Crapemyrtle Aphid, Tinocallis kahawaluokalani (Kirkaldy) (Insecta: Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Featured Creatures collection was founded in1996, a cooperative venture of the University of Florida's Entomology and Nematology Department and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Division of Plant Industry.  It provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms. 

Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia species) has become a dominant landscape plant in North and Central Florida and throughout the South. Breeding programs over the last 30 years have produced superior forms with a wide range of plant sizes and habits; improved flowering, new flower colors, ornamental bark, ornamental foliage, and disease resistance; and increased vigor. See Crapemyrtle in Florida for an overview and history of the many types of crapemyrtle available.

Contrary to popular belief, crapemyrtles do not require much pruning. Remove any poorly placed limbs as needed, but avoid what is commonly known as "crape murder." Learn more about proper pruning techniques in Crapemyrtle Pruning.

The Department of Entomology and Nematology maintains tripartite priorities consistent with the mandate given to full-service landgrant universities and associated experiment stations: Research, Extension, and Academics. These programs are facilitated with state funding, extramural contract and grant funding, donations and gifts, and the collaborative efforts of cooperating agencies and institutions. The Department has coordinated faculty efforts and strengths into what could be considered major thrust areas for the Department. These areas of emphasis include: Behavior, Ecology, and Systematics; Biological Control; Medical, Veterinary and Urban Entomology; Nematology; Pest Management; and Physiology, Biochemistry, and Genetics.