The fluff that Fairy Flies are made of

A couple of years ago I was weeding in one of the gardens that happens to be located along the drainage ditch we have on our property.  The ditch is lined with every size of limestone rock you could imagine and follows the slope of the wooded hillside.  There was a cool, gentle breeze wafting down from the top of the hill, giving me some relief from the humidity.  I glanced up appreciatively and noticed what I thought was some "fluff" from a tree or plant floating along with the breeze.  It landed on one of the Witch Hazel leaves next to me.  Then I noticed a few more.  Then one moved...that's right...it crawled! What on earth?! 



This fluffy creature is called a Woolly Aphid.  They are sometimes referred to as a "Fairy Fly", among other nicknames.  Due to their whimsical appearance, some parents tell children that they carry wishes, live in tulips and much like fairies, are born every time you make a wish on a dandelion.

On the more practical side of things, Woolly Aphids are not generally much cause for alarm, although they can cause rather unsightly damage to plants. They feed by inserting their needle-like mouth parts into plants to withdraw the sap.  They feed on the leaves, buds, bark and even the roots. As they feed, they produce a sticky substance known as honeydew, which can cause "sooty mold" on the plants.

I haven't laid eyes on them since that day.  I've never noticed any type of damage I could attribute to their feeding habits and I abstain from using any type of insecticide or pesticide.  I find them to be beautiful creatures and I love the fairy tale version of their existence.

Resource:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eriosomatinae