Aphid Genus Research Articles

Review and new data on the aphid fauna (Hemiptera, Aphidoidea) of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam with a description of a new genus and a new species of the family Hormaphididae.

An up-to-date information on aphid fauna (Hemiptera, Aphidoidea) of Vietnam based on literature data and original material is presented. The updated check-list of aphids includes 47 species, and also 15 species identified only to genus level. Protastegopteryx vietnamensis gen. nov., sp. nov. from Bambusa sp., collected in Ct Tin National Park (Dong Nai Province), is described. The species is illustrated and its biometric data is provided. The described aphid genus is closely related to Astegopteryx Karsch, 1890. The taxonomic position of the genus is discussed.

Three new species ofTamalia(Hemiptera, Aphididae, Tamaliinae) associated with leaf galls onArbutus,Arctostaphylos, andComarostaphylisin North America

AbstractTamalia(Hemiptera: Aphididae: Tamaliinae), a Nearctic aphid genus, is associated with galls on woody plants in the family Ericaceae (Arctostaphylosspp.,Arbutus arizonica, andComarostaphylis diversifolia).Tamalia cruzensisMiller and Pike, n. sp.,Tamalia glaucensisMiller and Pike, n. sp., andTamalia moranaeMiller and Pike, n. sp. are described and illustrated. Two of these,T. cruzensisandT. moranae, represent host plant records forTamaliaon genera other thanArctostaphylosspp. Character measurements, comparisons, and descriptions; DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 sequences; geographic distributions; seasonal occurrence; biology; and host plant associations are provided, along with diagnoses and a key to the known species based on the gall-inhabiting apterous adult stage.

Morphology, taxonomy, and systematic position of the enigmatic aphid genus Sinolachnus (Hemiptera: Aphididae, Lachninae)

Here, we present a revision of the poorly studied aphid genus, Sinolachnus from the tribe Tuberolachnini of the subfamily Lachninae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) modified to include eight species. Apterous and alate viviparous females of the type species S. niitakayamensis are redescribed together with alate viviparous females of Sinolachnus elaeagnensis. Alate viviparous females of a new species Sinolachnus takahashii sp. nov. and apterous and alate viviparous females of Sinolachnus yushanensis sp. nov. associated with Elaeagnus oldhamii, from Taiwan are described. Sinolachnus is, for the first time, recorded from Japan and the alate viviparous female of Sinolachnus nipponicus sp. nov. is described. Additionally, we recognize two other species of the Lachninae as members of this genus: Sinolachnus plurisensoriatus (Zhang, 1988) comb. nov. (= Cinara plurisensoriata Zhang, 1988) from China, and Sinolachnus rubi (Ghosh & Raychaudhuri, 1972) comb. nov. (= Maculolachnus rubi Ghosh & Raychaudhuri, 1972) from India. We have designated the lectotype for Sinolachnus niitakayamensis. For the first time, we have provided scanning electron microscopy analyses to show the morphology and sensilla of this genus. Following comparative analyses with other Tuberolachnini and Lachninae genera, we propose to transfer the genus Sinolachnus from the tribe Tuberolachnini to the Tramini. http://urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:ED1A226C-6DEA-4F17-9669-1D2E33E86566

Complex host/symbiont integration of a multi-partner symbiotic system in the eusocial aphid Ceratovacuna japonica.

Some hemipteran insects rely on multiple endosymbionts for essential nutrients. However, the evolution of multi-partner symbiotic systems is not well-established. Here, we report a co-obligate symbiosis in the eusocial aphid, Ceratovacuna japonica. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing unveiled co-infection with a novel Arsenophonus sp. symbiont and Buchnera aphidicola, a common obligate endosymbiont in aphids. Both symbionts were housed within distinct bacteriocytes and were maternally transmitted. The Buchnera and Arsenophonus symbionts had streamlined genomes of 432,286bp and 853,149bp, respectively, and exhibited metabolic complementarity in riboflavin and peptidoglycan synthesis pathways. These anatomical and genomic properties were similar to those of independently evolved multi-partner symbiotic systems, such as Buchnera-Serratia in Lachninae and Periphyllus aphids, representing remarkable parallelism. Furthermore, symbiont populations and bacteriome morphology differed between reproductive and soldier castes. Our study provides the first example of co-obligate symbiosis in Hormaphidinae and gives insight into the evolutionary genetics of this complex system.

Microbiome of the Aphid Genus Dysaphis Börner (Hemiptera: Aphidinae) and Its Relation to Ant Attendance.

