Greenhouse - Aphid Reproduction

Aphids can reproduce rapidly under greenhouse conditions. The following is a short note on the subject from the University of Maryland.

Under greenhouse conditions, aphids reproduce parthenogenically, that is, all insects present are females, and each female gives birth to more females without the need to mate. In the greenhouse, aphids are viviparous, wherein females do not lay eggs, but give birth to living nymphs. In fact, in some species, an unborn aphid already contains a complement of developing nymphs, a phenomenon known as paedogenesis.

Note from the January 25 edition of the Greenhouse TPM/IPM Weekly Report from the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension http://www.ipmnet.umd.edu/08Jan25G.pdf