Two new species of the mealybug genus Paracoccus from Jiangxi, South China (Hemiptera, Coccomorpha, Pseudococcidae)

Two new mealybug species, Paracoccusgillianwatsonae Zhang, sp. nov. and P.wui Zhang, sp. nov., collected from Jiangxi, South China, are described and illustrated based on the morphology of adult females. Paracoccusgillianwatsonae is similar to P.burnerae (Brain, 1915), but it differs in having fewer pairs of cerarii, and in lacking both ventral oral collar tubular ducts on the margins of the head and translucent pores on the hind femur. Paracoccuswui resembles P.keralae Williams, 2004 and P.neocarens (Lit, 1992), but it differs in lacking ventral oral collar tubular ducts on the margins of the head and in having multilocular disc-pores usually in double rows at the posterior edges of abdominal segments V and VI. A key to the Paracoccus species found in China is provided.

Mealybugs (Hemiptera, Coccomorpha, Pseudococcidae) on parasitic plants (Loranthaceae) in Indonesia with description of a new species and a new country record

Parasitic plants have been known to be attacked by insect pests since ancient times. However, little is known about the mealybug (Hemiptera, Coccomorpha, Pseudococcidae) fauna associated with them. A series of surveys of mealybugs found on Loranthaceae, a semi-parasitic plant family, was conducted in several places in Bengkulu Province, southern Sumatra, Indonesia. In the study, 55 mealybug specimens were collected, consisting of eight species belonging to five genera, namely Chorizococcus McKenzie (1 species), Dysmicoccus Ferris (2 species), Ferrisia Fullaway (1 species), Planococcus Ferris (3 species) and Pseudococcus Westwood (1 species). Chorizococcusozeri Zarkani & Kaydan, sp. nov. is new to science, whilst Planococcusbagmaticus Williams represents the first record in Indonesia. In addition, the mealybugs Dysmicoccuslepelleyi (Betrem), Dysmicoccuszeynepae Zarkani & Kaydan, Ferrisiadasylirii (Cockerell), Planococcuslilacinus (Cockerell) and Pseudococcusjackbeardsleyi Gimpel & Miller are newly recorded from plants of the family Loranthaceae. Figures and illustrations of mealybug species with a taxonomic key to Asian Chorizococcus and a new country record based on morphological characters are also updated.

A New Genus and Species of Gall-Forming Fordini (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Rhus wilsonii Hemsl. from Yunnan, China

A new species of gall-forming aphid from China, Qiao jinshaensis gen. et sp. nov., is described from Rhus wilsonii Hemsl. Morphological identification and molecular analyses both support the establishment of a new genus. A diagnosis combining morphological and molecular characters from alate viviparae is provided and specimen metadata are published in an open-access and machine-readable format.

The first complete mitochondrial genome of Matsucoccidae (Hemiptera, Coccoidea) and implications for its phylogenetic position

The mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) has been extensively used to better understand the phylogenetic relationships within the hemipteran suborder Sternorrhyncha, but sequenced mitogenomes remain unavailable for the entire family Matsucoccidae to date. To address this, here we sequenced the complete mitogenome of Matsucoccusmatsumurae; the first for this family. The mitogenome is 15,360 bp in size and comprises the typical set of 37 mitochondrial genes and a large non-coding region (AT-rich region). Gene order, nucleotide composition and codon usage of protein-coding genes (PCGs) of M.matsumurae differ considerably from those of the other two sequenced Coccidae species. All PCGs were initiated by the ATN start codons and ended with the TAA/G or single T-- stop codons. Nine transfer RNA genes could be folded into typical clover-leaf secondary structures. The length and AT content of the ribosomal RNA genes are highly conserved in the Coccoidea mitogenomes. In contrast, the AT-rich control region is highly variable in size and in the number of tandem repeats. The sliding window analysis showed that the cox1 gene is the most conserved amongst the 13 PCGs, while the ratios of non-synonymous to synonymous substitution rates indicated that the evolution of this mitogenome has been dominated by positive selection. Phylogenetic analyses, based on nucleotide sequence data of 37 mitochondrial genes and amino acid sequence data of 13 PCGs using Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood methods, showed that Matsucoccidae diverged before the Coccidae.

