Acyrthosiphon kondoi

Acyrthosiphon kondoi
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hemiptera
Suborder:	Sternorrhyncha
Family:	Aphididae
Genus:	Acyrthosiphon
Species:	A. kondoi
Binomial name
Acyrthosiphon kondoi Shinji. 1938

Acyrthosiphon kondoi, the blue alfalfa aphid or bluegreen aphid, is an

The blue alfalfa aphid grows to a length of 3 to 3.5 mm (0.12 to 0.14 in). It is very similar in appearance to the closely related pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum), but is often a more bluish shade of green.^[1] One significant difference from the pea aphid is that the blue alfalfa aphid has uniformly dark-coloured antennae. Both wingless and winged female forms occur, with the winged aphids being able to disperse and colonise new plants. Males also sometimes occur, are smaller than females, and are green with brown markings on head, thorax and abdomen.^[2]

Distribution

A native of Asia, the species has spread to other parts of the world including North America, South America, Australia and New Zealand; it was first detected in the United States in California in 1974 and had spread to Nebraska by 1979, Georgia and Kentucky by 1983 and Maryland by 1992.

There are both winged and wingless adult females and both can produce live young by viviparity although some females also produce batches of eggs. Wingless forms are prolific and may have twelve or more generations in a season, producing young at the rate of seven nymphs per day. Winged forms produce many fewer young.^[2] These aphids may overwinter as eggs or as females, the latter moving from annual plants onto perennial legumes in the fall.^[2]

Economic importance

This aphid is a major pest of dwarf beans and