Sipha (Sipha) littoralis (Walker)

Wieczorek, Karina, 2011, Descriptions of four hitherto unknown or little-known morphs of Siphini (Hemiptera, Aphidoidea: Chaitophorinae), Zootaxa 2756, pp. 53-60 : 57

Sipha (Sipha) littoralis (Walker)

( Fig. 3 )

Aphis littoralis Walker, 1848: 44 –45.

Table 2. Measurements of alate viviparous females of Sipha (S.) littoralis (lengths in mm)

No. Body Antenna antennal segments ARS HT II

III IV Va+Vb

1 2.02 0.57 0.20 0.07 0.075+0.09 0.09 0.11 2 2.15 0.62 0.21 0.095 0.07+0.095 0.10 0.10 3 1.99 0.51 0.22 0.07 0.075+0.07 0.09 0.10 4 1.74 0.55 0.17 0.055 0.07+0.07 0.14 0.14 5 1.76 0.55 0.20 0.075 0.08+0.08 0.09 0.15 Material examined. WALES, Morfa Conwy, 29.v.1974, Festuca rubra , 8 al. viv. fem., leg. RNBP.

Description: Alate viviparous female (Table 2): colour of live specimens: unknown; pigmentation when mounted: pale, head, apices of antennae, femora, tarsi, siphunculi and abdominal sclerites dusky. Body ellipsoidal 1.74–2.15 mm long and about 0.80 mm wide, covered with rows of spinules. Abdominal tergites with oval marginal sclerites and small pleural and spinal sclerites, abdominal tergite VII with spino-pleural plate ( Fig. 3 a). Dorsal chaetotaxy: hairs not numerous, spiny, about 0.01 mm long, on margin of abdominal tergites VII–VIII pointed hairs 0.05–0.075 mm long. Head chaetotaxy: few fine, pointed hairs 0.03–0.05 mm long ( Fig. 3 b). Antennae ( Fig. 3 c) reaching to anterior margin of mesothorax, about 0.25–0.31 times body length. Vb:Va 1.00–1.26; other antennal ratios: Vb:III 0.34–0.47, V:III 0.68–0.92, V:IV 2.10–2.70. Antennal chaetotaxy: segm. I with 1–3 hairs, segm. II with 3–4 hairs, segm. III with 0–1 hair, segm. IV with 0–2 hairs. Antennal hairs very short. Segment III with 1–5 oval rhinaria lying in row, segment IV with 0 rhinaria. Rostrum short, reaching to middle coxae, ARS short and blunt, about 0.09–0.15 mm long, 0.45–0.52 times antennal segment III and 0.64–1.00 times HT II. First tarsal chaetotaxy 5:5:5, empodial hairs pointed. Fore wings typical, with normal venation, media with 3 branches, pterostigma distinctly pigmented. Siphunculi placed on abdominal segment V, short, elevated, spinulose, about 0.05 mm in basal diameter. Cauda knobbed ( Fig. 3 d) 0.08 mm long with 3 pointed hairs about 0.10 mm long.

Measurements of 1 specimen (in mm): ( Wales, Morfa Conwy, 29.v.1974, Festuca rubra , leg. RNBP) body: 1.99, ant.: 0.51, ant. segm. (III–V): 0.22:0.07:(0.075+0.075), ARS: 0.09, HT II: 0.10.

Distribution. Halophilous species occurs mainly on coastal saltings (e.g. the North Sea coast) ( Wieczorek 2010).

Host plants. Ammophila arenaria, Calamagrostis epigejos, Festuca rubra , Puccinellia maritima , Spartina maritima , S. townsendii ( Wieczorek 2010) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. S. (S.) littoralis — alate viviparous female: a. abdomen, b. head, c. antenna, d. cauda.