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There are 10 families About 4,400 species of 10 families are known. Historically, many fewer families were recognized, as most species were included in the family Aphididae. Around 250 species are serious pests for agriculture and forestry as well as an annoyance for gardeners. They vary in length from one to ten millimetres. Natural enemies include predatory lady beetles (Coleoptera Coccinellidae), hoverfly larvae (Diptera Syrphidae), parasitic wasps, aphid midge larvae, aphid lions, crab spiders[4] lacewings (Neuroptera Chrysopidae), and entomopathogenic fungi like Lecanicillium lecanii and the Entomophthorales. Aphids are distributed worldwide, but are most common in temperate zones. Also, in contrast to many taxa, species diversity is much lower in the tropics than in the temperate zones. They can migrate great distances, mainly through passive dispersal by riding on winds. For example, the currant lettuce aphid (Nasonovia ribisnigri Mosley) is believed to have spread from New Zealand to Tasmania in this way.[5] Aphids have also been spread by human transportation of infested plant materials.
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