Aphis rogeri Qiao, 2022

Xu, Ying, Jiang, Liyun, Chen, Jing & Qiao, Gexia, 2022, A new species of Aphis (Aphidinae: Aphidini) feeding on Rubus from China, Zootaxa 5183 (1), pp. 282-292 : 283-288

Aphis rogeri Qiao sp. nov.

( Figs 1–36 , Table 1 )

Type material. Holotype: apterous viviparous female, CHINA, Tibet: Linzhi City , Motuo County, 29.24 °N, 95.11 °E, 817m, 10.IX.2020, No. 49219-1-1-1, on Rubus ellipticus Smith , coll. Y. Xu ( NZMC) . Paratypes: 44 apterous viviparous females and 5 alate viviparous female as follows: 1 apterous viviparous female, CHINA, Tibet: Linzhi City , Motuo County, 26.VIII.2015, No. 35961-1-1, on Rubus ellipticus , coll. F.F. Niu ( BMNH) ; 1 alate viviparous female, CHINA, Tibet: Linzhi City , Motuo County, 25.VIII.2015, No. 35876-1-1, on Rubus ellipticus , coll. F.F. Niu ( BMNH) ; 4 apterous viviparous females (slides) and 1 apterous viviparous female ( COI: MZ 444690 ) , No. 49219- 1-1-2, No. 49169-1-1, No. 49226-1-1, with the same collection data as holotype ( NZMC) ; 2 apterous viviparous female (slides) and 1 apterous viviparous female ( COI: MZ 444689 ) , CHINA, Tibet: Linzhi City , Dexing County, 4.IX.2020, No. 49152-1-1, on Rubus ellipticus , coll. Y. Xu ( NZMC) ; 4 nymphs (slides) and 2 nymphs ( COI: MZ 444686 ; COI: MZ 444687 ), CHINA, Tibet: Linzhi City , Motuo County, 2019.VII.30, No. 46779-1-1, No. 46781- 1-1, No. 46783-1-1, No. 46788-1-1, on Rubus ellipticus , coll. X.L. Zhang ( NZMC) ; 2 alate viviparous female, CHINA, Tibet: Linzhi City , Motuo County, 17. VI.2016, No. 37356-1-1, No. 35848-1-1, on Rubus ellipticus , coll. F.F. Niu ( NZMC) ; 1 apterous viviparous female, CHINA, Yunnan: Baoshan City , Tengchong County, 28. V.2020, No. 48457-1-1, on Rubus ellipticus , coll. X.L. Zhang ( NZMC) ; 1 apterous viviparous female (slide), 1 apterous viviparous female ( COI: MZ 444696 ) and 1 alate viviparous female (slide), CHINA, Yunnan: Xishuangbanna City , 31.III.2021, No. 49412-1-1, on Rubus ellipticus , coll. Y. Xu ( NZMC) ; 1 apterous viviparous female, CHINA, Tibet: Linzhi City , Chayu County, 7.VIII.2014, No. 29649-1-1, on Rubus ellipticus , coll. J. Chen and X. C. Zhu ( NZMC) ; 3 apterous viviparous female, CHINA, Tibet: Linzhi City , Motuo County, 7.VIII.2017, No. 40846-1-1, No. 40815- 1-1, on Rubus ellipticus , coll. X. Y. Luo ( NZMC) ; 9 apterous viviparous females, CHINA, Tibet: Linzhi City , Motuo County, VII.2019, No. 46771-1-1, No. 46788-1-1, No. 46819-1-1, No. 46843-1-1, No. 46889-1-1, on Rubus ellipticus , coll. X. L. Zhang ( NZMC) ; 2 apterous viviparous females (slide) and 1 apterous viviparous female ( COI: MZ 444691 ) , CHINA, Tibet: Linzhi City , Motuo County, 31. VII.2019, No. 46792-1-1, on Rubus ellipticus , coll. X. L. Zhang ( NZMC) ; 1 apterous viviparous female (slides) and 1 apterous viviparous female ( COI: MZ 444688 ) , CHINA, Tibet: Linzhi City , Motuo County, 5. VIII.2019, No. 46851-1-1, on Rubus ellipticus , coll. X. L. Zhang ( NZMC) ; 1 apterous viviparous female and 1 alate viviparous female, CHINA, Tibet: Linzhi City , Chayu County, 19.VIII.2019, No. 46951-1-1, on Rubus ellipticus , coll. H. B. Liang and Y. Xu ( NZMC) ; 3 apterous viviparous females, CHINA, Guangxi: Baise City, Jingxi County, No. 42970-1-1, No. 43023-1-1, on Rubus ellipticus , coll. Y. Xu ( NZMC) ; 14 apterous viviparous female, CHINA, Tibet: Linzhi City , Motuo County, No. 35795-1-1, No. 35787- 1-1, No. 35796-1-1, No. 35820-1-1, No. 35845-1-1, No. 35852-1-1, No. 35865-1-1, No. 37362-1-1, No. 37365-1-1, No. 37370-1-1, No. 37369-1-1, No. 37372-1-1, No. 37374-1-1, No. 37376-1-1, No. 37389-1-1, on Rubus ellipticus , coll. F.F. Niu ( NZMC) ; on Rubus ellipticus , coll. F.F. Niu ( NZMC) .

