They give the aphid an appearance of being perched over the leaf surface. This is a very common spring species in Kentucky. They are often found in the heads during grain filling time. The mostly black antennae are shorter than the body. The relatively short cornicles have black tips.
Legs are green with the joints and ends black.
Greenbugs can be found in Kentucky but rarely reach damaging levels. Unlike the other grain aphids in Kentucky, GB injects a toxin into the plant causing that tissue to die. For this reason GB damage is very easy to diagnose and it is potentially a serious pest. There are relatively good guidelines for managing aphids as plant pests. Typically, it takes several aphids per plant so there is plenty of time to detect them and make a management decision.