Aphelinus gossypii (Timberlake)

(Insecta: Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae)

Aphelinus gossypii parasitizes at least five aphid species in Florida, including bird-cherry oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (Linnaeus); black citrus aphid, Toxoptera aurantii (Fonscolombe); leaf-curling plum aphid, Brachycaudus helichrysi (Kaltenbach); melon/cotton aphid, (Aphis gossypii Glover); and oleander aphid (Aphis nerii Fonscolombe).

Adults are minute, dark wasps with transparent wings. Parasitized aphids turn brown or black and remain attached to the foliage as mummies.

Females both feed on and lay eggs into aphid hosts, and thereby cause high mortality in aphid populations. Each female may consume up to 90 and parasitize up to 600 aphids during her lifetime of 20 to 27 days. The parasitized aphid host mummifies and accommodates the parasitoid’s development until the latter emerges as an adult.

Aphelinus gossypii was introduced into Florida from Hong Kong in 1963 to control green citrus aphid, but now is commonly found on other aphid species.

Images 

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Melon aphids, Aphis gossypii, (green) and their brown mummies that are parasitized likely by Aphelinus gossypii (Timberlake) on a melon leaf

(Photographer: Lyle Buss, University of Florida)

Mummies (brown) of melon aphid, Aphis gossypii, (green) parasitized likely by Aphelinus gossypii (Timberlake)

(Photographer: Lyle Buss, University of Florida)

Mummies (brown) of melon aphid, Aphis gossypii, (green) parasitized likely by Aphelinus gossypii (Timberlake)

(Photographer: Lyle Buss, University of Florida)