Myzaphis van der Goot

This is a genus for several small aphids that feed on roses and Potentilla.  It appears that one species is native to North America (M. canadensis), while one is invasive here (M. rosarum).  I have collected both of them, the former without photos but in an unexpected place: New Mexico (considering that the original description was from Ontario, Canada).

During 2017 I had the privilege to collaborate with colleagues in Poland and Georgia (the country) on some revisionary work on Myzaphis — my role was small, but my far-flung collecting habits paid off.

Kanturski M.,  S. Barjadze, A.S. Jensen, K. Wieczorek. 2018. A comparative morphological revision of the aphid genus Myzaphis van der Goot, 1913 (Insecta: Hemiptera: Aphididae) revealed a new genus and three new species. PLoS One, 13 (3): e0193775. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0193775.

Myzaphis rosarum (Kaltenbach)

This species was probably native to Europe, but is now almost everywhere.  I have collected it twice (Washington and Oregon) on cultivated Potentilla fruticosa.  I collect very frequently and with determination on this plant, yet have only seen Myzaphis a few times.

Myzaphis rosarum fundatrix from our front yard, April 2016

Myzaphis rosarum in our yard in Oregon in October.