Tiny world

Rose aphid

Macrosiphum rosae

Soft, pear-shaped greenfly, sitting in a group with their beaks in the plant.

Here one is following your pointer, drawn many times bigger than life. Find them at real size with the magnifying glass in the Tiny World.

Good to know

Three things about aphids

Aphids push a fine beak into the plant and drink the sugary sap.

In summer, females give birth to live young without mating, so a few aphids soon become hundreds.

Ladybirds, lacewings, hoverfly larvae and blue tits all eat them, so aphids feed a lot of other wildlife.

The real thing

Out and about

Look at the soft tips and buds of roses in spring. They gather in groups, often with ants walking among them collecting honeydew.

Lend a hand

Leave a few. They are food for ladybirds, lacewings, hoverfly larvae and blue tit chicks, which soon bring the numbers down.

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