Black Bean Aphid (nymph stage)

Agricultural fields, gardens, and various host plants including beans, beets, and celery

Herbivorous; feeds on plant sap using piercing-sucking mouthparts

Gregarious behavior forming large colonies on stems and undersides of leaves; complex life cycle involving host alternation between woody and herbaceous plants

Major agricultural pest that causes leaf curling, stunting, and can transmit plant viruses; benefits the ecosystem as a primary food source for many predatory insects like ladybugs