---
title: "Witch-hazel Cone Gall Aphid"
description: "Hormaphis hamamelidis — Insetos e aranhas. The witch-hazel cone gall aphid (Hormaphis hamamelidis) is a minuscule insect, a member of the aphid superfamily, whose presence on a witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) plant is easily recognizable by a conical gall structure."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/pt/animal/witch-hazel-cone-gall-aphid
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Witch-hazel Cone Gall Aphid

> Hormaphis hamamelidis — Insetos e aranhas. The witch-hazel cone gall aphid (Hormaphis hamamelidis) is a minuscule insect, a member of the aphid superfamily, whose presence on a witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) plant is easily recognizable by a conical gall structure.

- Scientific name: *Hormaphis hamamelidis*
- Category: `insects` (Insetos e aranhas)
- Habitats: `forest` (Floresta)
- iNaturalist observations: 12254
- Wikidata: [Q8027826](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8027826)
- iNaturalist taxon: [221498](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/221498)

## Names

- en: Witch-hazel Cone Gall Aphid
- nl: Witch-hazel cone gall aphid

## Countries with the most observations

US (7376), CA (157)

## Summary

The witch-hazel cone gall aphid (Hormaphis hamamelidis) is a minuscule insect, a member of the aphid superfamily, whose presence on a witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) plant is easily recognizable by a conical gall structure. The gall is green at first, then turns bright red.  This gall, rich in nutrients, provides both food and shelter for the female aphid. 

H. hamamelidis have three generations per year, each with a different part in the life cycle. At the start of spring, females or stem mothers crawl to witch-hazel leaf buds. As the leaf grows, the aphid injects it with a substance, possibly an enzyme or hormone…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch-hazel_cone_gall_aphid

## Photo

![Witch-hazel Cone Gall Aphid](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/witch-hazel-cone-gall-aphid/medium.jpg)

Photo: suzannehale · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/85875302

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/witch-hazel-cone-gall-aphid?lang=pt` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).