Aulacophoroides millettiae, Qiao, Gexia, Jiang, Liyun & Martin, Jon H., 2006

Qiao, Gexia, Jiang, Liyun & Martin, Jon H., 2006, Aulacophoroides (Sternorrhyncha: Aphididae), a generic account, description of a new species from Hong Kong (China) and a key to species, Zootaxa 1299, pp. 57-68 : 62-65

Aulacophoroides millettiae sp. nov.

Locus typicus. China ( Hong Kong).

Etymology. The new species is named after its host genus.

Diagnosis. The new species is related to A. formosana , but differs from the latter as follows: ultimate rostral segment 2.44 times as long as its basal width, with 4 accessory hairs, occasionally 2 or 3 (in formosana : 2.13 times, with 2 accessory hairs); length of hairs on antennal segment III shorter than widest diameter of the segment (in formosana : longer than widest diameter of segment); abdominal tergite I with 15–19 hairs (in formosana : 8 hairs); subgenital plate usually with 8–10 anterior hairs, occasionally only 5 hairs (in formosana : 4–6 hairs); cauda shorter, up to 1.25 times as long as its basal width (in formosana : longer, up to 1.80 times basal width); siphunculi over 3 times as long as cauda (in formosana : up to 2.28 times).

Description

Apterous viviparous female: Body large, rather rotund ( Fig. 12 ). Dark brown to black in life. General measurements—see Table 1.

Mounted specimens: Antennal tubercles, antennal segments I–II, distal 1/3 of segment IV, distal half of segment V and base of segment VI, distal 1/3 of fore and midfemora, distal half of hind femora and siphunculi blackish brown; basal and distal parts of antennal segment III, basal half of segment IV, basal half of processus terminalis, ultimate rostral segment, distal of tibia, tarsi and genital plate dark brown; other antennal segments and other appendages brown; cauda and anal plate pale brown. Dorsum of head dark brown ( Figs 1 , 13 ). Pronotum and mesonotum brown. Metanotum to abdominal tergites IV each with 1 pair of brown marginal patches, 1 pair of broad spinal bars and 2–3 pairs of small pleural patches, each of which bears a dorsal hair ( Fig. 12 ). Ante­siphuncular and post­siphuncular sclerites well developed, and fused with each other. Abdominal tergites with large sclerites that loosely coalesce to form transverse brown bands, excepting tergite VIII which is much paler.

Ventral surface of head coarsely spinulose, but dorsum of head and antennal tubercles more faintly spinulose and median line of head clear; thorax ventrally coarsely spinulose, but abdominal sternites with much finer transverse spinulose bands; antennal segments I and II ventrally spinulose ( Figs 1 , 13 ); antennal segments III–VI imbricate throughout; coxae with spinulose bands; distal halves of femora with fine spinules; second tarsal segments with imbrications but not spinules; siphunculi ( Figs 6 , 19 ) distinctly swollen in middle 1/3, with the narrowed apical part bearing a few spinulose imbrications and with 2–3 complete striate bands before the flange, the basal 2/3 smoother but with curious poorly­defined narrow rugae; cauda ( Figs 7 , 20 ) and anal plate ( Fig. 8 , 21 ) coarsely spinulose; anterior of subgenital plate smooth, posterior margin reticulate ( Figs 9 , 22 ); dorsum of abdomen generally smooth. Basal half of antennal segment I with reticulations that may be wax glands. Dorsal body hairs stout but acute ( Figs 5 , 18 ). Head with hairs a shown in Fig. 1 . Pronotum with 9 spinal hairs, 1 pair of pleural and 1 pair of marginal hairs. Abdominal tergite I with 15–21 hairs; tergites II–V each with 6–9 spinal, 3–4 pairs of pleural and 3 pairs of marginal hairs; tergite VI with 3 pairs of spinal, 1 pair of pleural and 3 pairs of marginal hairs; tergite VII with 8–12 hairs; tergite VIII with 4 hairs. Length of cephalic hairs, length of marginal hairs on abdominal tergite I, length of dorsal hairs on tergite VIII 0.80–1.33 times, 1.20–1.67 times and 1.40–1.78 times as long as widest diameter of antennal segment III, respectively. Mesosternal furca with short stem ( Figs 4 , 17 ). Spiracles large and kidney­shaped, each on the posterior part of its sclerite. Dorsum of head with a pale spinal suture ( Figs 1 , 13 ) which is bordered by a spinule­free zone. Median frontal tubercle little­developed; antennal tubercles well­developed, their inner margins distinctly divergent. Antennae 6­segmented, 1.05–1.27 times as long as body; length in proportion of segments I–VI: 25:14:100:78:62:21+111, respectively; processus terminalis 4.87–5.58 times as long as base of segment VI ( Fig. 15 ); antennal hairs short, thick, but apically acute; length of hairs on segment III 0.031–0.041 mm, 0.60–0.88 times as long as widest diameter of the segment. Antennal segment III with 2–5 small round secondary rhinaria on basal 1/3–2/5 part ( Figs 2 , 14 ). Rostrum reaching abdominal segment I, ultimate rostral segment thick wedge­shaped ( Figs 3 , 16 ), 0.14–0.15 mm long, 2.25–2.55 times as long as its basal width, up to 1.5 times as long as second hind tarsal segment; with 1–3 (usually 2) pairs of rather short accessory hairs. Legs normal; hind femur 0.86–1.09 mm long, 1.32–1.43 times as long as antennal segment III; hind tibia 1.52–2.04 mm long, 0.64–0.79 times as long as body; hairs on legs robust but apically acute; length of hairs on hind tibia 0.051–0.062 mm, 1.10–1.38 times as long as mid­width of the segment. First tarsal chaetotaxy 3, 3, 3. Siphunculi with median 1/3 clavate ( Figs 6 , 19 ); 0.49–0.64 mm long, 0.20–0.25 times as long as body, 2.94–3.71 times as long as cauda, 5.00–6.11 times as long as its basal width, 4.31–5.00 times as long as diameter of swollen part. Cauda short and rounded­triangular ( Figs 7 , 20 ), 0.35–0.42 mm long, 1.06–1.42 times as long as its basal width, usually with 5 hairs. Anal plate as shown ( Figs 8 , 21 ), with 12–15 hairs. Subgenital plate ovoid ( Figs 9 , 22 ), with 5–10 (usually 8–10) anterior hairs and 10–17 posterior hairs. Gonapophyses three, each with 5–8 short and pointed hairs ( Fig. 21 ).

Alate viviparous female: Body less rotund than in apterae ( Fig. 23 ), 3.26 mm long, 1.40 mm wide. Black in life.

Mounted specimen: Antennal tubercles, antennal segments I–II, basal 1/3 and distal of segment III, distal 1/3 of segment IV, segment V and base of segment VI, apex of rostrum, distal 3/5 of femora, distal of tibia and siphunculi blackish­brown; other antennal segments and appendages brown; cauda and anal plate pale brown. Dorsum of head and thorax dark brown. Abdominal tergite I–VII each with 1 pair of marginal patches, tergite I with wider spino­pleural transverse band, tergites II–VIII each with 3–11 hair­bearing sclerites ( Fig. 23 ).

