The antennae of young apple grain aphid stem mothers reach only about to the end of the thorax. The winged adults are black and also possess long cornicles and antennae. The summer generations on plantain look distinctly different from the spring aphids on apple. They are a pale yellowish color, and occur singly or in low numbers, rather than in dense colonies. Plantain leaves are not curled by aphid feeding.
Males are scarce and are only found in the fall.
Oviparae, also present only in the fall, have a prominent central tubercle on the front of the head, separating this species from green aphids and apple grain aphid. There are six antennal segments, further separating rosy apple aphid from apple grain aphid. The eggs usually hatch when buds are at the silver tip stage in spring. The eggs do not hatch all at once but continue over a period of about 2 weeks. Egg hatch is complete by the half-inch green stage.