Skip to content Skip to navigation
UMass Collegiate M The University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • Visit
  • Apply
  • Give
  • Search UMass.edu
Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment
UMass Extension Vegetable Program
  • Vegetable Home
  • About
    • About the Vegetable Program
    • Faculty & Staff
    • Funding
    • Request a visit
    • Request a Crop & Pest Management Planning Meeting
    • Contact us
  • Publications
    • Vegetable Notes
    • New England Vegetable Management Guide
    • Northeast Vegetable and Strawberry Pest Identification Guide
    • Cucurbit Disease Scouting & Management Guide
    • Sweet Corn IPM Scouting Guide & Record Keeping Book
    • Nutrient Management Guide for New England Vegetable Production
  • Fact Sheets
  • Special Topics
    • Brassica Pest Collaborative
    • Heating Greenhouses with Locally Grown Corn
    • Winter Production and Storage
  • Resources
    • Food Safety for Farmers
    • Nutrient Management
    • Scouting Resources
    • Research Reports
    • Recursos en Español (Spanish-Language Resources)
    • Useful Links
  • Services
    • Disease Diagnostics
    • Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing
    • UMass Extension Bookstore
    • Hot Water Seed Treatment
    • Mentor Farm Program
    • Scouting Program
  • News & Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • News
    • Past Events
  • Make a Gift

Aphid, Melon

Image
Melon aphids, with two aphid mummies immediately above the horizontal leaf vein. Photo: M. Spellman

Aphis gossypii

Identification:

Aphids found in cucurbits include green peach aphid and melon aphid. Melon aphid has a wide host range; vegetable crops attacked include cucurbits, asparagus, pepper, eggplant and okra. Among cucurbits, it is more serious on cucumber, muskmelon and watermelon than in squash and pumpkins. Varieties differ in susceptibility.  The cornicles at tip of abdomen are always black, a key diagnostic feature. Melon aphid outbreaks are more common in hot, dry weather.

Life Cycle:

Melon aphid overwinters in the north on woody plants including catalpa and rose of sharon; more southerly, adults survive on cold tolerant plants including spinach and dock. Life cycle is similar to green peach aphid; winged females colonize crops in early summer, and wingless females produce live young for about 15 days (70-80 offspring per female) resulting in multiple generations. The time from birth to reproductive adult can be one week. Wingless females are 1-2 mm long. Color varies from light green mottled with dark green (most common) to white, yellowish or dark green.

Crop Injury:

Infestations occur on undersides of leaves where aphids extract plant sap with their piecing sucking mouthparts. Feeding causes yellowing, puckering, leaf curling, and leaf death at high numbers along with shiny honeydew deposits and buildup of sooty mold. Viruses transmitted by melon aphid include cucumber mosaic, watermelon mosaic, and zucchini yellow mosaic. Because transmission occurs within 15 seconds of feeding, insecticides may not prevent initial virus infection though they may reduce its spread in the crop. Oils may reduce virus transmission but test for phytotoxicity.

Monitoring & Thresholds:

Scout for aphids beginning in mid June by searching undersides of leaves on runners. If 20 percent of runners or more have live aphids treatment may be needed. Good coverage of undersides of leaves is needed for control.

Cultural Controls & Prevention:

  •  Cultivars differ in susceptibility to aphid buildup and to virus; plant resistant varieties if they are available. 
  • Use row covers or reflective plastic mulch to prevent early infestation and virus transmission (direct seeding is recommend in reflective mulch for maximum effectiveness).
  • Separate early and late plantings.
  • Use selective insecticides for other pests to conserve natural enemies.

For current information on production methods (including varieties, spacing, seeding, and fertility), weed, disease, and insect management, please visit the New England Vegetable Management Guide website.

Biological Controls:

In general, aphid predators are better at controlling high aphid populations, compared to parasitoids, as they are not as efficient at finding low numbers of aphids within the crop.

