Poplar Twiggall Aphig – Pempighus populiramulorum

Poplar Twiggall Aphig (Pempighus populiramulorum) Latin Name: Pemphigus populiramulorum Riley Common Name:  Poplar twig gall aphid Hosts plants:  Eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides Bartr. ex Marsh.) Territory: The northeastern quarter of the United States has a large portion of the country’s natural resources. Damage of Stem and twig Damagers: When females deposit eggs and embed them into twigs, they cause injury. This causes splintering wounds, which are more prone to breaking and allowing germs to enter. Feeding injuries are mostly mild. The stunning cyclical appearance of this species draws a lot of attention and occasionally causes anxiety. Periodical cicadas were wrongly named “locusts” by early European immigrants, a word that should only be attributed to specific migratory grasshoppers.