Bug FAQBlack Locust Aphid
Appendiseta robiniae · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Aphididae
Winged adults have distinct blue stripes along the top of their bodies. The species feeds only on black locust trees (Robinia pseudoacacia). It occurs in both North America and Europe.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Winged adults show blue stripes on the dorsal side. The cauda is knobbed and the siphunculi are tiny cones.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in North America and Europe.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It feeds exclusively on the black locust tree, Robinia pseudoacacia.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Juveniles have dorsal hairs.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes North America and Europe.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 9 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Washington, California, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What does the black locust aphid eat?
It feeds only on black locust trees (Robinia pseudoacacia).
Source: Wikipedia
How can I recognize a winged black locust aphid?
Look for distinct blue stripes along the top of the adult’s body.
Source: Wikipedia
What are the distinctive body features of this aphid?
It has a knobbed cauda and tiny cone-shaped siphunculi.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Aphididae)
Melon AphidAphis gossypiiDamages trees, gardens or crops
Oleander AphidAphis neriiDamages trees, gardens or crops
Witch-hazel Cone Gall AphidHormaphis hamamelidis
Beech Blight AphidGrylloprociphilus imbricatorDamages trees, gardens or crops
Rice Root AphidTetraneura nigriabdominalis
Rose AphidMacrosiphum rosaeDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appendiseta
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.