Poplar Gall Aphid

Pemphigus bursarius (Linnaeus)

Hosts

Poplars are the primary host but secondary hosts include a range of Asteraceae, including lettuce.

Distribution

Widespread in the northern hemisphere and through the Oriental region to Australia and New Zealand.

Identification

Wingless females live on the roots of plants and are short and globular. Both winged and wingless females lack siphunculi on the abdomen. They also have short antennae bearing transverse sensory pits (these are spherical in most aphids) and the apical segment has the thick basal section longer than the tapering processus terminalis. In other aphids, the processus terminalis is many times longer than the basal section of segment six as illustrated in the key.