Callipterinella van der Goot

This page updated: December 2024.

This is a genus of three species that feed on birches (genus Betula). Two species have been introduced to North America, where I have collected them, and the third I collected during a recent trip to Europe.

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Callipterinella minutissima (Stroyan)

This aphid is known to be adapted to live in very small and tight spaces on Betula foliage such as unfurling leaves and in catkins.  This aphid lives on the ornamental birch in our Lakeview, Oregon property where I collected the oviparae and males in 2015, and the alate vivipara in early 2016.  After searching for a couple years I was able find an apterous viviparae in 2017 — they are small and cryptic on the tree.