Ladybeetles are effective at controlling high aphid populations but are highly dispersive and will leave the tunnel in search of food if aphid populations are too low. They can be effective if released under row cover in winter greens. Adults and larvae feed on a wide variety of aphid species.

Predatory midges (Aphidoletes aphidimyza) are another generalist aphid predator that can be purchased and released in your tunnel. They are active in summer months but when day lengths shortens to less than 15 hours (September-March), they enter diapause and become inactive. Larvae feed on aphids and adults feed on pollen and aphid honeydew. Banker plants used to support Aphidius colemani will also support Aphidoletes midges. The midges pupate in the soil, so place banker plants in a tray with moist sand to provide pupation sites if your tunnel has plastic mulch and weed mat.

Green lacewing larvae also feed on many aphid species. Adults feed on pollen and nectar. Lacewings can be purchased as eggs or larvae; larvae tend to survive better than eggs. Release far apart from each other, as larvae are cannibalistic. In summer months, if temperatures rise above 95°F, lacewings will move out of the tunnel. Lacewing activity and life cycle slows as temperature drops, but one report from Purdue University reported that adults remained active and laying eggs at 52°F. 

Crops that are affected by this insect:

  • Asparagus
  • Cucumber, Muskmelon, and Watermelon
  • Eggplant
  • Pepper
  • Potato
  • Pumpkin, Squash, and Gourds
  • Rutabaga and Turnip
Last Updated: August 27, 2020

The Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment and UMass Extension are equal opportunity providers and employers, United States Department of Agriculture cooperating. Contact your local Extension office for information on disability accommodations. Contact the State Center Director’s Office if you have concerns related to discrimination, 413-545-4800 or see ag.umass.edu/civil-rights-information.

Ways to Connect

  • Ask a question
  • Request a Visit
  • Request a Crop & Pest Management Planning Session
  • Submit a Sample
  • Become a Mentor Farm
  • Join the NEVBGA
  • Make a Donation

Connect with us on Social Media

extension vegetable program facebook page  extension vegetable program instagram   extension vegetable program youtube channel

Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment

 

Stockbridge Hall,
80 Campus Center Way
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA 01003-9246
Phone: (413) 545-4800
Fax: (413) 545-6555
ag [at] cns [dot] umass [dot] edu (ag[at]cns[dot]umass[dot]edu)

 

Civil Rights and Non-Discrimination Information

College of Natural Sciences

Login for faculty and staff

CAFE Units

Mass. Agricultural Experiment Station

UMass Extension

UMass Research and Education Center Farms

UMass Cranberry Station

Water Resources Research Center

Interest Areas

Agriculture

Commercial Horticulture

Energy

Environmental Conservation

Food Science

Nutrition

Water

Youth Development & 4-H

Services

Pesticide Education

Plant Diagnostics Laboratory

Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Laboratory

Hot Water Seed Treatment

Water Testing / Environmental Analysis Laboratory

Projects

Conservation Assessment Prioritization System (CAPS)

Extension Risk Management/Crop Insurance Education

Mass. Envirothon

Mass. Herp Atlas

Mass. Keystone

MassWoods

North American Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative

RiverSmart

UMass Design Center in Springfield

Resources

Extension Sales Portal

Agriculture & Commercial Horticulture Resources

Community & Economic Vitality

Disaster Preparedness

Food Safety

Home Lawn & Garden

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Land Conservation Tools

Pollinators

Tick testing

Resources for Faculty and Staff

Extension Programs

4-H Youth Development

Agriculture

Crops, Dairy, Livestock and Equine

Fruit

Greenhouse Crops and Floriculture

Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry

Pesticide Education

Turf

Vegetable

Clean Energy

Climate Change

Food Science

Nutrition Education

Value-Added Food

Seal of The University of Massachusetts Amherst - 1863
©2025 University of Massachusetts Amherst · Site Policies · Accessibility