Gardeners invited to help the RHS solve the mystery of the giant willow aphid

The RHS is calling on gardeners to send in sightings of the giant willow aphid (Tuberolachnus salignus) to help learn more about this elusive species and the ways it interacts with garden plants.

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One of our largest aphid species, these eye-catching true bugs are close to 6mm long with a distinctive sharklike fin, called a tubercle, on its back. Their lives are shrouded in mystery with very little known about where they spend most of the spring and why they have their characteristic dorsal fin. RHS entomologists are keen to better understand their lifecycle in order to help solve the mysteries of this intriguing insect.