A. craccivora is a relatively small aphid. Apterous viviparous females have a shiny black or dark brown body with a prominent cauda and brown to yellow legs. Immatures are slightly dusted with wax, adults without wax. Six-segmented antennae. Distal part of femur, siphunculi and cauda black. Apterae 1.4-2.2 mm.
Alate viviparous A. craccivora females have abdomens with dorsal cross bars. Alatae 1.4-2.1 mm (Blackman and Eastop, 2000).
On groundnut, very young rolled up leaves of seedlings should be examined for nymphs early in the season.
Related invasive species
- Aphis craccivora
Related Farm Practice
- Programmes
- Plant breeding
- Breeding
- Control
- Development
- Hosts
Groundnut plants take on a bushy appearance due to attack by A. craccivora and infection with rosette virus. Rosette may take two forms, chlorotic rosette (white patches with green veins on young leaves and short internodes) and green rosette (darker appearance with stunting of leaflets and branches).
A. craccivora is polyphagous, but with marked preference for Leguminosae, for example, Caragana, Lupinus, Medicago, Melilotus, Robinia, Trifolium and Vicia. It is found in small colonies on many other families, including Cruciferae.