Sipha (Rungsia) elegans, Del Guercio, 1905

Halbert, Susan E., Miller, Gary L. & Ames, Lisa M., 2013, The genus Sipha Passerini (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in North America, Insecta Mundi 2013 (326), pp. 1-6 : 3

Sipha (Rungsia) elegans del Guercio 1905 ( Fig. 8–11 )

This is an Old World species that is well-established in the northern parts of the USA. It is common in the Pacific Northwest and can be found on various temperate grasses such as Agropyron spp. ( Fig. 8 ) and also on wheat ( Fig. 9 ). Colonies on wheat tend to occur later in the season after the plants bolt to produce a head. Sometimes the first colonization of wheat occurs in colonies of Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) , which causes similar necrotic damage. It is a vector of the BYD virus complex ( Jedlinski 1981). As is characteristic of the subgenus Rungsia , the cauda is not constricted. Sipha elegans is bright yellow in warm sunshine and olive green under cooler, more shaded conditions. It is distinguished easily from the dark brown or black S. maydis , the only other species in the subgenus that occurs in North America.

Figures

Figures 1-9. 1) Slide mounted Sipha agropyronensis (Gillette). Photograph: Gary Miller. 2) Colony of Sipha flava (Forbes). Photograph: David J. Voegtlin, Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, IL. 3) Slide mounted Sipha flava (Forbes) alate. Photograph: Susan Halbert and Lyle J Buss, University of Florida, Gainesville. 4) Slide mounted Sipha flava (Forbes) aptera. Photograph: Susan Halbert and Lyle J Buss, University of Florida, Gainesville. 5) Damage from Sipha glyceriae (Kaltenbach) on rice in Italy. Photograph: Susan Halbert. 6) Slide mounted Sipha glyceriae (Kaltenbach) alate from North America. Photograph: Gary Miller. 7) Slide mounted Sipha glyceriae (Kaltenbach) aptera from North America. Photograph: Gary Miller. 8) Sipha elegans del Guercio on Agropyron sp. inIdaho.Photograph:Susan Halbert. 9) Sipha elegans del Guercio on Triticum aestivum (wheat) in Idaho. Photograph: Susan Halbert and Guy W. Bishop, University of Idaho, emeritus.

Figures 10-17. 1) Slide mounted Sipha elegans del Guercio alate. Photograph: Susan Halbert and Lyle J Buss, University of Florida, Gainesville. 11) Slide mounted Sipha elegans del Guercio aptera. Photograph: Susan Halbert and Lyle J Buss, University of Florida, Gainesville. 12) Colony of ant -tended Sipha maydis Passerini on wheat. Photograph: Lisa M. Ames. 13) Close up of Sipha maydis Passerini colony with adults, immature stages, and feeding damage. Photograph: Lisa M. Ames. 14) Slide mounted Sipha maydis Passerini alate. Photograph: Susan Halbert and Lyle J Buss, University of Florida, Gainesville. 15) Slide mounted Sipha maydis Passerini aptera. Photograph: Susan Halbert and Lyle J Buss, University of Florida, Gainesville. 16) Dorsum of Sipha glyceriae (Kaltenbach) from Europe, showing denticles. Photograph:Susan Halbert. 17) Dorsum of Sipha flava (Forbes) showing lack of denticles. Photograph: Susan Halbert.