Among mutualistic relationships of aphids with other organisms, there are two that seem to be of major importance: trophobiosis with ants and endosymbiosis of bacteria. While the former is well studied, the latter is the subject of an increasing amount of research constantly revealing new aspects of this symbiosis. Here, we studied the possible influence of ant attendance on the composition of aphid microbiota on primary and secondary hosts exploited by the aphid genus Dysaphis. The microbiome of 44 samples representing 12 aphid species was studied using an Illumina HiSeq 4000 with the V3-V4 region of 16S rRNA. The results showed a higher abundance of common facultative symbionts (Serratia, Regiella, Fukatsuia) in aphid species unattended by ants, but also on secondary hosts. However, in colonies attended by ants, the general species composition of bacterial symbionts was more rich in genera than in unattended colonies (Wolbachia, Gilliamella, Spiroplasma, Sphingomonas, Pelomonas). The results indicate a huge variability of facultative symbionts without clear correlation with ant attendance or aphid species. The possibility of multiple routes of bacterial infection mediated by ant-made environmental conditions is discussed.

Insights Into the Species-Specific Microbiota of Greenideinae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) With Evidence of Phylosymbiosis.

Aphids and their symbionts represent an outstanding model for studies of insect–symbiont interactions. The aphid microbiota can be shaped by aphid species, geography and host plants. However, the relative importance of phylogenetic and ecological factors in shaping microbial community structures is not well understood. Using Illumina sequencing of the V3–V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene, we characterized the microbial compositions of 215 aphid colonies representing 53 species of the aphid subfamily Greenideinae from different regions and plants in China, Nepal, and Vietnam. The primary endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola and secondary symbiont Serratia symbiotica dominated the microbiota of Greenideinae. We simultaneously explored the relative contribution of host identity (i.e., aphid genus and aphid species), geography and host plant to the structures of bacterial, symbiont and secondary symbiont communities. Ordination analyses and statistical tests highlighted the strongest impact of aphid species on the microbial flora in Greenideinae. Furthermore, we found a phylosymbiosis pattern in natural Greenideinae populations, in which the aphid phylogeny was positively correlated with microbial community dissimilarities. These findings will advance our knowledge of host-associated microbiota assembly across both host phylogenetic and ecological contexts.

Identification of novel aphid-killing bacteria to protect plants.

SummaryAphids, including the peach‐potato aphid, Myzus persicae, are major insect pests of agriculture and horticulture, and aphid control measures are limited. There is therefore an urgent need to develop alternative and more sustainable means of control. Recent studies have shown that environmental microbes have varying abilities to kill insects. We screened a range of environmental bacteria isolates for their abilities to kill target aphid species. Tests demonstrated the killing aptitude of these bacteria against six aphid genera (including Myzus persicae). No single bacterial strain was identified that was consistently toxic to insecticide‐resistant aphid clones than susceptible clones, suggesting resistance to chemicals is not strongly correlated with bacterial challenge. Pseudomonas fluorescens PpR24 proved the most toxic to almost all aphid clones whilst exhibiting the ability to survive for over three weeks on three plant species at populations of 5–6 log CFU cm−2 leaf. Application of PpR24 to plants immediately prior to introducing aphids onto the plants led to a 68%, 57% and 69% reduction in aphid populations, after 21 days, on Capsicum annuum, Arabidopsis thaliana and Beta vulgaris respectively. Together, these findings provide new insights into aphid susceptibility to bacterial infection with the aim of utilizing bacteria as effective biocontrol agents.

Complete genome sequence of a novel nege-like virus in aphids (genus Indomegoura)

BackgroundAphids are important vectors of numerous plant viruses. Besides plant viruses, a number of insect specific viruses (ISVs), such as nege/nege-like viruses, have been recently discovered in aphids of the genera Aphis, Rhopalosiphum, and Sitobion.FindingsIn this study, the complete genome sequence of a novel nege-like virus, tentatively named “Indomegoura nege-like virus 1” (INLV1), was identified in aphids of the genus Indomegoura. INLV1 possessed a single positive-stranded RNA genome with 8945 nucleotides, which was predicted to contain three typical open reading frames (ORFs) of negeviruses (including ORF1, ORF2, and ORF3), a 44-nt 5′ untranslated region (UTR) and a 98-nt 3′ UTR. Five conserved domains were predicted for INLV1, including an Alphavirus-like methyltransferase domain, a RNA virus helicase core domain, and a RNA-dependent RNA polymerase domain (RdRP) in ORF1, a DISB-ORF2_chro domain in ORF2, and a SP24 domain in ORF3. According to the maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree based on RdRP, INLV1 was grouped with barley aphid RNA virus 1 and Hubei virga-like virus 4, together with another two invertebrate viruses, which formed a distinct clade in the proposed group Centivirus. The alignment of RdRP domains for INLV1 and other nege/kita-like viruses suggested that RdRP of INLV1 contained the permuted C (GDD)- A [DX(4–5)D] –B [GX(2–3)TX(3)N] motifs, which were conserved in the Centivirus and Sandewavirus groups. Furthermore, the high abundance and typical characteristics of INLV1 derived small interfering RNAs clearly showed the active replication of INLV1 in the aphid Indomegoura.ConclusionINLV1 is the first nege-like virus infecting aphids of the genus Indomegoura. As far as we know, it is also the first ISV revealed in this aphid genus.

