Rosy Apple Aphid vs Red-belted Clearwing

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Rosy Apple Aphid Red-belted Clearwing
Scientific Name Dysaphis plantaginea Synanthedon myopaeformis
Order Hemiptera Lepidoptera
Family Aphididae Sesiidae
Size 2-3 mm 18–24 mm wingspan
Habitat Orchards Orchards
Diet Fruit Feeders Fruit Feeders
Regions Europe, North America, Western Asia Europe, Western Asia, North Africa
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Rosy Apple Aphid

A purplish-gray aphid covered in a dusky waxy bloom that causes severe leaf curling and fruit deformation on apple trees. It is considered the most damaging aphid pest of apples.

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Did You Know?

Even small colonies in spring can cause 'aphid apples' - stunted, misshapen fruit with a characteristic bumpy surface that makes them unmarketable.

Red-belted Clearwing

A clearwing moth with a distinctive red band around its abdomen. Larvae bore beneath the bark of apple and other fruit trees.

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Did You Know?

Adults are active in bright sunshine and visit flowers freely, looking nothing like a typical moth.