The sugarcane aphid on sorghum continues to move northward from south central Kansas. Recent winds have brought flights of other aphids as well. Of these, light colored corn leaf aphid and light colored greenbugs tend to be the aphids that are most confused with the sugarcane aphids (see below). The nymphs can be especially hard to differential without a magnification.
Greenbugs have dark feet, dark antennae, but light colored cornicles (tail pipes). Greenbugs will often have a green stripe down their backs, but this can be hard to see in light colored aphids. The sugarcane aphid also has dark feet and darker antennae, however it has dark cornicles and no green stripe down its back.
Thresholds have recently changed for the sugarcane aphid. See here for the latest threshold and scouting information for Kansas.
For information on chemical options, see the “Insecticide Selection for Sorghum at Risk to Sugarcane Aphids” from Texas A&M.
-Dr. Sarah Zukoff