Russian Wheat aphid

The Russian wheat aphid is a small pale green insect with an elongated, spindle-shaped body that may be covered with a powdery coating of wax. It can be distinguished from all other cereal aphids by a second tail-like process (supracaudal process) located directly above the cauda, giving it a twin-tailed appearance when viewed with a hand lens. While easily seen in wingless aphids, in very small or winged forms the supracaudal process may be difficult to see. Russian wheat aphid survives the summer on a variety of grasses and migrates to cereals in late fall as summer hosts die. It is tolerant of cold weather and can survive sub-freezing temperatures.