Aphis pyri Hartig, 1841

Brunet, Bryan M. T., Raupach, Michael J., Rehage, Heinz-Otto, Havill, Nathan P. & Foottit, Robert G., 2023, Discovery of the primary aphid (Hemiptera: Aphidomorpha) and scale insect (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) type specimens from the collection of Theodor Hartig (1805 - 1880), Zootaxa 5369 (1), pp. 89-116 : 103

Aphis pyri Hartig, 1841

Aphis pyri Hartig, 1841: 369 . SYNTYPES: 6 (field no. missing [7.19], 1 lost).

Dysaphis pyri ( Boyer de Fonscolombe, 1841) (senior primary homonym— Hottes, 1930a: 182; Eastop, 1974: 164; Melville, 1981: 239).

Sappaphis mali ( Ferrari, 1872) (junior synonym—Börner, 1952: 98).

Dysaphis (Pomaphis) plantaginea ( Passerini, 1860) (junior synonym— Doncaster, 1973: 61). Valid

Specimens. Six pointed on a single pin. All present (five) are alates.

Remarks. Hottes (1930a) identified the priority of Aphis pyri Kittel, 1827 over Aphis pyri Hartig , Aphis pyri Boyer de Fonscolombe, 1841 and Aphis pyri Koch, 1854 , but maintained Hartig’s name because the species to which it applied could not be verified on account of the lack of type specimens. Eastop (1974) petitioned the ICZN to have both A. pyri Kittel and the name Aphis pyri Vallot, 1802 supressed in favor of Boyer de Fonscolombe’s name, and the decision to conserve the latter was published by Melville (1981). In regard to the conflict of the latter with Hartig’s name, as with other conflicts between Hartig and Boyer de Fonscolombe’s names mentioned earlier, A. pyri Boyer de Fonscolombe has priority over A. pyri Hartig. Since both species are presently treated as congeneric, the next oldest available synonym for A. pyri Hartig is Myzus plantagineus [= Dysaphis plantaginea ] Passerini, 1860. Upon determination of Hartig’s holotype, if the synonymy with the latter species is not supported, a replacement name may be necessary to remove it from homonymy with A. pyri Boyer de Fonscolombe since no other synonyms are available.

Favret (2023) lists the name Lachnus pyri ( Hartig, 1841) from Rudow (1875) in the nomenclatural history for Aphis pyri Hartig. However, Rudow (1875) made reference to this name in association with the wrong host species, Prunus padus . We believe Rudow’s (1875) use of the name Lachnus pyri was in error and that the intended species was actually Lachnus padi ( Hartig, 1841) (see below).