Article author: Wizzie Brown

Common Name(s): Oleander Aphid

Pest Location

Landscape Ornamental

Description

Adults are yellow with black legs and cornicles, which are two paired appendages extending from the tip of the abdomen.  Adults may be winged or wingless.  Nymphs, or immatures, look the same as adults but are wingless and smaller in size. There is no egg stage since the aphids give birth to live young.  There are also no males, oleander aphids are all females.

Origin and Distribution

Thought to come from the Mediterranean area. Found in tropical and warm temperate regions of the world.

Habitat & Hosts

Oleander aphids feed on a number of ornamental plants including: oleander, milkweed, butterfly weed, and vinca.

Life Cycle

Oleander aphids exhibit an incomplete life cycle of nymphs (immatures) and adults.  There is no egg stage as the adults lay live young.

 

Management

If you live in the State of Texas, contact your local county agent or entomologist for management information. If you live outside of Texas, contact your local extension for management options.

Many oleander aphids are attacked by a parasitic wasp that lays its egg within the aphid.  When the wasp egg hatches, it feeds on the internal organs of the aphid. The wasp larva pupates within the aphid, and emerges as an adult by cutting a hole in the top of the aphid’s abdomen.  Aphids that have been parasitized are referred to as aphid mummies.

Treatments with high pressure water sprays or pesticides such as insecticidal soaps or horticultural oils.