Aphids

Small sap-sucking insects of the family Aphididae — among the most destructive crop pests worldwide. They cluster on shoots, leaves and fruit, draining sap while excreting sugary honeydew that ants harvest and sooty moulds colonise, spoiling fruit finish. Worse than the feeding damage, many species vector plant viruses, spreading disease through orchards and fields. Their explosive parthenogenetic reproduction lets populations erupt in days. Integrated pest management combines biological controls — ladybirds, lacewings, parasitoid wasps — with selective insecticides, resistant varieties and monitoring, since broad-spectrum spraying also kills the predators that keep aphids in check.