I know, I know. I said there’d probably be no more aphids during the winter months but they overwinter as adults, and I just happened to be looking at the leaves of a willow while waiting for a train when I spotted these and couldn’t resist a few photos. These are Giant willow aphids (Tuberolachnus salignus), and I happened to catch them in various sizes and forms: the winged aphid is an adult (the scientific term is alate).

The Influential Points website gives some fascinating information about these aphids:

Tuberolachnus salignus is anholocyclic and no males have ever been found, so all reproduction is assumed to be parthenogenetic. The females produce live young which are all genetically identical (clones) … [and]
One part of the giant willow aphid’s life cycle remains shrouded in mystery. Tuberolachnus salignus have only been found on willow trees from July through to early March. Numbers tend to peak in October, but by February few are left on the trees and none has been seen from April to July. [So, where do they go?]

Though I didn’t catch it on camera as my train was pulling in to the station, the aphids got annoyed with my lens being so close to them and started waving their legs at me, apparently something they do to frighten off potential predators.