An orange aphid usually refers to the Oleander Aphid (Aphis nerii), a bright yellow-orange pest with black legs/antennae commonly found on milkweed and oleanders, sucking plant sap, exuding sticky honeydew, and sometimes being avoided by predators due to sequestered toxins.
Other orange aphids, like Indomegoura indica, target different hosts (daylilies, bladdernut) and have distinct features like waxy bodies. While they weaken plants, small infestations are often part of the ecosystem, but large ones can be managed with water sprays, neem oil, or encouraging beneficial insects.
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Oleander Aphid (Aphis nerii)
- Appearance: Bright yellow/orange body, black cornicles (tubes), legs, and antennae.
- Hosts: Milkweeds (Asclepias), Oleander (Nerium oleander), Vinca, and other plants in the dogbane family.
- Impact: Sucks phloem sap, causing weakness and coating plants with sticky honeydew, which can grow sooty mold.
- Toxicity: Sequester cardiac glycosides from hosts, making them distasteful or toxic to some predators like ladybugs and lacewings, allowing large populations to grow.
- Indomegoura indica: Also known as the waxed orange aphid, it's orange with white wax, found on daylilies and bladdernut trees, with darker siphunculi (cornicles).
This video demonstrates how to apply neem oil to your plants:
Management
- Water Spray: A strong jet of water can dislodge them.
- Hose Spray: Can wash them off.
- Neem Oil/Insecticidal Soap: Effective organic options, may need multiple applications.
- Encourage Predators: Ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitic wasps help control them naturally.
- Hand Removal: Wiping them off with fingers.
- Orange Peel Spray: A homemade deterrent spray from orange peels boiled in water.
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