Plum leaf-curling aphid

Symptoms

Plum leaves become crinkled and curled

Spot them

Overwintering eggs are laid near the buds or in crevices in the bark of wild and cultivated plums. The eggs hatch in late winter as the buds begin to open. The young wingless aphids are pale green or brownish in colour, then develop into winged forms which fly off to colonise various herbaceous plants for the rest of the summer. The aphids return to the trees in the autumn to mate and lay eggs but no feeding damage occurs at that time.