Natural Enemies of Aphids

Aphids are an abundant and diverse group of insects. They are slow-moving, succulent, and generally poorly protected from predators. Therefore, they have many natural enemies. The main types of aphid natural enemies are insect predators, insect parasitoids, and insect pathogens.

Insect Predators

Orius preying on a soybean aphid. Photo credit: S. Yoo, Purdue University

Insect predators are generally free-living, very mobile, and consume many prey during their lives. Insect predators are usually as large as, or larger than their prey. Predators can be predacious in the larval stage, in the adult stage, or both. Many predators are generalist natural enemies although a few types are specialized. The main predators of soybean aphids are lady beetles, green lacewings, brown lacewings, syrphid flies, aphid midges, pirate bugs, and damsel bugs.

Follow the links to view photos and read descriptions of these aphid predators:

Lady beetles
Green lacewings
Brown lacewings
Syrphid flies; hover flies; flower flies
Aphid midges
Pirate bugs (Orius)
Damsel bugs

Recent Publications on Natural Enemies

Butler, Casey D. and Robert J. O’Neil. 2007. Life history characteristics of Orius insidiosus (Say) fed Aphis glycines Matsumura. Biological Control, Volume 40 (3): 333-338. Read abstract»

Brosius, Tierney R., Thomas E. Hunt, and Leon G. Higley. The impact of natural enemies on the density and within-plant distribution of soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura) at the western edge of its range. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, December 2006. Read abstract»

Costamagna, Alejandro C. and Douglas A. Landis. 2007. Quantifying predation on soybean aphid through direct field observations. Biological Control, Volume 42 (1): 16-24. Read abstract»

Desneux, D. Ho Jung S. Yoo, and Robert J. O’Neil. Impact of endemic natural enemies on soybean aphid dynamics. Presented at the Entomological Society of American, North Central Branch meeting, March 2006.

Noma, Takuji and Michael Brewer. Seasonal abundance of aphid predators and parasitoids in summer and overwintering host vegetation of soybean aphid. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of American, December 2007. Read abstract»

Ohnesorg, Wayne J. and and Matthew E. O'Neal. Are Iowa prairies a source for soybean aphid (Aphis glycines) predators? Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, December 2007. Read abstract»

Pavak, Daniel M., Alan Sundermeier, and Luke Sundermeier. Predatory arthropod communities in Ohio soybean agroecosystems infested with the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, December 2007. Read abstract»

Tilmon, Kelley J. , Deirdre A. Prischmann, Louis Hesler, and Jonathan Lundgren. Impact of Harmonia axyridis and Orius spp. on soybean aphids in a field cage experiment. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, December 2007. Read abstract»