Description:
This delicate little creature is a woolly aphid in the subfamily Eriosomatinae (a Greek name that translates as “wool” + “body”).
Often called “fairy flies”, these aphid-relatives are covered in white, waxy filaments which resemble cotton or wool that help camouflage them from predators and allow them to catch the wind and drift from primary to secondary host plants.
The adults are winged and move to new locations where they lay egg masses.
Though many species of woolly aphid exist, one common species is the woolly apple aphid, that uses apples and hawthorns as hosts.
However, these creatures can't be identified beyond subfamily (Eriosomatinae) from a photograph.
I found this fluffy little lady floating in the air through my garden with a handful of her sisters.
She graciously sat still for a few minutes so I could snap about a dozen images of her.
Such a pretty little thing!
In my yard, Hilversum, The Netherlands, 23 May 2022