Reticulaphis rotifera Hille Ris Lambers & Takahashi

Yeh, Hsin-Ting, Ko, Chiun-Cheng & Hsu, Tung-Ching, 2008, Review of the East-Asian genus Reticulaphis (Aphididae: Hormaphidinae), with two new species, Zootaxa 1782, pp. 34-48 : 44-45

Reticulaphis rotifera Hille Ris Lambers & Takahashi , stat.n.

( Figs. 12, 13 )

Reticulaphis distylii subsp. rotifera Hille Ris Lambers & Takahashi, 1959: 12 .

Apterous adult female. Small species, body broadly ovate, black with purplish-blue burnish, marginal or submarginal setae long, with fan-shaped or serrated apices, body margin with waxy powder. Body 0.48–0.55 mm long, about 1.23 (1.13–1.37) times as long as wide, forehead concave, prosoma with faintly crenulated margin. Antennae beneath head, shorter than space between them, L-shaped bend with 3 indistinct segments, long arm about 27.5–35 μm with 2 minute rhinaria and 1 terminal seta near apex. Eyes submarginal, with 2 facets. Prosoma distinctly reticulated with pale thin lines, dorsum with 3 deeply transverse ridges on median area and several rounded areas surrounding it; 5 pairs of minute setae on central axis of prosoma, 1st pair between eyes, 3rd pairs (on mesonotum) sometimes with 3 setae; prosoma with 10 pairs of marginal or submarginal setae, these setae long, with fan-shaped or serrated apices. Legs short, front and middle legs concealed under body, hind legs somewhat exposed; front and middle tibiae shorter than or equal to femora, but hind tibiae longer than or equal to femora; tarsi narrower than tibiae, longer than wide; 1 long fine capitate seta on dorsal front tarsi, 2 such setae on middle and hind tarsi. Abdominal tergites II–VII about 137.5–165 μm wide and 47.5–60 μm long, also reticulated, without siphunculi and with 6 pairs of minute setae along converging sides of tergites. Abdominal tergite VIII an equilateral triangle, about 80–90 μm wide and 30–40 μm long, with 4 setae, central two longer than outer two, but all shorter than marginal setae on prosoma. Cauda knobbed, constricted basally. Subanal plate deeply bilobed, each lobe with 5–7 setae.

Material examined. Taiwan: Hengchun Township, Pingtung Co., 18-xi-2006, 26-v-2007, 66 apterous adults from F. virgata (on 9 microscope slides) (H.T. Yeh #558, #604 and #605, respectively) ( ANIC, BMNH, CDFA, NMNS, TARIIC, USNM). Java: Mandiku, 12-v-1950, 18 apterous adults from Ficus ?pruniformis (on 2 microscope slides) (F.W. Rappard) ( BMNH).

Remarks. This species is found on mature, defoliating leaves of hosts, and is adapted to hills or lower mountainous areas. There are some differences between our materials and Rappard’s: all setae on abdominal tergite VIII are thin and distinctly shorter than the marginal setae of prosoma in our materials, but the central 2 setae on the abdominal tergite VIII of Rappard’s materials are thick and equal in length to the marginal setae. This species can be distinguished from R. fici by the comparatively thick marginal setae with fan-shaped apices of the prosoma, and the number of setae on the central axis of the dorsal prosoma is always two.

Figures

FIGURES 12 – 15. 12, 13. Reticulaphis rotifera apterous adults, (12) alive; (13) dorsal view. 14, 15. Reticulaphis septica apterous adults, (14) alive; (15) dorsal view.