I was looking for leafhoppers on Poplar trees where I’ve found them previously when I spotted these aphids. Though the adults were plain black, the colours and markings of the nymphs looked distinctive, so I decided to take some photos on the off chance I might be able to identify them and, though this has not yet been verified by an expert, I’m fairly sure these are the species Chaitophorus populeti.

This species is also known as the Poplar shoot aphid, not surprisingly because they live on the shoots and young leaves of various species of Poplar trees. As you can see from my photos, these aphids are almost always accompanied by ants; I like to think of the ants as the farmers, the aphids their livestock.

If you’re interested in learning more about this species, the Influential Points website provides detailed information on how to identify them, their biology and life cycle, as well as some stunning, much sharper, close-up images than mine.