Aphid Species Composition in Three Parks of Saint-Petersburg and Leningrad Region in 2021

Abstract

Due to the high harmfulness of aphids inhabiting trees and shrubs in the St. Petersburg’s and the Leningrad Region’s park areas, it becomes necessary to monitor the dynamics of the numbers and species composition of this group of insects. During the vegetation season of 2021, the species composition of aphids was determined in three parks in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region: Sosnovsky forest park, Pavlovsky and Gatchina parks. The material was taken directly from plants and caught using an entomological net. A total of 16 species were identified. In the Sosnovsky forest park, 10 species were identified, in the Pavlovsky park – 12, in the Gatchinsky park – 9 species. Two species were found on coniferous trees, the rest – on the deciduous ones. Species such as dogwood aphid (Anoecia corni F.), bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi L.), silver birch aphid (E-uceraphis betulae gr. sp.), common oak aphid (Tuberculatus annulatus Hart.), black bean aphid (Aphis fabae Scop.), rose aphid (Macrosiphum rosae L.) were found in all three parks, the rest – in one or two parks. Dogwood aphid, bird cherry-oat aphid, silver birch aphid, black bean aphid and rose aphid were observed in massively large colonies on a significant number of host trees. In other species, small colonies were found on separate trees; finally, for some species only single individuals were caught. In the first half of September, the number of aphids was relatively low.