Venter of head and dorsum of antennal tubercles with sparse spinules, ventral pleural areas of thorax with spinulose short transverse stripes; abdominal tergites VII–VIII and ventral of abdomen with spinulose transverse bands; inner side of antennal segment I and basal outer part of segment II with spinulose areas, segments III–VI with imbrications; coxae with spinulose bands; distal 2/3 of femora with sparse spinulose imbrications; second tarsal segments imbricate; siphunculi subapically with 3–4 striae before the flange; cauda rounded­triangular ( Fig. 11 ); anal plate with bands of spinules; anterior of subgenital plate smooth, posteriorly with reticulations. Dorsal hairs of body apically blunt; head with similar pattern of hairs to that seen in apterae. Pronotum with 1 pair of posterior spinal hairs, 1 pair of anterior pleural and 1 pair of marginal hairs. Abdominal tergite I with 14 hairs; tergite VIII with 4 hairs. Length of cephalic hairs 0.051 mm, length of marginal hairs on abdominal tergites I 0.065 mm, length of dorsal hairs on tergite VIII 0.085 mm, 1.00 times, 1.29 times and 1.71 times as long as widest diameter of antennal segment III, respectively. Median frontal tubercle absent but antennal tubercles welldeveloped, their inner margins distinctly diverging. Antennae 6­segmented, 4.90 mm long, 1.51 times as long as body; processus terminalis 7.14 times as long as base of segment VI; antennal hairs short and blunt or acute at apices, apex of processus terminalis with 4 hairs; length of hairs on antennal segment III 0.051 mm, about as long as widest diameter of the segment. Antennal segment III with 6 small round secondary rhinaria on its basal half ( Figs 10 , 24 ). Rostrum reaching mid­coxae, ultimate rostral segment wedge­shaped, 0.19 mm long, 2.36 times as long as its basal width, 1.30 times as long as second hind tarsal segment; with 2 pairs of accessory hairs. Hind femur 1.54 mm long, 1.41 times as long as antennal segment III; hind tibia 2.82 mm long, 0.87 times as long as body; hairs on legs thick, slightly longer than antennal hairs, blunt or acute at apices; length of hairs on hind tibia 0.058 mm, 1.07 times as long as mid­width of the segment. First tarsal chaetotaxy 3, 3, 3. Fore­wings ( Fig. 25 ) with media twice­branched, hind wing with two oblique veins, venation and pigmentation as shown. Siphunculus with median 1/3 part clavate; 0.73 mm long, 0.22 times as long as body, 3.85 times as long as cauda, 7.69 times as long as its own basal width, 4.00 times as long as diameter of its swollen part, 9.09 times as long as its own distal width below flange. Cauda ( Fig. 11 ), 0.19 mm long, 0.68 times as long as its basal width, with 5 hairs. Anal plate with 11 hairs. Subgenital plate ovoid, with 7 anterior hairs and 13 posterior hairs. Gonapophyses three, each with 5 or 6 short and pointed hairs.

Material examined. Holotype apterous viviparous female, 2001­XII­07, CHINA ( Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam Country Park, below High West), on Millettia sp., vine (J. H. Martin #7536) ( BMNH). Paratypes, 13 apterous viviparous females, 1 alate viviparous female, 3 nymphs, same data as holotype ( BMNH, ZMCAS); 7 apterous viviparous females, 4 first­instar nymphs, 2005­XII­01, same locality, on unidentified vine (J.H.Martin #8236) ( BMNH).

Comments. The new species is most closely allied to A. formosana (Takahashi) , but differs from it as shown in the key. On each occasion on which this aphid has been found, the small colony was feeding on the actively­growing tip of a woody vine, an exceptionally narrow substrate to support large aphids. Although the host has only been identified once, it is considered likely that the same host was involved on both occasions.

Figures

FIGURES 12 – 25. Aulacophoroides millettiae sp. nov. Apterous viviparous female, slide­mounted: 12, body; 13, head and antennal segments I – II; 14, antennal segment III; 15, antennal segment VI; 16, ultimate rostral segment; 17, mesoternal furca; 18, dorsal body hair and hair­bearing sclerite; 19, sipunculus; 20, cauda; 21, anal plate; 22, subgenital plate. Alate viviparous female, slidemounted: 23, body; 24, antennal segment III; 25, fore­wing.

FIGURES 1 – 11. Aulacophoroides millettiae sp. nov. Apterous viviparous female: 1, dorsal view of head and antennal segments I – II; 2, antennal segment III; 3, ultimate rostral segment; 4, mesosternal furca; 5, dorsal body hair and hair­bearing sclerite; 6, siphunculus; 7, cauda; 8, anal plate; 9, posterior margin of subgenital plate. Alate viviparous female: 10, antennal segment III; 11, cauda.