Oleander Aphid

Aphis nerii · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Aphididae

Damages trees, gardens or crops. It can damage ornamental plants such as oleander, milkweed and periwinkle.

The oleander aphid lives in warm tropical and Mediterranean areas and has been found in a Polish glasshouse. It mainly feeds on dogbane family plants but will also use bindweed, daisy, spurge and occasionally citrus. Females give birth to live nymphs and reproduce without mating.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

It is common in regions with tropical and Mediterranean climates. In Poland it has only been recorded inside a glasshouse.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

It is also found on bindweed, daisy, spurge and rarely on citrus.

Source: Wikipedia

Life cycle

Females give birth to live young (nymphs). Reproduction occurs by parthenogenesis, so no males are needed.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it is found in the US

Recorded in 50 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Texas, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.

Source: GBIF

Status: introduced in North America; introduced in United States. Source: iNaturalist

Months it is reported in the US

JFMAMJJASOND

Source: GBIF

More photos

Oleander Aphid photo 3 — Photo: unknown, CC0

Oleander Aphid photo 4 — Photo: magriet b, CC BY-SA

Oleander Aphid photo 5 — Photo: Roberto Daniel Avila, CC BY

Oleander Aphid photo 6 — Photo: unknown, CC0

Questions people ask

What plants do they damage?

They mainly damage ornamental plants in the dogbane family, like oleander, milkweed and periwinkle, and can also affect bindweed, daisy, spurge and occasionally citrus.

Source: Wikipedia

Where might I find them in a cooler climate?

In cooler regions they are usually only found inside heated glasshouses.

Source: Wikipedia