Exotic Fact Sheet 9 Black Bean (Aphis fabae)

What are they? What should I look for? Black bean (also known as black ) feed on many Symptoms of damage include curling, hosts and is associated with a large variety of vegetables distortion and wilting especially on young actively growing including tomatoes. Economic damage caused by black . Leaves may also yellow and wilt, along the edges first. Aggregations of black bean aphids may develop on bean aphid is mainly as a result of direct feeding. soft shoot tips, stems and the underside of younger transmission is of relatively minor economic importance for leaves. There may also be white skin casts associated with affected other than beetroot. Fig 1: Black bean aphids – adult infestations. The presence of sooty mould (growing on and (A. fabae) What do they look like? excreted by aphids) and are often associated Photo: Jack Kelly Clark, courtesy with black bean aphids. Adults are about 2 mm long with a small head and bulbous University of California Statewide How do they spread? IPM Program. Copyrighted by the abdomen (Fig 1). Colour can range from a dark olive green Regents of the University of to black. They sometimes have white flecks on the upper The black bean aphid can be carried on planting material California. surface of their body. Legs are a light colour with black and some vegetables. The main means of dispersal is ‘knees and ankles”. Black bean aphids have 2 black, through migratory flight. Black bean aphids overwinter on a backward pointing abdominal tubes called cornicles. They primary e.g. Euonmyos europaeus or sp. They then move to a secondary host to complete their life may be with or without wings (Fig 2). cycle. The secondary hosts are often the crops listed above. Why are they an issue? Female black bean aphids are able to reproduce without Black bean aphids have piercing and sucking mouthparts. mating during some parts of the year. This means they suck from stems and leaves and cause Where are they present? distortion of the shoots, stunted and reduced yield. Black bean aphids are widely distributed in many parts of Black bean aphids excrete a substance called honeydew , , Africa and North and South America as well as which encourages the growth of sooty mould which can Saba and Puerto Rico in Central America. spoil crops. Heavy infestations may reduce formation How can I protect my industry? Fig 2: A. fabae – winged adult and cause plants to die. Black bean aphids may also Photo: Hullé M., Turpeau E., Check your production site frequently for the presence of transmit . Black bean aphid populations can increase Chaubet B., 2006. Encyclop'ahid, new pests and unusual symptoms. Make sure you are INRA, http://doi.org/10.15454/1.433 rapidly in favourable conditions resulting in rapid familiar with common pests of your industry so you can 3379890530916E12 exploitation of host plants recognise something different.

Last September 2018 reviewed: