Southeastern Apple Production
ENTOMOLOGY
|
|
Southeastern Apple ProductionENTOMOLOGY |
|
The appearance of rosy apple aphid (RAA) changes with host and season. On apple, RAA are generally wingless and have a slight purplish to rosy body color that is somewhat obscured by a waxy coating. The fall and spring winged adults, which migrate to and from apple, are brownish green with a black head, black thorax and transparent wings. The overwintering eggs are glossy black.
 Adult |
 Adults |
 Eggs |
RAA overwinter as eggs attached to the bark of twigs and branches, particularly in hidden crevices and depressions. Eggs begin to hatch around bud break. The young aphids, or nymphs, which hatch from the eggs are all females and are called "stem mothers" since they are the mothers of the season's brood.
Young aphids initially feed on the outside of leaf buds and fruit clusters before working their way onto new leaves and fruit. The stem mothers mature and, without mating, give birth to living nymphs. Several generations are produced on apple before winged aphids appear and migrate from apple to plantain. The migration to plantain is usually completed by late June. Winged aphids produce wingless individuals, which feed and reproduce on plantain until fall. In the fall, winged females fly back to apple and give birth to true egg-laying females. Males develop later. They fly back to apple to mate with females which then lay overwintering eggs.
When populations are significant, RAA is the most destructive aphid pest of apple in the Southeast. Early-season feeding can cause leaves to be curled and twisted and fruit to be undersized, hard, and knotty.
 RAA-damaged shoot |
RAA-damaged fruit |
RAA is a common apple pest. From the tight cluster stage of flower development through the second cover spray, sample 10 interior shoot terminals from each of 10 sample trees and record the number of terminals infested with one or more wingless aphids. Implement control measures when more than 10 percent are infested.
Insecticides applied with the delayed dormant oil application have historically been used for control of RAA, but control is best accomplished from the tight cluster to pink stages. Aphid infestations that develop following bloom should be promptly controlled with curative treatments. Biological control of RAA is important since the aphid is preyed upon by many natural enemies, including lady beetles, syrphid flies, and aphid lions, but biological controls alone are usually not satisfactory. Greatest injury usually occurs during cool springs when conditions allow aphids to increase more rapidly than their enemies.
Insect and Mite Management Overview
Insect and Mite Index
Southeastern Apple Production
Mountain
Horticultural Crops Research & Extension
Center
455 Research Drive
Mills River, NC 28759
Phone: 828.684.3562 ~ Fax: 828.684.8715
Email: jim_walgenbach@ncsu.edu
Web Crafters: Anne S. Napier and
Steve Schoof
Email:
steve_schoof@ncsu.edu
Updated March 9, 2007