Temporal changes in spatial distribution patterns of aphids infesting winter strawberries in coastal California were determined using Green's Coefficient, Cx, Iwao's regression of mean crowding on the mean, and Lloyd's “Patchiness Index.” Both C, and the Patchiness Index indicated the aphids were initially overdispersed, but became random as populations increased. Distribution remained random following population collapse, suggesting that density-independent mortality factors suppressed populations. Iwao's regression method provided analogous results when populations were temporarily stratified