Pacific Pests, Pathogens and Weeds - Online edition

Pacific Pests, Pathogens, Weeds & Pesticides

Onion aphid (276)


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Summary
  • Worldwide distribution. In tropics and sub-tropics. On onion and other members of the family, including weeds. An important pest.
  • Eggs unknown; no males; females produce living young. Adults dark red to black, mostly wingless. Damage from sucking sap, and transmitting viruses.
  • Spread by wind, and the trade in onions.
  • Natural enemies: many predators and parasitoids.
  • Cultural control: do not plant overlapping crops; weed; plastic mulches; collect and burn trash after harvest.
  • Chemical control: PDPs: neem, derris, pyrethrum, or chilli; or white, horticultural oils or soap; rosemary oil repels aphids. Synthetic pyrethroids against ants
Common Name

Onion aphid

Scientific Name

Neotoxoptera formosana. Two other species, Neotoxoptera violae (violet aphid) and Neotoxoptera olieri (marigold aphid) are closely related.


AUTHOR Grahame Jackson
Information from Neotoxoptera formosana Onion aphid. InfluenialPoints.com. (https://influentialpoints.com/Gallery/Neotoxoptera_formosana_onion_aphid.htm); and from Neotoxoptera formosana (NEOTFO) (2021) EPPO Global Database. (https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/NEOTFO/documents).

Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

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