The full-length c DNA of functionally-unknown salivary protein C002 in Schizaphis graminum was cloned using rapid amplification of c DNA ends(RACE) and designated as Sg C002(Gen Bank accession no. KC977563). It is 767 bp long and encodes a protein of 190 amino acid residues with a predicted mass of 21.5 k Da and a predicted cleavage site of N-terminal signal peptide between the 24 th and the 25 th residues. Sg C002 is specifically expressed in salivary gland with the highest level at the 2nd instar. Introducing Sg C002-specific 476-si RNA, but not 546-si RNA to aphids through artificial diet significantly suppressed Sg C002 expression. Silencing Sg C002 gene led to lethality of the aphid on wheat plants, but not on pure artificial diet. Our study demonstrated that artificial diet-mediated RNAi can be a useful tool for research on the roles of genes in aphid salivary gland, and also provided new insights into the characteristics of C002 in wheat aphids. The full-length c DNA of functionally-unknown salivary protein C002 in Schizaphis graminum was cloned using rapid amplification of c DNA ends (RACE) and designated as Sg C002 (Gen Bank accession no. KC977563). It is 767 bp long and encodes a protein of 190 amino acid residues with a predicted mass of 21.5 k Da and a predicted cleavage site of N-terminal signal peptide between the 24 th and the 25 th residues. Sg C002 is specifically expressed in salivary gland with the highest level at the 2nd instar. Introducing Sg C002-specific 476-si RNA, but not 546-si RNA to aphids through artificial diet significantly suppressed Sg C002 expression. Silencing Sg C002 gene led to lethality of the aphid on wheat plants, but not on pure artificial diet. Our study demonstrated that artificial diet-mediated RNAi can be a useful tool for research on the roles of genes in aphid salivary gland, and also provided new insights into the characteristics of C002 in wheat aphids.