Bird cherry-oat aphid Rhopalosiphum padi

Features

It is an aphid in the superfamily Aphidoidea. It is a true bug and sucks sap from plants.

Species	Insect
Living space
Size

Description

The size of the adult is from 1.2 to 2.4 mm. It is one of the most important pests in cereals, especially in temperate regions, as it is the main carrier of many viruses in economically important crops. It is widespread throughout the world and can inhabit many host plants of dicotyledons and monocots. Its main host is the bird cherry, where it overwinters like an egg. In the spring, however, it attacks cereals such as barley, oats, wheat and grasses. It is also common in areas with corn. It is a carrier of many viral diseases such as: yellow barley dwarf virus, yellow oat leaf disease, corn leaf virus, rice virus, yellow onion dwarf virus. They feed on many fluttering flies, spiders, wasp parasitoids and other species of predatory insects.