Woolly Aphid

Natural Habitat

Typically found on host plants such as fruit trees, ash, alder, or conifers; often visible on stems, leaves, or bark.

Diet & Feeding

Plant sap; they use piercing mouthparts to suck juices from the leaves, stems, or roots of their host plants.

Behavior Patterns

They secrete a waxy, white filamentous substance (wool) from their bodies for protection from predators and desiccation. They often congregate in large colonies and can follow complex life cycles involving different host plants.

Risks & Benefits

They are considered garden pests that can cause stunted growth or galls on plants. They are not harmful to humans or pets but can produce sticky 'honeydew' that leads to sooty mold growth on vegetation.

Identified on: 4/17/2026