In May 2018 two entomologists, Robert Brightwell and Robert Dransfield made one of their regular visits to Rye Harbour Nature Reserve and found some aphids they were unfamiliar with. The tiny green aphids were feeding on Mugwort plants close to the Discovery Centre.
After much detective work and the expertise of Roger Blackman, the senior UK aphid taxonomist from The Natural History Museum, London it was identified as a Chinese aphid, Tuberocephalus tsengi that feeds on alternate host plants - Artemisias and Cherry trees - they have called it the Oriental Mugwort Aphid.
This is a new species for Europe and the discovery allowed a re-examination of two species in China that had been merged and led to the species found at Rye Harbour being re-established as a separate species again - full details in a detailed article here.
The most likely route of introduction of this aphid to Britain is via the plant trade, on cherry trees. One other species of Tuberocephalus has been introduced to Europe, on seedlings imported from Japan to France in 1991
In June 2020 a further colony of the Oriental Mugwort Aphid was found on Mugwort in Rye Harbour Village.
This post is also available on Sussex Wildlife Trust website
