Woolly apple aphids

Eriosoma lanigerum

A major pest in every apple-growing area of Australia. As well as damaging the fruit, they can affect every part of an apple tree and reduce its overall health.

Description

Crawlers are flat, oblong and grey to brown. As they grow larger through four moults in the later nymphal stages, they produce the easily identifiable white wool that gives the aphids their name. Colonies release sticky honeydew that falls on fruit and shoots, allowing the development of sooty mould. The most common adult form is a wingless aphid about 2 mm long.

Control

Selecting resistant rootstocks can provide a strong foundation for an integrated management program. The parasitic wasp Aphelinus mali can also play an important role as a biological control, so its presence and activity need to be taken into account before insecticides are applied.

Using Confidor® Guard as a soil drench every second or third year until trees are 7 years old is an effective chemical control. In late summer or autumn, apple trees with woolly aphid colonies or damage should be identified and marked for treatment the following season.

Related Pests

Tuber Mealybug

Pseudococcus viburni

Tuber mealybugs, also known as obscure mealybugs, are often confused with the more prevalent longtailed mealybugs. Tuber mealybugs are a pest in some grape growing regions of eastern Australia and parts of south west Western Australia. Found in all States and Territories, they are a significant pest of pome and stone fruit orchards and inland citrus crops.

Refer to the links below on different mealybug species.

Longtailed mealybug

Pseudococcus longispinus

Being present in many Australian grape growing regions, longtailed mealybugs are generally not a major issue, but in certain circumstances can become a significant problem for vignerons. Like scale pests, mealybug feed on the plant’s sap, excreting honeydew as a waste product. The honeydew provides a food source for ants, but also a medium for sooty mould to grow on. This sooty mould can be a contaminant in the wine production process or affect the appearance of table grapes, leading to the downgrading of fruit. Mealybugs, including longtailed mealybugs, are also found in other crops including citrus, apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots, where contamination and appearance issues from sooty mould can impact fruit quality.

Refer to the links below on different mealybug species.