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Witch-Hazel Cone Gall Aphid

Hormaphis hamamelidis (species)

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The witch-hazel cone gall aphid (Hormaphis hamamelidis) is a minuscule insect, a member of the aphid superfamily, whose presence on a witch-hazel plant is easily recognizable by a conical gall structure, green at first, it turns bright red. This gall, rich in nutrients, provides both food and shelter for the female aphid. The host plant is witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana). At lower altitudes they have a secondary host: river birch (Betula nigra), but this may be a different species. At the start of spring, females or stem mothers crawl to leaf buds. As the leaf grows, the aphid injects it with a substance, possibly an enzyme or hormone, that causes that the galls to form around her. Once inside her gall the stem mother reproduces asexually and fills the gall with 50-70 female offspring.…

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