Polygonum Aphid

Capitophorus hippophaes · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Aphididae

Also called: Aphid

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Polygonum Aphid
Photo: Leila Dasher, CC BY

The Polygonum aphid is native to Europe but is also found in North America, New Zealand, parts of Asia, Africa, South America and Australia. It feeds mainly on plants in the Hippophae and Elaeagnus families and also on Persicaria and Polygonum species.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

Its primary hosts are Hippophae and Elaeagnus plants, while it also uses Persicaria and Polygonum as secondary hosts.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it is found in the US

Recorded in 17 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Illinois, Washington, California, Idaho, Oregon, New Jersey, Utah, Maine.

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

Source: GBIF

Status: introduced in Canada; native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist

Months it is reported in the US

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Source: GBIF

Same family (Aphididae)

Melon AphidMelon AphidAphis gossypiiDamages trees, gardens or cropsOleander AphidOleander AphidAphis neriiDamages trees, gardens or cropsWitch-hazel Cone Gall AphidWitch-hazel Cone Gall AphidHormaphis hamamelidisBeech Blight AphidBeech Blight AphidGrylloprociphilus imbricatorDamages trees, gardens or cropsRice Root AphidRice Root AphidTetraneura nigriabdominalisRose AphidRose AphidMacrosiphum rosaeDamages trees, gardens or crops

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitophorus_hippophaes

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.

How this page works

This is one bug's fact sheet. The colored box at the top says whether it is dangerous. Sections below cover how to recognize it, whether it is a pest, and how to deal with it. The US map shows which states have records; tap a state to see other bugs there.

Every fact on Bug FAQ comes from a named source (university extension sites, government agencies, GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia). The source is linked next to each section. If we have no source for something, we leave it out.