Matsumuraja Schumacher, 1921

Xu, Ying, Chen, Jing, Jiang, Liyun & Qiao, Gexia, 2024, Revision of Matsumuraja (Hemiptera, Aphidinae, Macrosiphini) in China with two new synonyms and four new records, Zootaxa 5477 (1), pp. 27-42 : 28

Matsumuraja Schumacher, 1921

Diagnosis. Matsumuraja species can be recognized by the following combination of generic characters: body dorsum with paired conical or finger-like tubercles in apterae, but reduced and only present distinctly on abdominal tergites VI and VII in alatae; dorsal setae thick, long and capitate arising from dorsal tubercles; head dorsum covered with distinct granules on anterior and lateral marginal areas and over venter; frons concave, median frontal tubercle flat and antennal tubercles protuberate; Ant. I with one finger-like projection on the inner side; SIPH long and cylindrical, swollen at distal part; cauda conical, with 4–6 setae; first tarsal chaetotaxy: 3, 3, 3.

The genus resembles Paraphorodon Tseng & Tao, 1938 in Ant. I protuberate on the inner side, head dorsum covered with distinct granules on the anterior and lateral marginal area, dorsal setae capitate, and feeding on Rubus , but differing from it as follows: Ant. I with one long finger-like projection on the inner side ( Paraphorodon : Ant. I slightly protuberate on the inner side); frons concave, median frontal tubercle flat and antennal tubercles protuberate ( Paraphorodon : median frontal tubercle flat and antennal tubercles very developed, long and finger-like); body dorsum with paired finger-like or conical tubercles and cuticle of dorsum smooth ( Paraphorodon : body dorsum without tubercles, but cuticle of body scabrous and covered with circular small papillate tubercles); SIPH long cylindrical, swollen at distal part ( Paraphorodon : SIPH long cylindrical, not swollen). The genus also resembles Tuberoaphis Tseng & Tao, 1938 in the dorsum of body with paired tubercles, frons concave, median frontal tubercle flat and antennal tubercles protuberate, dorsal setae capitate, and cauda conical but differs from it as follows: Ant. I with one long finger-like projection on the inner side ( Tuberoaphis : Ant. I without projection at inner side); head dorsum covered with distinct granules on the anterior and lateral marginal areas ( Tuberoaphis : head dorsum smooth); SIPH long cylindrical, swollen at the distal part ( Tuberoaphis : SIPH long cylindrical, not swollen); cuticle of the dorsum smooth ( Tuberoaphis : cuticle of the dorsum with circular sculptures).

Biology. The species in the genus mostly feed on the leaves and shoots of Rubus , but Matsumuraja urticae Ghosh, Ghosh & Raychaudhuri feed on Urticaceae , and M. rubifoliae Takahashi was found migrating between Clethra and Rubus ( Takahashi 1959) .

Distribution. China, India, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Russia.