''Tuberolachnus salignus'', or the giant willow aphid, is a species of

aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A ...

, in the genus '' Tuberolachnus''. They are reputed to be the largest aphids, with a body length of up to 5.8mm. First described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1790, it feeds on many species of

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist ...

(''Salix'' species), and has one known

specific parasite Specific may refer to: * Specificity (disambiguation) * Specific, a cure or therapy for a specific illness Law * Specific deterrence, focussed on an individual * Specific finding, intermediate verdict used by a jury in determining the final v ...

, ''

Pauesia salignae ''Pauesia'' is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the subfamily Aphidiinae. The species in the genus use the conifer aphids (genus ''Cinara'') as their host. ''Pauesia anatolica'' is a parasitoid of the cedar aphid ''Cinara cedri,'' and ''Pauesia gr ...

''. ''Tuberolachnus salignus'' does not require a male for reproduction. Only females have ever been recorded, which suggests that reproduction is

parthenogenetic Parthenogenesis (; from the Greek grc, παρθένος, translit=parthénos, lit=virgin, label=none + grc, γένεσις, translit=génesis, lit=creation, label=none) is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which growth and developmen ...

and all offspring produced are genetically identical

clones Clone or Clones or Cloning or Cloned or The Clone may refer to: Places * Clones, County Fermanagh * Clones, County Monaghan, a town in Ireland Biology * Clone (B-cell), a lymphocyte clone, the massive presence of which may indicate a pathologi ...

Host plants

''Tuberolachnus salignus'' is known to feed primarily on willow and ''Salix'' tree species such as the white willow (''

Salix alba ''Salix alba'', the white willow, is a species of willow native to Europe and western and central Asia.Meikle, R. D. (1984). ''Willows and Poplars of Great Britain and Ireland''. BSBI Handbook No. 4. .Rushforth, K. (1999). ''Trees of Britain a ...

''), the common sallow (''

Salix cinerea ''Salix cinerea'' (common sallow, grey sallow, grey willow, grey-leaved sallow, large grey willow, pussy willow, rusty sallow) is a species of willow native to Europe and western Asia.Meikle, R. D. (1984). ''Willows and Poplars of Great Britain ...

')'' and the Indian willow (''

Salix tetrasperma ''Salix tetrasperma'', commonly called Indian willow, is a medium-sized tree of wet and swampy places, shedding its leaves at the end of monsoon season. It flowers after leafing. The bark is rough, with deep, vertical fissures and the young shoot ...

'').Hussain, Barkat & War, Abdul Rasheed & Singh, Satnam & Ahmad, Shanawaz. (2021). First Record of an Invasive Pest, Giant Willow Aphid, Tuberolachnus salignus (Gmelin) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Salix alba in the Cold Arid Region of Ladakh, India. Entomological News. 129. 10.3157/021.129.0508. The following host tree species have also been recorded: * Quince (''

Cydonia oblonga The quince (; ''Cydonia oblonga'') is the sole member of the genus ''Cydonia'' in the Malinae subtribe (which also contains apples and pears, among other fruits) of the Rosaceae family. It is a deciduous tree that bears hard, aromatic bri ...

'') * Apple (''

Malus ''Malus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 30–55 species of small deciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rosaceae, including the domesticated orchard apple, crab apples, wild apples, and rainberries. The genus is native to the temperate zo ...

spp.'') * Poplar (''

Populus ''Populus'' is a genus of 25–30 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar (), aspen, and cottonwood. The we ...

spp.'')

Host plants

References

Further reading