Aspidophorodon (Eoessigia) obtusirostre Qiao & Xu, 2022

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) obtusirostre Qiao & Xu sp. nov.

Figs 19 , 20

Specimens examined.

Holotype: apterous viviparous female, China: Beijing ( Mt. Dongling , 40.03°N, 115.42°E, altitude 2063m), 24.VIII.2015, No. 35918-1-1; on Potentilla sp., coll. H. Long ; Paratypes: five apterous viviparous females (slides) and one apterous viviparous female (COI: OK668433 ), 35918-1-2 with the same collection data as holotype; two apterous viviparous females, 35918-1-3, with the same collection data as holotype (NHMUK) .

Diagnosis.

Median frontal tubercle protuberant, rectangular, with a shallow depression at middle; antennal tubercles each with a low process at inner apex, lower than median frontal tubercle; rostrum reaching mid-coxae, URS wedge-shaped, short and blunt, 1.27-1.94 × as long as its width, 0.70-0.84 × as long as 2HT; cauda long tongue-shaped with 6-11 setae, including two pairs of very long and pointed setae and 2-7 short and pointed setae.

Description.

Apterous viviparous females: body elongated oval (Fig. 20A ), yellowish in life.

Mounted specimens. Body pale, PT, distal part of rostrum, tarsi, distal parts of SIPH and anal plate pale brown, other parts pale in color (Fig. 20A ). See Table 3 for general measurements.

Head. Ocular tubercles small. Dorsum of head covered with wavy sculptures (Figs 19A , 20B ), those distinctly developed between compound eyes. Median frontal tubercle protuberant, rectangular, with a shallow depression at middle (Figs 19A , 20B ), with one pair of thick and blunt setae on venter. Antennal tubercles undeveloped, each with a low process at inner apex, and lower than median frontal tubercle (Figs 19A , 20B ), each process with a thick and blunt seta at apex, occasionally with two thick and blunt setae. Head with one pair of dorsal setae between antennae, thick and blunt, and two pairs of dorsal setae between compound eyes arranged transversely, short and blunt. Antennae 5-segmented, Ant. I slightly projected at inner apex, Ant. I-III smooth, Ant. IV-V slightly imbricated (Figs 19B , 20C ). Antennal setae short and blunt, Ant. I-V with 4-5, 3-4, 1-2, 0-2, 0-2 (base) +0-1 (PT) setae, respectively; apex of PT with two or three setae. Primary rhinaria ciliated. Rostrum reaching mid-coxae; URS wedge-shaped, short and blunt (Figs 19C , 20D ), with three pairs of primary setae, and without accessory setae.

Thorax. Prothorax nota with wrinkles, those developed on spino-pleural area. Meso- and metanotum with wrinkles on marginal area, spino-pleural area smooth. Thoracic setae sparse, short and blunt, with small setal tubercles; pronotum with two pairs of spinal setae, arranged in anterior and posterior pairs, one pair of pleural and one pair of marginal setae; meso- and metanotum each with one pair of spinal, one pair of pleural setae, two pairs of marginal setae, respectively. Legs normal, smooth. Setae on 2/3 distal part of femora and tibiae, short and blunt; hind tibiae with a row of short and blunt setae dorsally on the middle (Fig. 20E ). First tarsal chaetotaxy: 3, 2, 2. Second tarsal segments slightly imbricated.

Abdomen. Abdominal tergites I-VII with wrinkles, those distinctly developed on marginal area; tergite VIII with scaly sculptures, swollen into conical spinal process, with 7-10 long, thick, and blunt setae at margin (Figs 19F , 20G ). Venter of abdominal tergites III-VIII with fine spinules arranged in rows. Dorsal setae of abdominal tergites I-VI short, thick, and blunt (Fig. 19D ), tergite VII long, thick, and blunt, occasionally short, thick, and blunt, tergite VIII long, thick, and blunt with distinct setal tubercles (Fig. 19E ); ventral setae short and pointed. Abdominal tergites I and II each with one pair of spinal, pleural, and marginal setae; tergites III-VII each with one pair of spinal and marginal setae. Spiracles reniform, open or closed; spiracular plates slightly swollen. SIPH long spoon-shaped, broad at base, thin at the middle, swollen distally, with developed imbrications, obliquely truncated at tip, without flange (Figs 19G , 20F ). Cauda long tongue-shaped, with spinulose imbrications, slightly constricted at base and weakly pointed at apex (Figs 19H , 20H ); with 6-11 setae, including two pairs of very long and pointed setae, 0.055-0.061mm and 2-7 short and pointed setae, 0.027-0.041mm. Anal plate semicircular, spinulose (Figs 19I , 20I ), with 8-13 setae. Genital plate transversely oval, with sparse spinules in transverse stripes (Figs 19J , 20J ), with 4 or 5 anterior setae and 5-7 setae along the posterior margin.

Etymology.

The new species is named for its short and blunt URS. The Latin word obtus means blunt, and rostre for rostrum, obtusirostre being the neuter form of the adjective.

Taxonomic notes.

The new species resembles A. indicum (David, Rajasingh & Narayanan) in median frontal tubercle protuberant, rectangular; dorsal setae of head between antennal tubercles thick and blunt; abdominal tergite VIII with conical spinal process; SIPH long spoon-shaped; but differs from it as follows: dorsum of head covered with wavy sculptures, those distinctly developed between compound eyes, thoracic nota and abdominal tergites I-VII with wavy sculptures (the latter: dorsum of head with densely semicircular and wavy sculptures, thoracic nota, and abdominal tergites I-VII with semicircular and wavy sculptures); antennae 5-segmented, 0.30-0.36 × as long as body length (the latter: antennae 6-segmented, 0.38-0.52 × as long as body length); URS short and blunt, 1.27-1.94 × as long as the basal width, 0.70-0.84 × as long as 2HT (the latter: URS long wedge-shaped, 2.06-2.54 × as long as the basal width, 0.89-1.10 × as long as 2HT).

Host plant.

Potentilla sp.

Distribution.

China (Beijing).

Biology.

The species colonizes the undersides of leaves of its host plant and with ant-attendance.

Figures

Figure 19. Aspidophorodon (Eoessigia) obtusirostre Qiao & Xu, sp. nov. Apterous viviparous female A dorsal view of head B antenna C ultimate rostral segment D marginal seta of abdominal tergite I E spinal seta of abdominal tergite VIII F spinal process of abdominal tergite VIII G siphunculus H cauda I anal plate J genital plate. Scale bars: 0.10 mm.

Figure 20. Aspidophorodon (Eoessigia) obtusirostre Qiao & Xu, sp. nov. Apterous viviparous female A dorsal view of body B dorsal view of head C antenna D ultimate rostral segment E hind tibia and tarsi F siphunculus G spinal process of abdominal tergite VIII H cauda I anal plate J genital plate. Scale bars: 0.10 mm.