Etymology. The new species is named after the late Dr. Roger Blackman, who was devoted to the taxonomy of aphids in the world.

Description. Apterous viviparous females (based on 11 specimens): Body oval ( Fig. 17 ), saffron-yellow, orange-yellow or greenish-yellow in life, covered with the presence in life of successive pleuro-marginal wax spots ( Figs 34–36 ).

Mounted specimens: Body pale ( Fig. 17 ). Head, Ant. I–II and VI, distal part of rostrum, coxae, distal part of tibiae and tarsi, SIPH, cauda, and anal plate pale brown, other parts pale.

Head. Head dorsum slightly wrinkled ( Figs 1 , 18 ). Median frontal tubercle flat or indistinctly protruded; antennal tubercles slightly protruded, each with a long and thick seta ( Figs 1 , 18 ). Dorsal setae of head long and thick, slightly blunt at apex. Head with 2–3 cephalic setae, 2–3 dorsal setae between antennae, 4–5 dorsal setae between eyes arranged transversely. Antennae 6-segmented, 5-segmented occasionally, Ant. I–II smooth, Ant. III–VI imbricated ( Figs 2 , 19 ). Antennal setae long and thin, pointed or slightly blunt at apex, Ant. I–VI each with 5–6, 3–4, 4–7, 2–4, 2–3, 2–3+0–2 setae, respectively; apex of PT with 2–3 setae. Primary rhinaria sparsely ciliated. Rostrum long, reaching usually beyond meta-coxae, with apex pale brown; URS long wedge-shaped ( Figs 3 , 20 ), with 3 pairs of short primary setae and 1 pair of long accessory setae.

TABLE 1. (Continued)

Thorax. Pronotum covered with weak reticulation, meso- and meta- nota with reticulation at marginal areas, spinal and pleural areas smooth. Prothorax with 1 pair of marginal tubercles, papillate-shaped ( Figs 7 , 21 ). Dorsal setae of thorax long and thick, slightly blunt at apex. Pronotum with 1 pair of spinal setae and 2 pairs of marginal setae; meso- and meta-thorax nota with 2–4 spinal setae and 2 pairs of marginal setae. Mesosternal furca with short arms ( Figs 4 , 24 ). Distal part of femur and tibiae with slight imbrications. Setae on legs long and pointed at apex. First tarsal chaetotaxy: 3, 2–3, 2. Second tarsal segments slightly imbricated ( Figs 5 , 25 ).

Abdomen. Abdominal tergites I–VI with slightly wrinkled marginal areas, spinal and pleural areas smooth; tergites VII–VIII slightly imbricated. The ventral side of abdomen with fine spinules in rows. Abdominal segments I and VII each with 1 pair of marginal tubercles, small papillate-shaped ( Figs 8, 9 , 22, 23 ), tergites II–III occasionally with marginal tubercles. Dorsal setae of abdomen the same as thorax ( Figs 10 , 26 ); ventral setae of abdomen long and pointed, as long as dorsal setae. Abdominal tergite I with 2–3 spinal setae, and 1 pair of marginal setae; tergites II–IV each with 3–4 spinal and 2 pairs of marginal setae, occasionally 3 marginal setae; tergite V with 0–3 spinal and 1–2 pairs of marginal setae; tergites VI–VII each with 1 pair of spinal and 1 pair of marginal setae; tergite VIII with 2 setae ( Fig. 6 ). Spiracles circular, open; spiracular plates pale brown. SIPH cylindrical, slightly imbricated, flange undeveloped ( Figs 11 , 27 ). Cauda long tongue-shaped, slightly constricted at middle part, with spinulose imbrications ( Figs 12 , 28 ), with 6–8 long setae. Anal plate semicircular, spinulose ( Figs 13 , 19 ), with 14–17 setae. Genital plate broad round, with spinulose striae ( Figs 14 , 30 ), with 2–4 anterior setae and 8–12 posterior setae. With 3 gonapophyses, each with 4–6 setae.

