The Oleander Aphid is a bright lemon-yellow aphid with black legs and antennae that forms dense colonies on milkweed, oleander, and other plants containing alkaloids or cardiac glycosides. It sequesters these toxins from host plants, making itself unpalatable to many predators — a defense that its vivid yellow warning coloration advertises. Colonies consist almost entirely of genetically identical females reproducing without mating.
Best time to see a Oleander Aphid
The best time to see a Oleander Aphid is July–September, when about 62% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 26,290 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Oleander Aphid? What bug is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Oleander Aphid sightings near you
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