Pest profile

Potato Aphid

Macrosiphum euphorbiae · Hemiptera: Aphididae[2]

Potato aphids are common in home vegetable gardens, feeding on tomato, potato and many other crops and weeds.[1]

Potato aphid, a pink pear-shaped aphid with long legs and long slender cornicles, on a leaf
Potato aphid, a pink pear-shaped aphid with long legs and long slender cornicles, on a leaf. (c) Bill Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0

How to identify it

  • They're soft, pear-shaped and about 1/8 inch, solid pink, pink-and-green mottled, or light green with a dark stripe.[1]
  • They have a pair of long, slender tailpipe-like cornicles.[1]

Where it lives

Potato aphids occur throughout North America.[1]

US map: public records from 25 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

In South Carolina no eggs or males occur; wingless females each bear about 50 live young year-round.[1]

In warm weather nymphs mature in two or three weeks; winged forms appear when colonies get crowded.[1]

Damage and signs

  • Feeding makes blossoms drop and new growth stunt and curl; heavily infested plants die from the top down.[1]
  • They spread viruses including mosaics and leaf roll.[1]

Health risk

It feeds on plants; Clemson HGIC mentions no risk to people.[1]

Control

Pesticides

Pyrethrin is a natural product HGIC lists for controlling aphids.[1]

Common questions

What are the pink aphids on my tomatoes?
They're likely potato aphids, which can be solid pink, green or mottled.[1]
Can potato aphids kill tomato plants?
Infestations are rarely that severe, but heavily infested plants can die from the top down.[1]

Sources

  1. Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center, “Tomato Insect Pests (HGIC 2218).” hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/tomato-insect-pests/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. iNaturalist, “Macrosiphum euphorbiae taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/53859 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-14. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.