Alate viviparous females (based on 5 specimens). Body long oval ( Fig. 31 ); head and thorax black, abdomen saffron-yellow in life.

Mounted specimens: Head and thorax dark brown, Ant. I–II, femora, distal part of tibiae and tarsi, SIPH, cauda, and anal plate brown; Ant. III–VI, URS and genital plate pale brown, other parts pale ( Fig. 31 ). Abdominal tergites I–IV each with 1 pair of pale brown marginal patches.

Head. As in apterous viviparous females, except as follows: Antennal setae long and thin, pointed or slightly blunt at apex, Ant. I–VI each with 5, 4–5, 5–7, 2–3, 3, 2–3+0–2 setae, respectively; apex of PT with 2–3 setae. Primary rhinaria ciliated. Ant. III with 4–5 round secondary rhinaria.

Thorax. As in apterous viviparous females, except as follows: Dorsum of thorax smooth. Distal part of femur and tibiae with slight imbrications. Fore wings media vein twice-branched, frequent one-branched; hind wings with 1 longitudinal vein and 2 oblique veins ( Fig. 16 ).

Abdomen. As in apterous viviparous females, except as follows: Abdominal tergite I with 1 pair of spinal setae and 1 pair of marginal setae; tergites II–IV each with 2–3 spinal and 2 pairs of marginal setae; tergite V with 2–3 spinal and 1–2 pairs of marginal setae; tergites VI–VII each with 1 pair of spinal and 1–2 pairs of marginal setae; tergite VIII with 2 setae.

Distribution. China: Guangxi (Baise City: Jingxi County), Tibet (Linzhi City: Motou County, Dexing County, and Chayu County), Yunnan (Baoshan City: Tengchong County and Xishuangbanna County).

Biology. The species feeds on Rubus ellipticus Smith and colonises the young stems of its host plant which were in natural settings in the field, with attendant ants ( Figs 33–36 ). This plant likes a warm and humid environment and growing at the margin of the forest or between forest and farm. The altitude of the collection site is between 700–1000 meters. The life cycle is unknown.

Molecular analyses

The final alignments of COI sequences consisted of 658 sites, including 75 parsimony-informative sites. Pairwise sequence divergences of genes among the Aphis species feeding on Rubus are presented in Table 3 . The intraspecific genetic distances of new species are 0.00%–0.6% (mean: 0.3%). The interspecific genetic distances of new species and known species is 3.96–5.90% for COI corresponding to the divergence of Aphididae taxa (0.46%– 13.10%) ( Foottit et al. 2008). The NJ tree ( Fig. 37 ) about the Aphis species feeding on Rubus supports the validity of the new species.

Figures

FIGURE 37. Neighbor-joining tree for Aphis species feeding on Rubus based on COI sequences.

FIGURES 1–16. Aphis rogeri Qiao sp. nov., Apterous viviparous female: 1. dorsal view of head, 2. Antenna, 3. URS, 4. mesosternal furca, 5. hind tarsus, 6. dorsal view of abdominal tergites, 7. marginal tubercle on prothorax, 8. marginal tubercle on abdominal tergite I, 9. marginal tubercle on abdominal tergite VII, 10. marginal seta on abdominal tergite I, 11. SIPH, 12. cauda, 13. anal plate, 14. genital plate. Alate viviparous female: 15. antenna, 16. fore and hind wings. Scale bars = 0.10 mm.

FIGURES 17–32. Aphis rogeri Qiao sp. nov., Apterous viviparous female: 17. dorsal view of body, 18. dorsal view of head, 19. antenna, 20. URS, 21. marginal tubercle on prothorax, 22. marginal tubercle on abdominal tergite I, 23. marginal tubercle on abdominal tergite VII, 24. mesosternal furca, 25. hind tarsus, 26. spinal setae on abdominal tergites VI–VII, 27. SIPH, 28. cauda, 29. anal plate, 30. genital plate. Alate viviparous female: 31. dorsal view of body, 32. antenna. Scale bars = 0.10 mm.

FIGURES 33–36. Host-plants and live specimens of Aphis rogeri Qiao sp. nov., 33. habitat and host plant of Aphis rogeri Qiao sp. nov, 34–36. ecological photos of Aphis rogeri Qiao sp. nov.