Helmut van Emden is Emeritus Professor of Horticulture at the University of Reading, UK. He has researched on aphids for over 50 years and has wide international experience, including in the tropics. Richard Harrington retired in 2015 as Head of the Rothamsted Insect Survey, with which he worked for 36 years on aphid monitoring and forecasting. He led the EU project "EXAMINE" (Exploitation of Aphid Monitoring In Europe) which brought together colleagues involved in aphid monitoring throughout Europe and beyond.