Turkey Oak Aphid

Turkey Oak Aphid - Myzocallis boerneri

Description

The body length of Myzocallis boerneri alatae is 1.3 to 2.2 mm. For most of the year, immature M. boerneri are very pale yellow, or whiish with paired dusky spinal and marginal spots and many capitate hairs on the dorsum. Adult viviparous alatae of M. boerneri are yellowish, with the head and thorax sometimes partly dusky. The dorsal abdomen has a paired row of dark flat-elliptical spinal spots and variably developed marginal spots. For more details please follow the ‘Further info:’link below.

Identification difficulty
Recording advice

Please provide good close up images and state the host plant.

Habitat

The Turkey Oak Aphid lives on the undersides of leaves of several Oak species, especially the Turkey Oak, but also Holm Oak and Sessile Oak, but in Britain is (relatively) host specific on Turkey Oak.  

When to see it

From late April onwards there is a distinct seasonal pattern of abundance usually with two peaks in abundance in early summer and mid-autumn.

Life History

Its life cycle starts when the first-generation hatches from overwintering eggs in late April. These mature to winged viviparous fundatrices which reproduce parthenogenetically leading to a rapid increase in population size.

UK Status

True status in Britain is difficult to determine due to lack of records.

VC55 Status

Rarely recorded in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Additional images

No additional images available for this species.

All NatureSpot records