Mindarus abietinus
Pest description and damage Balsam twig aphids feed on needles and buds of firs. Three distinct forms of the balsam twig aphid occur. Aphids may be (1) small (0.06 to 0.07 inch in length) and yellow green, (2) large and bluish-gray, or (3) have woolly white secretions that make them appear powdery. The aphids mat needles together as though coated with sugar and cause new growth to be deformed and stunted. Some needles are killed and drop from the tree, leaving rough twigs.
Biology and life history Unlike other aphid species, there is only one generation per year. The aphid overwinters as eggs on host trees. The eggs hatch and the nymphs molt into "stem mothers," which are large and blue-gray, and capable of giving birth to live young. These aphids are covered with a white waxy coating. They feed on new flushes of growth, doing most of the damage. They mature into the final, winged form, the females of which lay the overwintering eggs in bark crevices.
For biology, life history, monitoring and management
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Management-chemical control
See Table 1 in: