Vetch Aphid - Megoura viciae

Description

Aphids can rarely be described as handsome creatures, but Megoura viciae is perhaps as close as it gets! A large shiny green globular bodied aphid with black head, legs and antennae.  It also has startling red eyes.

The leaves at the tip of the shoot become crumpled and may be true galls.

Similar Species

two other aphids cause similar shoot damage - Aphis craccae and Aphis fabae. The aphids are not similar, however. 

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Where vetches or pea plants are present.

When to see it

Most often noticed in summer clustering on the stems of the host plants.

Life History

The vetch aphid does not host alternate, but spends it entire life cycle on leguminous plants, especially vetch, peas and broad beans. Eggs are laid at the base of vetch or pea plants and hatch in spring. Populations build up and after three generations winged forms are produced which disperse to other plants. Megoura viciae generally move to the seed pods in autumn.

UK Status

Poorly recorded in Britain but probably fairly frequent and widespread.

VC55 Status

Status in Leicestershire and Rutland not known.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Species group:
Bugs
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Hemiptera
Family:
Aphididae
Records on NatureSpot:
8
First record:
15/06/2015 (Calow, Graham)
Last record:
17/07/2023 (Nicholls, David)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records