Bug FAQBuckthorn Aphid
Aphis nasturtii · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Aphididae
Source: Wikipedia
The buckthorn aphid is an aphid in the order Hemiptera. It feeds by sucking sap from plants and is a major pest of sunflowers, lettuce, potatoes, beets and buckthorn.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
It is a serious pest of sunflowers, lettuce, potatoes, beets and buckthorn.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs worldwide.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It feeds by sucking plant sap.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is found across the globe.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 18 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Minnesota, Illinois, Maine, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio.
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 plants does the buckthorn aphid damage?
It attacks sunflowers, lettuce, potatoes, beets and buckthorn.
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/Aphis_nasturtii
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.