THE OKANGE APHIS. 71 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



THE ORANGE APHIS. 



( Sip hon op hora f sp.) 

 Order : Hemiptera. Sub-order : Homoptera. Familj : Aphides. 



A small dark-coloured species of aphis, not unlike in 

 general appearance that of the so-called " Black Aphis of 

 the Peach." 



The viviparous wingless female (see Plate XXIV., 

 Fig. 2) is often brown, sometimes of a dark-green colour, 

 shorter and broader than many species of this group, 

 nearly all of which are more or less destructive to the 

 orchardist, and sometimes to the farmer also. 



The pupae are of various colours, often greyish or dark 

 olive-green (see Figs. 4, 5, and 6, which have been 

 enlarged and drawn from nature). The winged female 

 (see Fig. 3) is of a dark leaden grey colour, with fine 

 wings, on the upper pah* of which are faint orange-coloiu'ed 

 markings. 



On Fig. 1 will be seen a portion of orange stem, where 

 the aphides (natural size) are depicted in the act of swarm- 

 ing up towards the end of the shoot, which they attack, 

 and which, if not attended to, will soon wither, turn 

 blackish, and die off. 



In January last, T received specimens of this pest from 

 many parts of the colony, where it is said to be doing 

 much damage to the oranges and lemons, more especially 

 to the young shoots, twigs, and buds of these plants, and 

 in the case of severe attacks the tree, no doubt, suffers 

 greatly. 



In Queensland and New South Wales they have, ac- 

 cording to Messrs. Tryon and Olliff, attacking their 

 oranges, lemons, &c., an aphis under the name of Siph- 

 onophora citrifolii. I have not seen this species, but 



