First report of Sipha flava in Spain
During a sampling campaign carried out in June 2014, colonies of Sipha flava (Hemiptera: Aphididae – yellow sugarcane aphid) were found on Hyparrhenia hirta (Poaceae, common thatching grass) in an organic citrus grove located in La Selva del Camp (Tarragona province), Spain. S. flava is an oligophagous aphid species which has been recorded on approximately 62 species of Poaceae, as well as on a few Cyperaceae and Commelinaceae. It is considered to be a serious pest of sugarcane, sorghum and other Poaceae, including pasture grasses, small grain cereals and rice. S. flava is thought to originate from North America. It has become established in Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. S. flava has also been found in the Azores (PT) and more recently, in Morocco. This is the first time that S. flava is reported in Spain, and in Europe.
Sources
Hernández-Castellano C, Pérez-Hidalgo N (2014) First record of the yellow sugarcane aphid Sipha flava (Forbes) (Hemiptera Aphididae) in the European continent. Redia XCVII, 137-140.