JOURNAL OF AGRKULTtML RESEARCH 
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Vol. VII Washington, D. C., December ii, 1916 No. 11 
MACROSIPHUM GRANARIUM, THE ENGLISH GRAIN 
APHIS 
By W. J. Phillips, 1 
Entomological Assistant , Cereal and Forage Insect Investigations , Bureau of Entomology 
Although the English grain aphis (Macrosiphum granarium Kirby) is 
widely disseminated throughout the United States and is a familiar pest 
of long standing, there are some interesting facts connected with its life 
history that heretofore have escaped observation. The object of this 
brief paper is primarily to put on record some details of life history 
and to discuss the interesting color variations in relation to the sexes. 
SYNONYMY 
Macrosiphum granarium seems to have been described first by William 
Kirby (1, p. 238, footnote) 2 in 1798. The description verbatim and 
complete is as follows: 
Possibly this may be the Aphis avenae of Fabricius: but as he has given no descrip¬ 
tion of it, I cannot be positive; I shall therefore describe it under the name of A. 
Granaria , viridis, cauda biseta, setis geniculisque pedum nigris. 
Aphis avenae, Fab. Sp. Ins. ii. p. 386. n. 17. Gmel. tom. 1. part IV. p. 2206. n. 52. 
Vill. Ent. Eur. i. p. 551. n. 50? 
Caput falvidu, uti antennarum articulus primus. Oculi nigri. Abdomen obova- 
turn cauda aculeata. Pedes lividi, tarsis geniculisque nigris. 
Habitat in tritici et hordei spicis, aveneque paniculis. 
Although meager, the foregoing description agrees with the species 
known to entomologists by this name. It can hardly be construed as a 
description of Aphis avenae Fab., as has been supposed by some authors. 
Curtis (3, p. 504) redescribed what he considered Kirby’s species in the 
1 The writer wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to Mr. T. H. Parks, lately of the Bureau of Ento¬ 
mology, for his assistance in conducting breeding experiments in 1909 at La Fayette, Ind., The observa¬ 
tions upon which this paper is based were made a* Richmond, Ind. (1907-8), La Fayette, Ind. (1909-1912), 
and Charlottesville, Va. (1915). Mr. J. J. Davis, of the Bureau of Entomology, kindly consented to prepare 
the synonymy. 
2 Reference is made by number to “ Literature cited,” p. 480. 
Journal of Agricultural Research, 
Dept, of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 
gk 
(463) 
VoL VII, No. iz 
Dec. xx t 1916 
K—47 
