# Oleander Aphid

*Aphis nerii*

These aphids are almost entirely parthenogenetic, meaning colonies consist of cloning females that give birth to live, pregnant daughters without needing to mate.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Hemiptera › Aphididae › Aphis
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** urban
- **Habitat:** Urban gardens, parks, roadsides, and agricultural areas hosting milkweed or oleander
- **Diet:** Phloem sap from plants in the Apocynaceae family (oleander, milkweeds, and dogbanes)
- **Range:** North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa
- **Size:** 1.5 to 2.6 mm in length
- **Lifespan:** 20 to 30 days
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Ladybug beetles, lacewings, hoverfly larvae, parasitic wasps, and chemical insecticides
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to humans; they do not bite or sting. However, they accumulate toxic cardenolides from their host plants, making them poisonous if ingested. Avoid touching eyes after handling, and keep pets from eating infested plants. Wash skin with soap and water if contact occurs.

## About

Aphis nerii is an aphid of the family Aphididae . Its common names include oleander aphid , milkweed aphid , sweet pepper aphid , and nerium aphid .

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/b2c6d362-af4f-426a-8492-5d427ae3b4ca
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/71154
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphis nerii
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/88501691/medium.jpeg (Franz Anthony, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.