The Potato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae) is often the most numerous of the five or six species of aphids that regularly colonize potato crops in Scotland. It is also a potential aphid vector of non-persistent potato viruses (e.g. PVY, PVA).
First flight predictions 2025
As with Peach-Potato aphids Myzus persicae, early season predictions made following the 2024-25 winter indicated that Potato aphid flights should be about average compared to previous years. However, total catches of potato aphids could become high and consequently the risk of virus transmission within potato crops has the potential to be higher than average in response. Environmental conditions over the early summer do influence population development, and growers should monitor how the populations of this species develop over the season.
Table 1 – Macrosiphum euphorbiae predictions 2025
| M. euphorbiae | Dundee | Edinburgh |
| First catch 2025 |
6 May |
30 April |
| Predicted first catch 2025 | 25 May | 16 May |
| Average date of first catch | 1 June | 24 May |
| Total catch to 24 August 2025 |
28 |
53 |
| Predicted total catch to 31 July 2025 | 5 | 15 |
| Average total catch to 31 July | 73 | 57 |
Potato aphids in 2025
Eighty-one (81) potato aphids have been caught at Dundee and Edinburgh up to 24 August, ranking 26th from the previous 39 years. 34% of the cumulative total has been caught at the Dundee trap; 66% at Edinburgh. No potato aphids were caught during week 18 - 24 August.
The first potato aphid was caught at Dundee on 6 May - nineteen days earlier than predicted. At Edinburgh the first individual was caught on 30 April - seventeen days earlier than predicted.
Numbers of potato aphid caught up to 31 July have also exceeded the predicted values from the start of the season at both Edinburgh and Dundee.
SASA