Cavariella nigra Basu, 1964

Figs 18, 19, 34

Cavariella nigra Basu, 1964: 240.

Specimens examined.

One ap. viv. fem. and one ala. viv. fem., China: Sichuan ( Ganzi City), 18.VII.2017, No. 45858-1-1, on Salix, coll. J.F. Ji ; one ap. viv. fem. and one ap. viv. fem. (COI: OP956126), Hubei (Yien County), 3.V.2016, No. 36849-1-1, on Apiaceae, coll. X.C. Zhu ; one ap. viv. fem. (slide) and one ap. viv. fem. (COI: OP956134), Shaanxi (Ningshan County), 4.VI.2018, No. 43081-1-1, on Apiaceae, coll. H. Long ; one ap. viv. fem. and one ala. viv. fem. (slides), one ap. viv. fem. (COI: OP956130), Jilin, 5.VIII.2017, No. 41140-1-1, on Apiaceae, coll. T.Y. Liu and H. Long ; two ap. viv. fems., Yunnan, 25.IX.2020, No. 49354-1-1, on Apiaceae, coll. Y. Xu ; two ap. viv. fems., Tibet ( Nyingchi City), 30.VI.2021, No. 51743-1-1, on Salix, coll. Y. Xu ; two ap. viv. fems., Tibet ( Nyingchi City), 26.VI.2021, No. 51699-1-1, on Salix, coll. Y. Xu ; three ap. viv. fems. and five ala. viv. fems., Beijing, 4.VIII.2000, No. 12561, on Apiaceae, coll. G.X. Qiao.

Diagnosis.

In life, body dorsum black, venter of abdomen pale yellow, sometimes pink, and appendages black (Fig. 34); nymphs pale yellow, sometimes pink, and appendages black; thoracic nota and abdominal tergites each with one pair of spinal and marginal patches (Fig. 34D). In specimens, Body dorsum sclerotized and uniformly black-brown in mounted specimens (Fig. 18A). PT 1.17-1.49 × Ant. VIb. Ant. III-V each with 51-64, 11 or 12, 1-3 circular and produced secondary rhinaria in alatae (Fig. 19B). URS long wedge-shaped (Fig. 18D), reaching hind coxae. ABD TERG VIII with short supra-caudal process (Fig. 18K), 0.05-0.11 mm, 0.84-1.45 × basal width. SIPH long cylindrical (Fig. 18I), not swollen, constricted distally, with strongly imbricated.

Comment.

The species is recorded in China for the first time. The species resembles Cavariella japonica, but differs as follows: body dorsum sclerotized and black, and appendages uniformly black in life; nymphs pale yellow, thoracic nota and abdominal tergites each with one pair of spinal and marginal patches in life ( C. japonica: body white, dorsum sometimes slightly sclerotized, distal part of tibiae and tarsi black, other parts pale in life; nymphs white, unsclerotized in life); PT 1.17-1.49 × Ant. VIb ( C. japonica: PT 1.41-1.64 × Ant. VIb); Ant. III-V each with 51-64, 11 or 12, 1-3 circular and produced secondary rhinaria in alatae ( C. japonica: Ant. III-V each with 31-38, 4 or 5, 0 or 1 circular secondary rhinaria in alatae).

Biology.

Primary host plants: Salix, and the aphids feed on tender tips and with ant attendance (Fig. 34A-C) in China and India (Basu 1964). Secondary host plants are Apiaceae in China, and the aphids feed on young leaves and flowers, with ant attendance (Fig. 34D-F).

Distribution.

China (Beijing, Gansu, Hubei, Jilin, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan), India (West Bengal) (Basu 1964).