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"It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important" |
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Megoura viciaeVetch aphidOn this page: Identification & Distribution Other aphids on the same hostIdentification & Distribution:Megoura viciae are large apple green to dark bluish green aphids. The adult aptera (see first picture below) has a black head and antennae, the latter being longer than the body. The prothorax is black, much narrower than the body which is green and globular. Black crescent-shaped sclerites are present in front of the siphunculi which are black and swollen in the middle, and about the same length as the cauda. The legs and cauda are also black.
The alate (see second picture above) has a green abdomen with black antesiphuncular and marginal sclerites, and dorsal cross bands on abdominal tergites 7 and 8. The Megoura viciae clarified slide mounts below are of adult viviparous female Megoura viciae : wingless, and winged.
Micrographs of clarified mounts by permission of Roger Blackman, copyright AWP all rights reserved. The vetch aphid does not host alternate but spends it entire life cycle on leguminous plants, especially vetch, Lathyrus and broad beans. Eggs are laid at the base of vetch or pea plants and hatch in spring. Populations build up and after three generations winged forms are produced which disperse to other plants. Megoura viciae generally move to the seed pods in autumn. Other aphids on same host:Megoura viciae has been recorded from 11 Vicia species.
Megoura viciae has been recorded from 16 Lathyrus species. Blackman & Eastop list 25 species of aphid as feeding on peavines or vetchlings, including 'sweet pea' (Lathyrus species) worldwide, and provide formal identification keys (Show World list). Baker (2015) lists 16 as occurring in Britain (Show British list).
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