Aphid

About the Aphid

They reproduce so rapidly that a single aphid could theoretically produce 600 billion descendants in one season through parthenogenesis (cloning without mating). They are born pregnant - females give birth to live young that are already carrying embryos. They are the most destructive agricultural pest worldwide, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in crop damage annually. They excrete honeydew, a sugar-rich liquid that ants farm them for - ants literally herd and protect aphid colonies. Over 4,400 species. Some species only eat one plant species.