Trophobiotic organ and perianal structures in aphid genus Stomaphis WALKER (Aphididae, Lachninae)

Stomaphis Walker is an obligatorily myrmecophilous, tree-trunk feeding aphid genus, having many peculiar features in its morphology. One poorly studied trait is its perianal anatomy, with suspected existence of trophobiotic organ and intriguing tubercles near abdominal segment VIII. Tubercles on rear end of abdomen in Stomaphis were considered to be marginal tubercles, structure typical of aphids. Only after their investigation under scanning electron microscope they revealed to possess a very rough surface, consisting of many protuberant, sclerotic scales with finger-like processes. Analysis and comparison with other aphids suggests, that these structures – perianal tubercles – may be considered remnants of abdominal sternite IX, atrophied in aphids. Due to their similarity to the surface of cauda of non myrmecophilous aphids, they are suspected to serve as sort of auxiliary caudas, protecting from sticky secretions of aphids e. g. honeydew or mucus while giving birth or ovipositing in confined space. A very well developed trophobiotic organ in this genus has been shown to exist for the first time.

Evolutionary diversification of Japanese Stomaphis aphids (Aphididae, Lachninae) in relation to their host plant use and ant association

Phytophagous insects are among the most diverse of the earth’s organisms, and their diversification patterns and the driving forces behind these have attracted considerable research interest. Host shifting to closely related plant species is thought to play an important role in phytophagous insect diversification, but the extent to which other interactions such as mutualistic associations affect diversification is not yet known. In this study, we reconstructed the molecular phylogeny of Japanese Stomaphis aphids and determined whether host shifting or mutualistic association with different ant species could explain diversification in this aphid genus. We analyzed 12 species of Stomaphis and grouped them into ten well-supported DNA lineages. Species in each lineage used a single or a few host plant species, but were mutualistically associated with many ant species of the genus Lasius. This result suggests that Stomaphis evolutionarily diversified primarily through host plant shifts. Interestingly, the reconstructed phylogeny suggests that Stomaphis host shifts occasionally occurred between very distantly related host plant taxa (spanning up to five plant orders). The dependence of Stomaphis on long-lasting Lasius ant colonies situated in temperate deciduous forests where Lasius is the dominant ant genus may have led the aphids to shift to distantly related but spatially adjacent host tree species.

Rubiaphis, a new aphid genus from the Altai Republic (Homoptera: Aphididae, Macrosiphini).

Rubiaphis altaicus gen. nov., sp. nov. from Rubus idaeus, collected in the Altai Republic, is described. The species is illustrated and biometric data are provided. This aphid genus is closely related to Myzaphis van der Goot, 1913. The taxonomic position of the genus is discussed.

A review of the genus Callipterinella van der Goot (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Calaphidinae) in Korea

The aphid genus, Callipterinella van der Goot, 1913 (Calaphidinae: Calaphidini: Calaphidina) was reviewed from Korea. Previously recorded species, Callipterinella calliptera (Hartig, 1841), and hitherto unrecorded species, Callipterinella tuberculata (von Heyden, 1837), were recognized in Korea. A key to species, species description, photographs of live aphids, and illustrations are provided for the two species.

Rhinariaphis – A remarkable new aphid genus from Afghanistan (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Aphidinae)

In this paper, we describe a new aphid genus, Rhinariaphisgen. nov., from the tribe Macrosiphini (Aphididae: Aphidinae) with the type species Rhinariaphis tuberculatasp. nov., from specimens that have been collected in Afghanistan, where it is associated with Lophanthus pinetorum (=Nepeta cabulica) (Lamiaceae). Rhinariaphis is superficially similar to the Hyperomyzus subgenus Neonasonovia due to its characteristically shaped siphunculi, but it is also similar to the genera Eucarazzia and Klimaszewskia because of some of the characters of the ultimate rostral segment. Representatives of this genus can easily be distinguished from other Macrosiphini genera due to the presence of numerous secondary rhinaria on antennal segments III, IV and V as well as by the thick setae on their large tuberculate bases. In addition to the taxonomy of the genus, a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study was performed and the main morphological characters are presented with detailed descriptions of the antennal and body sensilla.

New genera and species of aphids (Hemiptera, Aphidomorpha, Burmitaphididae) in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

In this paper new aphid genera and species, Echinoaphis penalverii gen. et sp. nov. and Vasteantenatus hukawngi gen. et sp. nov. in the fossil family Burmitaphididae are described and illustrated; these aphids are from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber of northern Myanmar.

