last updated 26.Apr.2006 |
Sternorrhyncha (Aphids, Scale, Whiteflies) The Sternorrhyncha are a large group of plant-feeding insects with piercing/sucking mouthparts. The morphology of these insects has become reduced to varying degrees in the course of adapting to an extremely specialized lifestyle- some of the scale insects are scarcely even recognizable as living creatures. The life cycle of some species can be remarkably complicated, with alternating winged and non-winged forms, changes of host plant, and cycles of sexual and asexual reproduction. A few Sternorrhyncha are important crop pests, and many are tended by ants. Click on thumbnails to enlarge. Images will open in a new browser window. Please email me if you think you can help identify my insects. |