Aphids: Piercing and Sucking pest

What are Aphids & how do they affect?

Aphids are tiny, sap-sucking insects that are major pests for many plants. They insert their sharp mouthparts into the plant's stem or leaves and sucking out the sap. This can damage the plant and stunt its growth. In addition, aphid insect also excrete a sticky substance called honeydew, which can attract other pests like ants and sooty mold. Which leads to reduction in photosynthesis process. Aphid types come in a variety of colors, but most commonly green, yellow, or Black aphids are pear-shaped with long antennae.
Aphids on plants can be found feeding on various parts of a plant where the phloem is located, including:
Undersides of leaves: Aphids are commonly spotted on the underside of the leaves because the phloem is located closer to the surface on the underside of leaves.

Stems: Aphids may also feed on the stems of plants, especially young, tender stems.

Flowers and buds: Aphids can damage flowers and buds by feeding on them, which can reduce fruit production.

Major vegetable crops affected by Aphids are tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, beans, peas, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, and cucurbits (melons, squash, cucumbers).

Aphids can infest apples, pears, peaches, plums, cherries, and citrus fruits.

Aphids are the major pests for all the types of flowers.

Symptoms:

• Curled or distorted leaves: As aphids feed, they can also cause leaves to curl or become distorted. This is because the aphids are injecting toxins into the plant when they feed.
• Discolored leaves: Aphids feed by sucking the sap out of leaves. This can cause the leaves to turn yellow, brown, or purple.
• Sticky leaves: Aphids excrete a sticky substance called honeydew. This can attract ants and other pests, and it can also promote the growth of sooty mold. Sooty mold is a black fungus that grows on the honeydew. It does not directly harm the plant, but it can block sunlight and make it difficult for the plant to photosynthesize.
• Stunted growth: If a plant is heavily infested with aphids, it may not be able to grow properly. The leaves may be smaller than normal, and the stems may be thin and weak.

Biological and organic Control measures for controlling aphids:

Chemical control measures for aphids treatment: