Aphis (Toxoptera) fafuensis Cheng & Huang, 2023

Cheng, Zhentao & Huang, Xiaolei, 2023, Two new species of Aphis (Toxoptera) Koch (Hemiptera, Aphididae) from China, ZooKeys 1172, pp. 31-46 : 31

Aphis (Toxoptera) fafuensis Cheng & Huang sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 4A-C

Description.

Apterous viviparous females: Body elliptical (Fig. 4A ), dark brown in life, head is slightly lighter in color and the tibiae are markedly pale (Fig. 4B ).

Mounted specimens: Head. Vertex convex, antennal tubercles slightly developed. Head with one pair of cephalic hairs, one pair of antennal tubercular hairs. Dorsum of head smooth with 4-7 hairs. Dorsal hairs of head fine, and with developed small tubercles at bases. Antennae six-segmented, segments I and II dark brown, segments III-VIb and PT dark at distal end and with spinulose imbrications; 0.8-1.0 times as long as body. Length in proportion of segments I-VI: 21-33, 21-28, 100, 61-76, 65-72, 26-33 + 107-138. Processus terminalis 3.8-4.6 times as long as basal part of the segment. Antennal hairs acute, segments I-VI each with 5-6, 3-4, 4-8, 3-5, 2-4, 3 + 5-6 hairs, respectively, apical part of processus terminalis with 0-4 hairs. Length of hairs on segment III 0.01 mm, 0.5 times as long as the widest diameter of segment III. Rostrum long, apical part dark brown, reaching hind coxae or abdominal segment I. Ultimate rostral segment wedge-shaped, 2.2-2.8 times as long as basal width, 1.4-1.8 times as long as second hind tarsal segment. Ultimate rostral segment with four pairs of hairs, including one pair of accessory hairs.

Thorax. Dorsal and ventral cuticle with polygon reticulations. Mesosternal furca with separated arms. Length of single arms 0.09-0.11 mm, 0.4-0.5 times as long as antennal segment III. Spiracles elliptical, spiracular plates dark brown. Prothorax with one pair of small marginal tubercles. Dorsal setae on thorax short and pointed, with small tuberculate bases. Legs normal. Distal part of femora, basal and distal part of tibiae dark brown, others brown. Hind femur 1.3-1.6 times as long as antennal segment III, hind tibia 0.5-0.6 times as long as body. Hind tibia with 7-8 peg-shaped spines, on basal two-thirds of inner side. Length of hairs on hind tibia 0.02-0.03 mm, 1.0-1.5 times as long as the widest diameter of antennal segment III. First tarsal chaetotaxy: 3, 3, 2. Second tarsal segments with transverse imbrications.

Abdomen. Abdominal segments IV-VI with ventro-lateral spinulose ridges, forming a stridulatory surface. Marginal tubercles on abdominal segments I and VII. Abdominal dorsal hair sparse, fine, with tuberculate bases. Abdominal tergite VIII with two hairs. Siphunculi dark brown, cylindrical, with broad base, tapering towards the apex, with spinulose transverse imbrications, without flange or hairs. Siphunculi 0.12-0.17 mm, 1.9-2.8 times as long as its basal diameter, 0.9-1.2 times as long as cauda. Cauda short tongue-shaped, constricted in middle, 1.4-2.3 times as long as its basal diameter, with 14-21 hairs. Anal plate broad and round, with 18-21 hairs. Genital plate transversely oval, with 11-18 hairs. Cauda, anal plate and genital plate dark brown with dense spinules. Gonapophyses three, each with 3-5 hairs.

Specimens examined.

Holotype: apterous viviparous female, China: Fujian (Fuzhou, 26.1°N, 119.3°E, Alt. 258 m), 27 June 2016, No. HL _20160627_3_A, on Adinandra millettii , coll. X. L. Huang and X. L. Lin (FAFU) . Paratypes: 4 apterous viviparous females (No. HL _20150517_5_A, No. HL _20150517_5_B, No. HL _20150517_5_C and No. HL _20150517_5_D), China: Fujian (Fuzhou, 26.1°N, 119.3°E, Alt. 258 m), 17 May 2015, on Adinandra millettii , coll. X. L. Huang and X. L. Lin (FAFU) .

Etymology.

The new species is named after FAFU, the abbreviation for Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, where the samples of this species were first discovered and collected. And ‘fafuensis’ is an adjective of feminine gender in accord with the feminine Aphis .

Host plant.

Adinandra millettii (Hook. & Arn.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Hance ( Pentaphylacaceae ).

Distribution.

China: Fujian Province (Fuzhou, Quanzhou and Wuyishan).

Biology.

This species feeds on shoots and undersides of young leaves of the host plant, and can be attended by at least two species of Crematogaster (Fig. 4B, C ) according to our records.

Taxonomic notes.

Aphis (T.) fafuensis Cheng & Huang, sp. nov. has black-and-white banded antennae. Siphunculi and cauda are dark. Most part of femora, basal and distal parts of tibiae are dark brown. The peg-like spines on the hind tibiae and roughened ventro-lateral cuticle on the posterior part of the abdomen form a typical stridulatory apparatus. Compared with A. aurantii , the new species has a smaller body size and stubbier siphunculi: body length 0.91-1.19 mm ( A. aurantii : 1.14-1.71 mm), siphunculi length 1.9-2.8 times of siphunculi basal width ( A. aurantii : 2.0-3.8 times). The results of ANOVA analysis showed that there were significant differences between A. (T.) fafuensis Cheng & Huang, sp. nov. and A. (T.) sennae Cheng & Huang, sp. nov. and A. (T.) aurantii in some characters, such as the length of URS_BW, and the ratios of Ant. I and Ant. II to WA (Suppl. material 1: table S2).

Figures

Figure 1. Aphis (Toxoptera) fafuensis Cheng & Huang, sp. nov., apterous viviparous female A dorsal view of body B dorsal view of head C antennal segments I-III D antennal segments V-VI E mesosternal furca F ultimate rostral segment G siphunculus H genital plate I cauda J ventro-lateral stridulatory ridge of abdominal segments IV-VI K stridulatory ridge L anal plate M peg-shaped hairs on hind tibia N marginal tubercle on prothorax O marginal tubercle on abdominal segment I P marginal tubercle on abdominal segment VII Q gonapophyses. Scale bars: 0.10 mm. (A, N from HL _ 20160627 _ 3 _ A; E, F, I, O from HL _ 20150517 _ 5 _ A; C, G, J, K, M, P, Q from HL _ 20150517 _ 5 _ B; B, D, H, L from HL _ 20150517 _ 5 _ C.).

Figure 4. A-C Aphis (Toxoptera) fafuensis Cheng & Huang, sp. nov., colony on the shoot and the underside of leaf of Adinandra millettii D Aphis (Toxoptera) sennae Cheng & Huang, sp. nov., colony on the seed pod of Senna bicapsularis.