large (3-5 mm), winged. They live, usually solitary, at the underside of the leaves and on the young shoots.

Most of the text below is from influentialpoints.com/Gallery/Euceraphis_punctipennis_Downy_birch_aphid.htm, where it was published under a CC BY 3.0 License.

Adult winged forms of Euceraphis punctipennis have a pale green abdomen and are covered with bluish-white wax. Their head and thorax are dark brown. Dorsal black patches when present are usually confined to abdominal tergites IV and V. Dark cross bands are never present on fundatrices in spring (distinguishes specimens from Euceraphis betulae, at least in spring!). The base of antennal segment VI is usually 1.33-1.75 times longer than the second hind tarsal segment (cf. Euceraphis betulae which has the base of antennal segment VI usually 0.8-1.32 times longer than the second hind tarsal segment). The body length of Euceraphis punctipennis adult alates is 3.0-4.8 mm.

The identity of the adult fundatrigeniae which are present mid-May-June, can also be determined by examining the pigmentation of the legs and antennae. Euceraphis punctipennis has the basal part of the fore tibia pigmented and scabrous for never more than quarter of total length (cf. Euceraphis betulae which has the basal part of the fore tibia pigmented & scabrous for at least one third of its length. Euceraphis punctipennis has the basal parts of antennal segments III and IV pale (cf. Euceraphis betulae which has the basal parts of antennal segments III and IV pigmented). Immature Euceraphis punctipennis are green with conspicuous short black-tipped siphunculi.

The downy birch aphid lives on the undersides of leaves of downy birch (Betula pubescens). Sexual forms occur in October and November. Euceraphis punctipennis occurs throughout Europe.

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