AusBonsai

It’s not a bonsai but my rose bushes are suddenly covered in these insects. Does anyone know what they are? I thought aphids but they’re a bit fat.

Looking like aphids to me. I get fat black ones at my currently place.

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Hey Beano,

Not live aphids. These are the remains of aphids after they have been parasitised by braconid parasitoid wasps and are referred to as "aphid mummies". These wasps are natural predators and do a pretty good job at keeping aphid levels low if you don't spray insecticide. If you just use a jet of water to remove live adult aphids (which are black or green), the mummies stay put. They are also produced commercially http://www.goodbugs.org.au/Good%20bugs/aphidius.html and you can transfer the mummies to other plants with aphids, assuming the adult wasps haven't emerged.

[edit] The orange bug on the rose petal is a live aphid.

terryb

terryb wrote:Hey Beano,

Not live aphids. These are the remains of aphids after they have been parasitised by braconid parasitoid wasps and are referred to as "aphid mummies". These wasps are natural predators and do a pretty good job at keeping aphid levels low if you don't spray insecticide. If you just use a jet of water to remove live adult aphids (which are black or green), the mummies stay put. They are also produced commercially http://www.goodbugs.org.au/Good%20bugs/aphidius.html and you can transfer the mummies to other plants with aphids, assuming the adult wasps haven't emerged.

[edit] The orange bug on the rose petal is a live aphid.

terryb

Aphid Mummies....That is one of the coolest things I have heard in ages...!

OMG! That is actually really cool. I read about those while looking for pictures of fat aphids! They infect them with a bacteriophage which if I remember correctly from uni days actually changes their DNA so they die.

Aphid mummies! [FACE SCREAMING IN FEAR]


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Beano wrote:OMG! That is actually really cool. I read about those while looking for pictures of fat aphids! They infect them with a bacteriophage which if I remember correctly from uni days actually changes their DNA so they die.

Yes parasitoids can do very cool things to their hosts. In this case, the aphid exoskeleton acts as the pupal case (the mummy) for development of the wasp larva after it has eaten the inside of the aphid. However, other substances injected into the aphid with the egg (including wasp symbiotic viruses) can change the hosts immune system as well as host behaviour, such as where on the plant the muumies occur.

Best to treat these early! - rare photo below captures the shocking results of "Fat Mummy Aphids" towards their final life cycle.

That's just sooo funny Keep Calm!!!

Its aphid...You can often get rid of aphids by wiping or spraying the leaves of the plant with a mild solution of water and a few drops of dish washing detergent. Stir together 1 quart of water, 1 tsp of liquid dish soap, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Do not dilute before spraying on plants.
hope i helped...

Keep Calm and Ramify wrote:Best to treat these early! - rare photo below captures the shocking results of "Fat Mummy Aphids" towards their final life cycle.

fat aphids.jpg

Did your kid make that? Is it your family?! I see name tags! Nice proboscuses!


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Sorry for multiple edits. Tapatalk was being odd.

I transferred some mummies from the front roses to the backyard roses. Today I find this parasitoid hanging around some unsuspecting aphids...

Great information (as long as nobody mentions 'daddy aphids')

Hmmm .... Informative and weird - a little bit of Stephen King and Clive Barker disguised in a bonsai forum.

Who would have thought?