Reticulaphis foveolatae (Takahashi)

Yeh, Hsin-Ting, Ko, Chiun-Cheng & Hsu, Tung-Ching, 2008, Review of the East-Asian genus Reticulaphis (Aphididae: Hormaphidinae), with two new species, Zootaxa 1782, pp. 34-48 : 40-42

Reticulaphis foveolatae (Takahashi) , stat.n.

( Figs. 6, 7 )

Thoracaphis fici Takahashi , var. foveolatae Takahashi, 1935: 89 .

Reticulaphis fici foveolatae ( Takahashi) : Takahashi, 1958: 12.

Reticulaphis distylii foveolatae (Takahashi) : Ghosh & Raychaudhuri, 1973: 489. Reticulaphis distylii subsp. minutissima Hille Ris Lambers & Takahashi, 1959: 15. Syn. n.

Apterous adult female. A small species, body elliptical, black with purplish-blue burnish, marginal setae bent to rear, thick, yellow, with blunt, frayed or fan-shaped apices, body margin without waxy powder. Body 0.42–0.55 mm long, about 1.78 (1.7–1.85) times as long as wide, sometimes pleural regions of prosoma somewhat expanded. Antennae on front of to beneath head, shorter than space between them, L-shaped bend with 2 indistinct segments, long arm about 20–35 μm with 2 minute rhinaria and 1 terminal seta near apex. Eye submarginal, with 3 facets. Prosoma distinctly reticulated with pale thin lines, dorsum with 3 lower transverse ridges and several lower rounded areas at front part of prosoma; 5 pairs of minute setae on central axis of prosoma, 1st pair between eyes; prosoma with 10 pairs of marginal or submarginal setae, these setae thick, strongly bent to rear, with blunt or frayed apices. Legs short, front and middle legs concealed under body, hind legs exposed; front and middle tibiae shorter than femora, but hind tibiae longer than or equal to femora; tarsi narrower than tibiae, longer than wide; 1 long fine capitate seta on dorsal front tarsi, 2 such setae on middle and hind tarsi. Abdominal tergites II–VII about 130–155 μm wide and 50–65 μm long, also reticulated, without siphunculi and with 6 pairs minute setae along converging sides of tergites, but not obvious. Abdominal tergite VIII an equilateral triangle, about 82.5–97.5 μm wide and 35–45 μm long, with 4 setae, central two long and thick with blunt apices, outer two short with point apices. Cauda knobbed, constricted basally. Subanal plate deeply bilobed, each lobe with 5–7 setae.

Material examined. Taiwan: Yuanshan Township, Ilan Co., 8-vii-2007, 75 apterous adults from F. sarmentosa (on 9 microscope slides) (H.T. Yeh #615) ( ANIC, BMNH, CDFA, NMNS, TARIIC, USNM); Rarasan, 31-vii-1933, 49 apterous adults from Ficus sp. (R. Takahashi) (originally labeled as Thoracaphis foveolatae ) ( TARIIC); Marikowan, Taichu-Shu, 12-viii-1934, 9 apterous adults from Ficus sp. (R. Takahashi) (originally labeled as T. foveolatae ) ( TARIIC); Kussha, 14-viii-1934, 38 apterous adults from Ficus sp. (on 2 microscope slides) (R. Takahashi) (originally labeled as T. foveolatae ) ( TARIIC). Japan: Kagoshima, 3-v- 1930, 11 apterous adults from Ficus sp. (R. Takahashi) (originally labeled as T. foveolatae ) ( TARIIC); Osaka, 28-iv-1957, 20 apterous adult from F. foveolata (on 2 microscope slides) (R. Takahashi) ( BMNH). Java: Punten, end of iii-1950, 67 apterous from F. benjamina (on 2 microscope slides) (F. W. Rappard) (originally labeled as R. distylii subsp. minutissima) ( BMNH).

Remarks. According to the original descriptions and illustration, the subspecies minutissima was conspicuous by its elongate body and curious marginal setae (Hille Ris Lambers & Takahashi, 1959), but these features could not be used to distinguish from foveolatae . After examining slides from the BMNH, we suggest that R. distylii subsp. minutissima Hille Ris Lambers & Takahashi is a junior synonym of R. foveolatae . This species is remarkable for the marginal setae strongly curved to the rear, and differs from R. inflata sp. n. in the slender body shape, 3 lower transverse ridges, several lower rounded areas at the front part of the dorsal prosoma, and the marginal setae with blunt, frayed to fan-shaped apices. The pleural regions of the prosoma of old mature adults are expanded to a extent, and can be distinguished from R. asymmetrica by the distinct curious marginal setae of the prosoma.

Figures

FIGURES 4 – 7. 4, 5. Reticulaphis fici apterous adults, (4) alive; (5) dorsal view. 6, 7. Reticulaphis foveolatae apterous adults; (6) alive; (7) dorsal view.