Life in a Southern Forest

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Aphididae, Aphidinae

Workbook


Aphid found near back door on 20/9/19.

Record on NatureMapr https://atlasoflife.naturemapr.org/Community/Sightings/Details/4235667

from Eastop, V.F. A Taxonomic Study of Australian Aphidoidea (Homoptera). Aust. J. Zool. (1966) 14, 399-592

Subfamily APHIDINAE - most of the insects commonly recognised as greenfly or blackfly. 72/119 Australian species in this subfamily.

Siphunculi elongate. Cauda elongate, never knobbed. Processus terminalis at least 2/3 and usually twice or more as long as base of last antennal segment. Antennae usually 6-segmented. Eues of all formes large. Wax plates absent. First tarsal segments bearing 2 or 3 or sometimes 4 or 5 ventral hairs, without dorsal hairs. Empodial hairs and dorso-apical hairs of second tarsal segments fine pointed and usually a little shorter than the claws. Media of the forewing usually twice-branched. Apical tibial hairs not differentiated from the more proximal hairs. Mostly on Angiosperms but a few species live on Coniferae and pteridophytes.

Tribe Macrosiphini

Lateral abdominal tubercles usually absent from segments 1 and 7 but variably present on segments 2-5 or completely absent. Spiracles of abdominal segments 1 and 2 usually placed close together, their pigmented areas sometimes touching, but the spiracular apertures may be up to 3 diameters apart. Antennal tubercles often well developed. Alatae often with a dorsal abdominal black patch. Antennal hairs usually somewhat capitate, very rarely finely pointed. Media of forewing nearly always twice-branched.

Genus Micromyzus

Processu terminalis 4-7 1/2 times base VI. Ultimate rostral segment 1 1/3- 2 1/10 times hind tarzus 2 and bearing 2-12 secondary hairs. Veins of forewing often bordered with black. Dorsal abdominal pigmentation often poorly developed.

3 species described in this paper M. eastopi, M. judenkoi, M. katoi.

But currently only one M. katoi listed in AFD and in ALA.

Biology. Mostly anholocyclic on ferns.

Distribution. Old World tropics. Cosmopolitan.


Body length of this insect = 1mm


This is a workbook page … a part of our website where we record the observations and references used in making species identifications. The notes will not necessarily be complete. They are a record for our own use, but we are happy to share this information with others.