Rhododendraphis tuatayae, Özdemir, Shalva Barjadze Işil, 2014

Özdemir, Shalva Barjadze Işil, 2014, A new genus of Macrosiphini Wilson, 1910 (1887) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) from Rhododendron in Turkey, Zootaxa 3835 (1), pp. 121-126 : 124

Rhododendraphis tuatayae sp. n.

( Figures 1–10 , Table 1)

Type material. Holotype: apterous viviparous female, slide N 295-77, specimen No. 4 (lower specimen on the left side), North-eastern Turkey, Trabzon Province, Trabzon, 06.VII.1971, Rhododendron sp., leg. Nazife Tuatay; Paratypes: 7 apterous females on two slides, the same data as for holotype. Type specimens are deposited at the Natural History Museum of London ( BMNH). This species was included in as “ Neoamphorophora sp.” in the identification key for Rhododendron -living aphids of Blackman & Eastop (2006, 2014).

Etymology. The specific name is given in honor of Dr. Nazife Tuatay, who worked on the Turkish aphid fauna during several decades and who collected specimens of the new species.

Description. Apterous viviparous female (n=8). Color in life: unknown, probably brown or black. Color on slide: tergum dark and sclerotic with dark bands on abdominal tergites VII and VIII. Antennal segments I–III dusky, antennal segments IV–VI pale, rostrum pale except rostral segments III–V, which are dusky, coxa dusky, femora and tibia pale except their dusky apices, tarsus dusky, basal half of siphunculus pale, while apical half is dusky, subgenital, anal plates dusky, cauda pale.

Body small and elliptic, 1.38–1.71 mm long (fig. 3). Width of body 0.46–0.51 times as long as its length. Length of antenna 0.83–0.93 times as long as length of body. Antennae 6-segmented (fig. 1–2). Antennal tubercles low and medial tubercles small or absent (fig. 4). Marginal wax gland plate absent from body. Antennal hairs pointed, length of the longest hair on antennal segment III 0.57–0.80 times as long as basal diameter of antennal segment III. Antennal segment III with imbrications on the distal 1/2 or 2/3. Antennal segment III 1.27–1.61 longer than siphunculus and 0.28–0.37 length of body. Secondary rhinaria 3–8, arranged in one line on distal 0.47–0.71 part of antennal segment III. Length of antennal segments IV and V and basal part of antennal segment VI respectively 0.33–0.55, 0.34–0.45 and 0.24–0.28 times as long as antennal segment III. Processus terminalis 0.35–0.45 as long as antennal segment III and 1.45–1.65 times longer than basal part of antennal segment VI. Basal part of antennal segment VI and processus terminalis respectively 0.32–0.34 and 0.46–0.55 times as long as head width across compound eyes. Cephalic dorsal hairs capitate, 1.05–1.21 times longer than basal diameter of antennal segment III. Dorsum of body with reticulation pattern made by small cells (fig. 9). Hairs on dorsum are short with capitate apices, while on the ventral side long and pointed hairs are presented. Rostrum large, extending to hind coxae. Ultimate rostral segment (R IV+V) oblong triangular with blunt apex (fig. 6), 2.01–2.50 as long as its basal width, 0.34–0.39 as long as head width across compound eyes, 1.09–1.19 times length of basal part of antennal segment VI, and 1.96–2.16 times length of second segment of hind tarsus. Length of ventral hairs on the hind trochanter 0.50–0.76 times as long as trochantrofemoral suture. Legs long, length of hind femora and hind tibia 0.32–0.37 and 0.59–0.67 times as long as length of body respectively. Length of hind femora and hind tibia respectively 1.32–1.54 and 2.40–2.74 times as long as head width across compound eyes. Second segment of hind tarsus short with spinulose imbrications (fig. 10), 3.00–3.43 times longer than wide and 0.17–0.19 times head width across compound eyes. Small marginal tubercles always present on the abdominal tergites II–IV. Spinal tubercles absent. Longest hairs of abdominal tergites III and VIII respectively 0.86–1.05 and 0.90–1.26 times as long as basal diameter of antennal segment III. Siphunculus clavate, slightly or moderately swollen on the distal half, with scaly pattern and transverse striae before flange (fig. 5). Siphunculus with distinct flange. Maximum width of siphunculus 1.31–2.11 times longer than its minimum width. Length of siphunculus 0.22–0.25 of length of body, 0.90–1.01 times head width across compound eyes and 1.99–2.28 times as long as cauda. Subgenital plate round, sclerotized and with spinulose imbrications (fig. 8). Cauda short, tongue-shaped, not constricted in the middle, with spinulose imbrications (fig. 7). Length of cauda 1.38–1.72 times its basal width and 0.41–0.45 times head width across compound eyes. Measurements and chaetotaxy are given in table 1.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality in Trabzon, Trabzon Province, North-eastern Turkey.

Biology. The host plant is an unidentified Rhododendron sp. The life cycle is unknown.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Rhododendraphis tuatayae sp. n., apterous viviparous female. 1. antennal segment VI (scale bar = 200 µm); 2. antennal segments I – V (scale bar = 200 µm); 3. body (scale bar = 500 µm); 4. head (scale bar = 50 µm); 5. posterior part of body with siphunculus and cauda (scale bar = 50 µm); 6. ultimate rostral segments (scale bar = 25 µm); 7. cauda (scale bar = 50 µm); 8. subgenital plate (scale bar = 50 µm); 9. reticulation pattern of abdominal dorsum on abdominal tergites V – VI (scale bar = 50 µm); 10. hind tarsus (scale bar = 25 µm).