Brevisiphonaphis, Stekolshchikov, Andrey V. & Ge-Xia, Qiao, 2008

Stekolshchikov, Andrey V. & Ge-Xia, Qiao, 2008, A new genus and species of tribe Macrosiphini (Hemiptera, Aphididae) from northeast China, Zootaxa 1714, pp. 37-40 : 37

Brevisiphonaphis gen. nov.

Type species. Brevisiphonaphis hirsutissima sp. nov.

Description. Broad elliptic. Abdominal dorsum not sclerotized except very light-brown band on abdominal tergite VIII and peritremes. Hairs on body and appendages numerous, very long, finely pointed and only inner side of tibiae with row of thick and blunt hairs; this row short and restricted to apical region on fore and middle tibiae, and long on hind tibia. Marginal and spinal tubercles absent. Frons very poorly convex, almost straight, antennal and medial tubercles undeveloped. Antennae 6-segmented, with secondary rhinaria. Transition between base of 6th antennal segment and processus terminalis not sharp. Ultimate rostral segment elongated wedge-shaped with slightly concave sides. Legs long, coxae, femora and tibia almost smooth and only inner side of coxae with short rows of small, pointed spinules. Chaetotaxy of first tarsal segments 3, 3, 3 and only sometimes one hind tarsus with 2 hairs. Siphunculi extremely short, slightly conical, without flanges, slightly wrinkled or smooth, transparent, without any trace of polygonal reticulation. Subgenital plate oval. Central part of anal plate strongly protruding in the form of tubercle directed downwards. Cauda with a remarkable bipartite structure, comprising a broad base and thin, slightly conical and rounded on apex distal part, hairs on cauda are located on the wide base and near the base of narrow part.

Etymology. Generic name Brevisiphonaphis is the feminine gender and derived from the Latin word “ brevis ” (= short), the Latin word “ siphunculus ” (= little tube) and the new Latin word “ aphis ” (= plantlouse).

Diagnosis. This new genus belongs to the tribe Macrosiphini (family Aphididae ), and is related to Microsiphum Cholodkovsky, 1902 and Microsiphoniella Hille Ris Lambers, 1947 . Many species of these genera live on Artemisia and have short siphunculi, an almost straight frons, and the anal plate strongly protruding in the form of a tubercle. The new genus differs from Microsiphum and Microsiphoniella , as from all other aphids living on Artemisia species, by the form of the cauda indicated above. In Microsiphum and Microsiphoniella species, the cauda is triangular or broadly triangular, sometimes with a very short, wart-shaped process at the apex. Besides the new genus differs from Microsiphum and Microsiphoniella by the very long, finely pointed and numerous hairs on the dorsal and ventral sides of the body and appendages (hairs of Microsiphum and Microsiphoniella are not so numerous, shorter, often very short and pointed, blunt or capitate at least on anterior abdominal tergites), also by the form of the ultimate rostral segment (ultimate rostral segment of Microsiphum and Microsiphoniella is acute but ultimate rostral segment of Brevisiphonaphis is not pointed).