A review of the genus Takecallis Mastumura in Korea with the description of a new species (Hemiptera, Aphididae).

The aphid genus, Takecallis Mastumura, 1917, was reviewed from Korea. Four species, T. alba Y. Lee, sp. n., T. arundicolens (Clarke), T. arundinariae (Essig), and T. taiwana (Takahashi), are recognized in Korea and morphological and molecular evidence are presented. Species descriptions and illustrations are given for the four species. A key to Korean species and the results of COI sequence analyses are also provided.

New fossil Juraphididae (Hemiptera: Aphidomorpha) from Burmese amber, with phylogeny of the family

A new aphid genus and species, Prolavexillaphis munditia Liu, Qiao and Yao gen. et sp. nov., is assigned to Juraphididae (Aphidomorpha). The specimen is described from Upper Cretaceous amber from Myanmar. In this study the phylogeny of the extinct family Juraphididae based on 33 morphological characters detailed the status of the new fossil and the relationships within the family Juraphididae. Isolitaphis prolatantennus Poinar, 2017 (Isolitaphidae) from the same deposit was also included in this phylogenetic analysis due to the similarities between two families. Two main clades within Juraphididae are recognized from our cladistic analysis: Prolavexillaphis Liu, Yao and Qiao gen. nov. and Isolitaphis (Poinar, 2017) form a monophyletic lineage; Aphaorus (Wegierek, 1991), Pterotella (Wegierek, 1991), Juraphis (Shaposhnikov, 1979) form a monophyletic lineage. These results indicate that Isolitaphis (Poinar, 2017) belongs to Juraphididae. Therefore, we propose a synonymy of Isolitaphidae with Juraphididae and the type species, Isolitaphis prolatantennus Poinar, 2017, is transferred to the Mesozoic family Juraphididae. A key to all species of Juraphididae is provided.

Wojciechaphis andrei gen. et sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Aphidomorpha, Drepanosiphidae, Phyllaphidinae), a new aphid genus from Baltic amber

Abstract Here we describe a new aphid genus and species Wojciechaphis andrei gen. et sp. nov. belonging to the extant family Drepanosiphidae, also known from Baltic amber (Eocene). The first adult apterous viviparous female of Mengeaphis glandulosa (Menge, 1856) is described too.

Unravelling the historical biogeography and diversification dynamics of a highly diverse conifer‐feeding aphid genus

AbstractAimScenarios of aphid evolution suggest that adaptation to host plants plays a major role in aphid diversification. It is therefore commonly assumed that host association has also shaped the biogeographical patterns of aphids; particularly, it has been hypothesized that the intercontinental disjunctions observed in the Holarctic for many aphid groups resulted from the disappearance or migration of their hosts. We explored this hypothesis for the conifer‐feeding genus Cinara, one of the most diverse and widely distributed aphid genera in the Holarctic.LocationHolarctic.MethodsSix DNA fragments from 361 specimens representing 92 species were used to reconstruct the phylogeny of Cinara species. We used species‐delimitation methods to identify putative species, and estimated times of divergence using Bayesian relaxed clocks and fossil calibrations. We investigated rates of diversification, biogeographical and host‐association history using maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches.ResultsCinara originated in Asia c. 50 Ma following a host switch to conifers from an angiosperm‐feeding ancestor. The steady diversification observed since then suggests that this host switch did not cause adaptive radiation in Cinara, as previously assumed. Switches between conifer host genera could have facilitated the expansion of Cinara in the Holarctic, but the intercontinental disjunctions observed today are most likely the result of vicariance mediated by climatic or geological barriers.Main conclusionsThis study shows that biogeographical and diversification patterns in Cinara have not only been shaped by host‐plant adaptation processes, but also by the climatic and geological changes that occurred through the Cenozoic.

The oldest aphid of the family Oviparosiphidae (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea) from the Middle Jurassic of China

We describe herein a new aphid genus and species Daoaphis magnalata gen. et sp. n., belonging to the extinct family Oviparosiphidae from the Middle Jurassic (ca. 165 Ma) Daohugou beds, Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia, Northeast China. The new genus is considered to be the earliest certain representative of this family and the body remains of one of the oldest aphids. The evolutionary position of this new genus and distribution of the family are discussed.

Miyazakia, a new aphid genus from Japan (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Macrosiphini).

Miyazakia gen. nov. with type species Miyazakia ranunculi (Miyazaki, 1971) comb. nov. is described. The species is illustrated and biometric data are provided for all morphs, except the fundatrix. This aphid genus is closely related to Sappaphis Matsumura, 1919. M. ranunculi is a heteroecious species; its primary host is probably Photinia villosa (Thunb.) DC and its secondary host is Ranunculus.