I have
written about aphids on bonsai before (see http://lomov.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/pest-of-month-asian-woolly-hackberry.html
and http://lomov.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/pests-of-month-rose-aphid-and-brown.html).
This time, it’s about two aphid species I found at Fujikawa Kouka-en Bonsai
Nursery in Osaka.
I found
the first one on a Japanese Black Pine (Pinus
thunbergii) while pulling out old needles. It turned out to be the Giant
Conifer Aphid (Cinara piniformosana,
Japanese: matsu-oo-aburamushi). Image 'A' shows this aphid after it’s been soaked in acid and squashed for
examination under the microscope. When alive, it’s blackish-brown dusted with
grey and can be with or without wings. Japanese Black and Red Pines are its
main host plants. In spring, you may find this aphid near the bases of new
candles. Later in the year, they move on to one or two-year-old branches (exactly where I found it). They
pierce needles and stems of the pine with their stiletto-shaped mouth parts and
feed on pine sap (what a treat!). This aphid is native to the Far East and so
far has been introduced only to Brazil.
I fully
understand that blog posts like this amuse only myself and are
dreadfully boring to everyone else. So, here is something to make it a little
more bearable. On one of the cloudy days at Fujikawa Kouka-en, this gorgeous
damselfly flew into our workshop (see images below). It’s the Haguro Damselfly (Atrocalopteryx
atrata, Japanese: haguro tonbo). It preys on aphids among other
insects, so it’s beautiful and beneficial to bonsai trees.
No comments:
Post a Comment