Aspidophorodon (Eoessigia) indicum (David, Rajasingh & Narayanan, 1972)

Figs 13, 14, 15, 22C-F

Eoessigia indicum David, Rajasingh & Narayanan 1972: 35; Eastop and Hille Ris Lambers 1976: 188; Chakrabarti and Medda 1989: 133.

Raychaudhuriella myzaphoides Chakrabarti 1978: 357.

Raychaudhuriella potentillae Chakrabarti & Maity 1984: 202.

Aspidophorodon (Eoessigia) indicum (David, Rajasingh & Narayanan): Remaudière and Remaudière 1997: 74; Blackman and Eastop 2006: 1098; Stekolshchikov and Novgorodova 2010: 44; Chen et al. 2015.

Specimens examined.

One apterous viviparous female, China: Tibet (Yadong County), 17.VII.2014, No. 32675-1-1, host plant unknown, coll. J. Chen and X.C. Zhu ; four apterous viviparous females, China: Tibet (Cuona County), 01.VI.2016, No. 37202-1-1, No. 37204-1-1, No. 37205-1-1, No. 37208-1-1, on Cotoneaster sp., coll. F.F. Niu ; two apterous viviparous females, China: Tibet (Cuona County), 03.VI.2016, No. 37225-1-1, No. 37232-1-1, on Cotoneaster sp., coll. F.F. Niu ; one apterous viviparous female, China: Tibet (Cuona County), 04.VI.2016, No. 37243-1-1, on Cotoneaster sp., coll. F.F. Niu ; two apterous viviparous females, China: Tibet (Cuona County), 07.VI.2016, No. 37278-1-1, No. 37280-1-1, on Cotoneaster sp., coll. F.F. Niu ; one apterous viviparous female, China: Tibet (Cuona County), 24.VI.2016, No. 37403-1-1, on Cotoneaster sp., coll. F.F. Niu ; two apterous viviparous females, China: Tibet (Cuona County), 03.VI.2016, No. 37229-1-1, No. 37230-1-1, host plant unknown, coll. F.F. Niu; one alate viviparous female, China: Tibet (Cuona County), 03.VI.2016, No. 37223-1-1, on Cotoneaster sp., coll. F.F. Niu ; two apterous viviparous females (slides) and one apterous vivparous female (COI: OK668434), China: Tibet (Jilong County), 31.VII.2021, No. 52024-1-1, on Cotoneaster sp., coll. Y. Xu ; two fundatrices (slides) and one fundatrix (COI: OK668447), China: Tibet (Jilong County), 01.VIII.2021, No. 52044-2-1, on Cotoneaster sp., coll. Y. Xu.

Comments.

The species is here first recorded in China. After several surveys in Tibet, we collected fundatrices (Figs 13A-D, 15A-L, 22F), apterous viviparous females (Figs 13E-L, 14A-J, 22C-E), and alate viviparous females (Figs 13M-Q, 14K-N) feeding on upper sides of Cotoneaster sp. along the main vein (Fig. 22C-F). The processes are variable in different morphs. Firstly, the marginal processes of thoracic nota and abdominal tergites I-IV (Figs 13A, 15E) and spinal process of abdominal tergite VIII (Figs 13D, 15I) are very developed in the fundatrix, but the apterae and alatae are without marginal processes, and spinal process of abdominal tergite VIII (Figs 13I, 14G) is shorter than that of the fundatrix. Secondly, about the different geographic populations of apterae, abdominal tergite VIII is with a distinctly triangular spinal process in a population from Jilong County; however, another population collected in Yadong County only has a slightly swollen spinal process.

Aspidophoron being neuter, the adjectival specific epithet is also neuter, so indica is revised as Aspidophoron indicum .

Host plant.

Primary host plants: Cotoneaster obtusus and Cotoneaster sp.; secondary host plant: Potentilla sp. (Chakrabarti and Medda 1989).

Distribution.

China (Tibet), India.

Biology.

The species colonizes on upper sides of Cotoneaster sp. along the main vein (Fig. 22C-F). The species is holocyclic and heteroecious, alternating between Cotoneaster and Potentilla (Chakrabarti and Medda 1989), and colonizes the undersides of Potentilla without ant-attendance (Chakrabarti and Maity 1984).