What secondary issue arises on leaves coated in the honeydew excreted by woolly aphids?
Answer
Growth of black sooty mold, which impedes photosynthesis.
Woolly aphids excrete a sticky, sugary substance known as honeydew as a byproduct of their sap feeding. This honeydew deposits thickly on leaves and bark surfaces. This sugary coating provides an ideal, nutrient-rich substrate for the proliferation of black sooty mold fungi. The sooty mold grows over the leaf surface, creating a dark layer that physically blocks sunlight from reaching the chlorophyll beneath, thereby significantly impeding the plant's ability to conduct photosynthesis.
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