Aphids

If you have a butterfly garden in Florida you probably have milkweed to lure Monarchs and other milkweed butterflies to your garden. With milkweed comes a host of pests and Milkweed Aphids (Aphis nerii) are certainly at the top of the list.

These yellow soft-bodied insects have black legs and antenna and can be found clinging to the stems of milkweed and oleander plants. Milkweed Aphids are all female and they reproduce by parthenogenesis which means that the mother produces clones of herself without mating with a male. This species is viviparous which means that instead of laying eggs this species bears live young called nymphs that increase in size as they grow.

Aphids are polymorphic and can have different body shapes under different circumstances When a colony becomes over-crowed, nymphs with wings will be produced and those nymphs will fly away to create new colonies. In the

Aphids have a bright yellow color that serves as an aposomatic warning to predators. These tiny insects sequester cardiac glycosides (heart poisons) called cardenolides from their host plant and can secrete them when disturbed by a predator. Additionally, aphids produce a sugary substance called honeydew that is sought after by ants. This honeydew can gather on leaves and stems and a black sooty mold can grow on this surface.

Milkweed aphids are a parasite that feed on the milkweed plant. The species prefer the newest growth and tender shoots of their host plant and large spring colonies can be found feasting on the milkweed sap. Large colonies can stunt the growth of milkweed by generally their damage is largely aesthetic.

Reducing the size of these colonies on your milkweed plants can be tricky as treatment with any pesticide will also make the plant unacceptable for butterfly larvae. Aphids have plenty of natural predators but they can reproduce at an alarming rate. Using a hose sprayer at close range can help to dislodge Milkweed Aphids from large colonies without causing a problem for your caterpillars.