Phyllaphis fagi
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Phyllaphis fagi, the woolly beech aphid, is a species of aphid in the family Aphididae. It was first described in 1761 as Chermes fagi by Linnaeus. This species can be found in Central and Southern Europe and it has been introduced to the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand and North America.
Phyllaphis fagi can reach a length of the oval body of one to three millimeters. Their bodies are light bluish-green. Some specimen show a pronounced dark banding on the abdomen. The antennae are slightly shorter than the body. Winged as well as wingless animals excrete white to bluish-white wax threads, giving them a woolly appearance.
This species is monoecious and holocyclic. When a cyclical parthenogenesis occurs, aphids reproduce sexually in the autumn and produce an overwintering egg, deposited on buds and bark crevices of the host plant. In spring the newly hatched nymphs develop in about two to three weeks and at least three molts to wingless, 2–3 mm large Fundatrix. A fundatrix can produce up to 80 virgin young larvae of the next generation. The first-generation form colonies on the underside of infested leaves. During the summer, several... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Woolly Beech Aphid sighting in London on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 1300th most-seen of the 1504 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Woolly Beech Aphid in London on a given day, against under 5% in June to April, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Woolly Beech Aphid sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Woolly Beech Aphid sightings, London ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Berlin (Germany, under 5%) and Liverpool (United Kingdom, under 5%).
Same family: Aphididae
The closest relatives of the Woolly Beech Aphid that you can see in London (family Aphididae, Aphids) are Giant Willow Aphid (about 10%), Elm Balloon-Gall Aphid (about 10%) and Elm Sack Gall Aphid (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Woolly Beech Aphid is recorded against all the insects logged in London (6 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
