Hybothoracaphis, Chen, Jing, Jiang, Liyun & Qiao, Gexia, 2016

Chen, Jing, Jiang, Liyun & Qiao, Gexia, 2016, Hybothoracaphis, a new genus of Nipponaphidini (Hemiptera, Aphididae, Hormaphidinae) from China and its phylogenetic placement based on multiple genes, Zootaxa 4170 (2), pp. 375-383 : 376

Hybothoracaphis gen. nov.

Type species. Hybothoracaphis laevigata sp. nov.

Etymology. The new genus is named for the conspicuous median dorsal ridge on body. “ Hybo ” (Greek) means “hump”, “ thoracaphis ” reflects its resemblance to Thoracaphis van der Goot, 1917 . The gender is feminine.

Generic description. Body oval, aleyrodiform, strongly sclerotized, with a conspicuous median dorsal ridge. Prosoma consisting of fused head, thorax, and abdominal segment I; abdominal segments II–VII fused and completely separated from prosoma and abdominal segment VIII. Dorsum of prosoma nearly smooth, with clusters of irregular-shaped pustules along central axis and a wide transversely striped band marginally. Thoracic spiracles conspicuous, surrounded by mosaic-like ornamentation. Dorsal setae of body very minute. Submarginal setae on prosoma and abdominal segments II–VII arranged in pairs, postero-spinal setae on abdominal tergite VII absent, abdominal tergite VIII with 4 setae. Eyes 3-faceted. Antennae small, unsegmented, with primary rhinaria placed close together. Rostrum short, ultimate rostral segment wedge-shaped, with 2 pairs of primary setae and a pair of secondary setae. Legs short, exposed outside body. Tarsi 2-segmented, claws normal. First tarsal chaetotaxy: 2 or 3, 3, 2. Siphunculi pore-like. Cauda knobbed, constricted at base. Anal plate deeply bilobed.

Comments. The new genus is unique in Nipponaphidini by apterae body with a conspicuous median dorsal ridge and prosoma having clusters of irregular-shaped pustules along central axis. The apterae share several characters with Thoracaphis , such as prosoma never completely fused with abdominal segments II–VII; margin of prosoma with a striped or polygonal reticulated band (present in Thoracaphis arboris van der Goot, 1917 , Thoracaphis kashifoliae (Uye, 1924) , and Thoracaphis kumaoni Chakrabarti & Debnath, 2011 ); tarsi welldeveloped, 2-segmented, with normal claws; siphunculi present, small, pore-like. Apart from possessing median dorsal ridge and pustule clusters on body, the new genus also differs from Thoracaphis as follows: antennae unsegmented (in Thoracaphis : 3-segmented); dorsum of prosoma nearly smooth (in some Thoracaphis species: densely covered with pustules (e.g. Thoracaphis quercifoliae Ghosh, 1988 ) or corrugated (e.g. T. kumaoni )); postero-spinal setae on abdominal tergite VII absent (present in some Thoracaphis species (e.g. T. arboris and T. kashifoliae )).