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Linden Aphid

Eucallipterus tiliae[3]

The linden aphid is a European aphid that feeds in colonies under linden leaves and is best known for the sticky honeydew it drips.[1][2]

Group
Insect
Order
Hemiptera
Family
Aphididae
US records
23 states
Sources
3 cited
Updated
2026-10-17
Winged linden aphid with clouded wings on a leaf
Winged linden aphid with clouded wings on a leaf. (c) Saryu Mae 前 朝琉, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0
On this page
  1. Identification
  2. Where it lives
  3. Biology
  4. Damage and signs
  5. Health risk
  6. Control
  7. Related profiles
  8. Common questions
  9. Sources

How to identify it

  • Aphids are green with black stripes along the sides, about 0.07 to 0.12 inch long; winged forms have clouded wings.[1][2]
  • Colonies feed on the undersides of leaves, and surfaces below infested trees turn shiny with honeydew and then black with sooty mold.[1][2]
  • Brown to bronze aphid mummies on leaves show where parasitoid wasps have struck.[1]

Where it lives

Native to Europe and first reported in North America in 1886; it is found on street trees in the Northeast, the Pacific Northwest and California.[1][2]

US map: public records from 23 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

There are many generations a year, all on linden; winged males and egg-laying females appear in mid to late summer and lay the overwintering eggs.[1]

Damage and signs

  • Little-leaf linden and European linden are favored hosts.[1]
  • Feeding rarely harms established trees, though heavy populations can distort leaves and shoots and set back young trees.[1][2]
  • Its honeydew is mainly a nuisance on cars, sidewalks and anything else below the tree.[1][2]

Health risk

None to people or pets.[1][2]

Control

Prevention

Where it is a problem, plant hairier, more resistant lindens such as Tilia platyphyllos, T. mongolica or T. petiolaris.[1]

Biological control

European parasitoid wasps are established in North America, and the PNW handbook notes the aphid is controlled by releasing parasitoids; lady beetles and aphid midges also feed on it.[1][2]

Common questions

Why is everything under my linden tree sticky?
Linden aphids feeding under the leaves drip honeydew onto whatever is below.[1][2]
Do linden aphids hurt the tree?
Rarely on established trees; the honeydew is the main problem.[1][2]

Sources

  1. UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program (Landscape Insect & Mite Guide), “Eucallipterus tiliae (Linden Aphid).” www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/landscape/publications-resources/insect-mite-guide/eucallipterus-tiliae (accessed 2026-10-16)
  2. Pacific Northwest Insect Management Handbook (Oregon State, Washington State, University of Idaho), “Linden (Tilia)-Aphid (Hosts and Pests of Landscape Plants).” pnwhandbooks.org/insect/hort/landscape/hosts-pests-landscape-plants/linden-tilia-aphid (accessed 2026-10-16)
  3. iNaturalist, “Eucallipterus tiliae taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/389228 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-17. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.