Giant willow aphid (Tuberolachnus salignus Gmelin, 1790) – a literature review

Abstract

Tuberolachnus salignus is a cosmopolitan aphid that predominantly feeds on the willow. It can be an economically im-portant pest of this plant. The aim of the study was to present the thematic scope of the literature on this species in Poland and in the world. The typical issues related to aphid biology (life cycle, nutrition, distribution) and its potential harmfulness are consid-ered. Additionally, aphid genetics, dyes, natural enemies, indirect influence on the soil environment as well as the use of this insect species in research on plant physiology are taken into account. It was found that in recent years, the studies on giant willow aphid have been mainly motivated by the potential utilisation of the results in the protection of willow against this aphid. Despite a wide range of topics, the publications collected in the SCOPUS and Web of Science databases are not sufficient sources of in-formation about this species. The available data must be supple-mented and updated using modern research methods. The experi-ments and observations should consider the direct and indirect relationships of T. salignus with other organisms and the environ-ment.