Macrosiphum rosae L.

SPECIES: Macrosiphum rosae L. (Order Rincoti)

COMMON NAME: Rose aphid

SIZE: from 1 to 4 mm

LIFECYCLE: Macrosiphum rosae overwinters as an egg; however, in certain environments or in years with particularly mild winters, adult forms can be found on the plants even in winter (parthenogenetic females) that continue the autumn cycle. In any case, the actual infestations begin in late spring and continue throughout the year, with an overlapping of generations until autumn; sometimes, as already mentioned, the cycle continues until the following year.

FEATURES: Macrosiphum rosae is the typical "louse" of the Rose; it is widespread everywhere, both in intensive cultivations and in gardens and parks. These Aphids are a few mm long, greenish or pinkish in color depending on the shape; these can be winged or apterous.

HABITAT: They normally live in colonies, especially on young shoots and still closed flower buds.

DAMAGE: The damage is caused by feeding punctures that cause:
- deformation of the shoots, with arrest of their development;
- deformation of the flower buds that do not open, or bloom irregularly.
In addition, this Aphid produces abundant honeydew that stains the vegetation, causing both indirect consequences (burns, asphyxiation, establishment of sooty mold) and a disfigurement of the plants and flowers, with consequent aesthetic and functional damage.