Aspidophorodon (Eoessigia) indicum (David, Rajasingh & Narayanan, 1972)

Xu, Ying, Jiang, Li-Yun, Chen, Jing, Kholmatov, Bakhtiyor Rustamovich & Qiao, Ge-Xia, 2022, Six new species of Aspidophorodon Verma, 1967 (Hemiptera, Aphididae, Aphidinae) from China, ZooKeys 1106, pp. 1-55 : 1

Aspidophorodon (Eoessigia) indicum (David, Rajasingh & Narayanan, 1972)

Figs 13 , 14 , 15 , 22C-F

Eoessigia indicum David, Rajasingh & Narayanan 1972: 35; Eastop and Hille Ris Lambers 1976: 188; Chakrabarti and Medda 1989: 133.

Raychaudhuriella myzaphoides Chakrabarti 1978: 357.

Raychaudhuriella potentillae Chakrabarti & Maity 1984: 202.

Aspidophorodon (Eoessigia) indicum (David, Rajasingh & Narayanan): Remaudière and Remaudière 1997: 74; Blackman and Eastop 2006: 1098; Stekolshchikov and Novgorodova 2010: 44; Chen et al. 2015.

Specimens examined.

One apterous viviparous female, China: Tibet (Yadong County), 17.VII.2014, No. 32675-1-1, host plant unknown, coll. J. Chen and X.C. Zhu ; four apterous viviparous females, China: Tibet (Cuona County), 01.VI.2016, No. 37202-1-1, No. 37204-1-1, No. 37205-1-1, No. 37208-1-1, on Cotoneaster sp., coll. F.F. Niu ; two apterous viviparous females, China: Tibet (Cuona County), 03.VI.2016, No. 37225-1-1, No. 37232-1-1, on Cotoneaster sp., coll. F.F. Niu ; one apterous viviparous female, China: Tibet (Cuona County), 04.VI.2016, No. 37243-1-1, on Cotoneaster sp., coll. F.F. Niu ; two apterous viviparous females, China: Tibet (Cuona County), 07.VI.2016, No. 37278-1-1, No. 37280-1-1, on Cotoneaster sp., coll. F.F. Niu ; one apterous viviparous female, China: Tibet (Cuona County), 24.VI.2016, No. 37403-1-1, on Cotoneaster sp., coll. F.F. Niu ; two apterous viviparous females, China: Tibet (Cuona County), 03.VI.2016, No. 37229-1-1, No. 37230-1-1, host plant unknown, coll. F.F. Niu ; one alate viviparous female, China: Tibet (Cuona County), 03.VI.2016, No. 37223-1-1, on Cotoneaster sp., coll. F.F. Niu ; two apterous viviparous females (slides) and one apterous vivparous female (COI: OK668434 ), China: Tibet (Jilong County), 31.VII.2021, No. 52024-1-1, on Cotoneaster sp., coll. Y. Xu ; two fundatrices (slides) and one fundatrix (COI: OK668447 ), China: Tibet (Jilong County), 01.VIII.2021, No. 52044-2-1, on Cotoneaster sp., coll. Y. Xu.

Comments.

The species is here first recorded in China. After several surveys in Tibet, we collected fundatrices (Figs 13A-D , 15A-L , 22F ), apterous viviparous females (Figs 13E-L , 14A-J , 22C-E ), and alate viviparous females (Figs 13M-Q , 14K-N ) feeding on upper sides of Cotoneaster sp. along the main vein (Fig. 22C-F ). The processes are variable in different morphs. Firstly, the marginal processes of thoracic nota and abdominal tergites I-IV (Figs 13A , 15E ) and spinal process of abdominal tergite VIII (Figs 13D , 15I ) are very developed in the fundatrix, but the apterae and alatae are without marginal processes, and spinal process of abdominal tergite VIII (Figs 13I , 14G ) is shorter than that of the fundatrix. Secondly, about the different geographic populations of apterae, abdominal tergite VIII is with a distinctly triangular spinal process in a population from Jilong County; however, another population collected in Yadong County only has a slightly swollen spinal process.

Aspidophoron being neuter, the adjectival specific epithet is also neuter, so indica is revised as Aspidophoron indicum .

Host plant.

Primary host plants: Cotoneaster obtusus and Cotoneaster sp.; secondary host plant: Potentilla sp. ( Chakrabarti and Medda 1989).

Distribution.

China (Tibet), India.

Biology.

The species colonizes on upper sides of Cotoneaster sp. along the main vein (Fig. 22C-F ). The species is holocyclic and heteroecious, alternating between Cotoneaster and Potentilla ( Chakrabarti and Medda 1989), and colonizes the undersides of Potentilla without ant-attendance ( Chakrabarti and Maity 1984).

Figures

Figure 13. Aspidophorodon (Eoessigia) indicum (David, Rajasingh & Narayanan). Fundatrices A marginal processes of thoracic nota and abdominal tergites I-IV B antenna C siphunculus D spinal process of abdominal tergite VIII. Apterous viviparous female E dorsal view of head F antenna G ultimate rostral segment H siphunculus I spinal process of abdominal tergite VIII J cauda K anal plate L genital plate. Alate viviparous female M dorsal view of head N antennal segments I-IV O wings P siphunculus Q cauda. Scale bars: 0.10 mm.

Figure 14. Aspidophorodon (Eoessigia) indicum (David, Rajasingh & Narayanan). Apterous viviparous female A dorsal view of body B dorsal view of head C antenna D ultimate rostral segment E sculptures of abdominal tergites F siphunculus G spinal process of abdominal tergite VIII H cauda I anal plate J genital plate. Alate viviparous female K dorsal view of body L antennal segments I-IV M siphunculus N cauda. Scale bars: 0.10 mm.

Figure 15. Aspidophorodon (Eoessigia) indicum (David, Rajasingh & Narayanan). Fundatrices A dorsal view of body B dorsal view of head C antenna D ultimate rostral segment E marginal processes of thoracic nota and abdominal tergites I-IV F hind tibia and tarsi G oval sculptures of abdominal tergites H siphunculus I spinal process of abdominal tergite VIII J cauda K anal plate L genital plate. Scale bars: 0.10 mm.

Figure 22. The ecological photos of Aspidophorodon in the field A, B the apterae and nymphs of Aspidophorodon furcatum Qiao & Xu, sp. nov. on undersides of leaves C-E the apterae and nymphs of Aspidophorodon indicum (David, Rajasingh & Narayanan) on main veins of upperside of leaves F the fundatrices of Aspidophorodon indicum (David, Rajasingh & Narayanan) on main vein of upperside of leaf.