Bug FAQGreen Peach Aphid
Myzus persicae · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Aphididae
Source: Wikipedia
The green peach aphid is a small green insect that lives in terrestrial habitats and often invades greenhouses. It feeds on the young parts of many vegetable crops and can spread viruses such as cucumber mosaic, potato virus Y and tobacco etch. In warm climates it can produce more than 20 generations a year, with peak damage in early summer.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
It is a small green aphid.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
It can enter greenhouses and act as a vector for plant viruses like cucumber mosaic, potato virus Y and tobacco etch.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in terrestrial habitats and commonly invades greenhouses as a pest of field crops.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
During summer it moves to herbaceous crops such as potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage and cucumbers.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
A generation takes about 10 to 12 days, allowing more than 20 generations per year in mild climates. All generations except the autumn one reproduce without mating.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The worst plant damage occurs in early summer when aphid numbers peak. In colder areas adults return to peach trees in autumn to mate and lay eggs.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is found worldwide and likely originated in Asia, matching its primary host peach.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 29 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Illinois, Utah, Delaware, Minnesota, Washington, Nebraska, Alaska.
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 green peach aphid damage?
It feeds on young leaves, stems and flowers of peach trees and later moves to vegetables such as potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage and cucumbers.
Source: Wikipedia
When is the green peach aphid most harmful?
The greatest damage to plants occurs in early summer during its breeding peak.
Source: Wikipedia
Can the green peach aphid spread plant diseases?
Yes, it can transmit viruses like cucumber mosaic, potato virus Y and tobacco etch to crops.
Source: Wikipedia
Where are green peach aphids commonly found?
They live in terrestrial habitats worldwide, often invading greenhouses and field crops.
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 nigriabdominalisRice Root AphidTetraneura akinireSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myzus_persicae
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.