It is the most significant aphid pest of peach trees, causing decreased growth, shrivelling of the leaves and the death of various tissues.

[3] Originally described by Swiss entomologist Johann Heinrich Sulzer in 1776, its specific name is derived from the Latin genitive persicae, "of the peach".

In cold climates, adults will return to Prunus plants in the autumn, where mating occurs and eggs are then deposited.

[3] The worst damage on plants is in the early summertime for the aphid breeding peak, because winged dispersants from Prunus spp.

where the egg of overwintering aphid stage deposit nymphs on summer hosts migrating to tobacco, potatoes and cruciferous vegetables to be harmful continuously after a few generations.

[6] The green peach aphid is found worldwide but is likely of Asian origin, much like its primary host plant, Prunus persica.

[3] However, previous studies suggest that long-distance migration is uncommon in M. persicae, thus the spread of diverse genotypes over distance geographic regions is likely a result of anthropogenic influence.

[3] Adult winged aphids have a black head and thorax, and a yellowish green abdomen with a large dark dorsal patch.

[3] The wingless adult aphids are yellowish or greenish in colour, with the possibility of medial and lateral green strips being present.

[3] The adult green peach aphid can be yellowish-green, red, or brown in colour because of morphological differences influenced primarily by the host plants, nutrition, and temperature.

[8] Distinguishing morphological traits from this group include their convergent inner faces of the antennal tubercles in dorsal view, and the slightly clavate siphunculi which are dark-tipped and approximately as long as the terminal process of the antenna.

[10][7] Mating takes palace on the primary host, where eggs are laid and undergo diapause over winter, and when spring comes, the parthenogenetic females hatch in spring and their descendants disperse to secondary host plants where they produce numerous parthenogenetic (asexual) generations.

[14] M. persicae is a highly variable species; strains, races and biotypes have been distinguished by morphology, color, biology, host-plant preference, ability to transmit viruses and insecticide resistance.

[15] Hybridization can occur in these species in regions where the two forms have both a sexual phase on peach which may suggest why certain aphids have the same genes for insecticide resistance.

For instance, this subspecies has preserved its genomic integrity throughout time across a wide geographical scale by maintaining its primarily asexual life cycle.

[22] It is commonly believed that cypermethrin, abamectin, chlorpyrifos, methylamine and imidacloprid could be the first chemical agents for aphid control in the field.

[24] The application of plant secondary substances also plays a pivotal role in population control since people are increasingly putting a premium on environmental protection and sustainable agriculture.

Insect growth regulators like diflubenzuron, chlorbenzuron, and botanical pesticides like nicotine and azadirachtin also manage the orchard-pest ecology, reducing the number of the green peach aphids and the damage they cause.

This largely affects the production and selling of crops globally, having high economic concerns if this species is not controlled for.