The highly rearranged mitochondrial genomes of three economically important scale insects and the mitochondrial phylogeny of Coccoidea (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha)

The mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of scale insects are less known in comparison to other insects, which hinders the phylogenetic and evolutionary studies of Coccoidea and higher taxa. Herein, the complete mitogenomes of Unaspis yanonensis, Planococcus citri and Ceroplastes rubens were sequenced for Coccoidea. The 15,220-bp long mitogenome of U. yanonensis contained the typical set of 37 genes including 13 PCGs, 22 tRNA genes and two rRNA genes; the 15,549-bp long mitogenome of P. citri lacked the tRNA gene trnV; the 15,387-bp long mitogenome of C. rubens exhibited several shortened PCGs and lacked five tRNA genes. The mitochondrial gene arrangement of the three mitogenomes was different from other scale insects and Drosophila yakuba. Most PCGs used standard ATN (ATA, ATT, ATC and ATG) start codons and complete TAN (TAA or TAG) termination codons. The ND4L had the highest evolutionary rate but COX1 and CYTB were the lowest. Most tRNA genes had cloverleaf secondary structures, whereas the reduction of dihydrouridine (DHU) arms and TψC arms were detected. Tandem repeats, stem-loop (SL) structures and poly-[TA]n stretch were found in the control regions (CRs) of the three mitogenomes. The phylogenetic analyses using Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood methods (ML) showed identical results, both supporting the inner relationship of Coccoidea as Coccidae + (Pseudococcidae + Diaspididae).

Trioza turouguei sp. nov. (Hemiptera, Psylloidea, Triozidae), a new psyllid species from Taiwan inducing pea-shaped stem galls on Cinnamomum osmophloeum (Lauraceae), with notes on its galling biology

Trioza turouguei sp. nov., a new species of jumping plant lice (Hemiptera, Triozidae) from Taiwan, is described and illustrated based on adults and immatures. The latter induce pea-shaped galls on the stems of Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kaneh. (Lauraceae). The gall phenology of the new species is described. A list of species of Triozidae associated with Cinnamomum in the Old World is provided. The following nomenclatorial acts are proposed: Trioza inflata Li, 1992 = Trioza xiangicamphorae Li, 1992, syn. nov.; Siphonaleyrodes formosanus Takahashi, 1932, stat. rev., is removed from synonymy with Trioza cinnamomi (Boselli, 1931).

16S rRNA Sequencing Detected Profftella, Liberibacter, Wolbachia, and Diplorickettsia from Relatives of the Asian Citrus Psyllid

The Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) is a serious pest of citrus species worldwide because it transmits Candidatus Liberibacter spp. (Alphaproteobacteria: Rhizobiales), the causative agents of the incurable citrus disease, huanglongbing or greening disease. Diaphorina citri possesses a specialized organ called a bacteriome, which harbors vertically transmitted intracellular mutualists, Ca. Carsonella ruddii (Gammaproteobacteria: Oceanospirillales) and Ca. Profftella armatura (Gammaproteobacteria: Betaproteobacteriales). Whereas Carsonella is a typical nutritional symbiont, Profftella is an unprecedented type of toxin-producing defensive symbiont, unusually sharing organelle-like features with nutritional symbionts. Additionally, many D. citri strains are infected with Wolbachia, which manipulate reproduction in various arthropod hosts. In the present study, in an effort to obtain insights into the evolution of symbioses between Diaphorina and bacteria, microbiomes of psyllids closely related to D. citri were investigated. Bacterial populations of Diaphorina cf. continua and Diaphorina lycii were analyzed using Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons and compared with data obtained from D. citri. The analysis revealed that all three Diaphorina spp. harbor Profftella as well as Carsonella lineages, implying that Profftella is widespread within the genus Diaphorina. Moreover, the analysis identified Ca. Liberibacter europaeus and Diplorickettsia sp. (Gammaproteobacteria: Diplorickettsiales) in D. cf. continua, and a total of four Wolbachia (Alphaproteobacteria: Rickettsiales) lineages in the three psyllid species. These results provide deeper insights into the interactions among insects, bacteria, and plants, which would eventually help to better manage horticulture.

Illuminating Insights into the Biodiversity of the Australian Psyllids (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) Collected Using Light Trapping

The superfamily Psylloidea includes numerous species which play a key role in Australian ecology and biodiversity, as well as pests and biological control agents, and sometimes threatened species of conservation concern. Different psyllid sampling and collection techniques are usually performed depending on the nature and aim of the study: from the beating and sweeping of psyllid host plants for conservation and biodiversity assessment, to suction and sticky traps in agriculture. Due to a general lack of information on its efficacy for psyllids, however, light trapping has not usually been employed. Here we present the results obtained trapping psyllids using different light sources and we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this technique to assess psyllid biodiversity. In particular, we highlight the strength of using this methodology paired with DNA barcoding, to cast some light on psyllid biodiversity. The results obtained here suggest that the psyllid fauna of Australia is heavily understudied and the number of undescribed species might be many times higher than previously expected. Additionally, we report, for the first time, the species Trioza adventicia Tuthill 1952, and Cryptoneossa triangula Taylor 1990 in the state of Queensland.

Anomoneura taiwanica sp. nov. (Hemiptera, Psylloidea, Psyllidae), a new jumping plant-louse species from Taiwan associated with Morus australis (Moraceae)

Anomoneurataiwanicasp. nov. (Hemiptera, Psylloidea, Psyllidae, Psyllinae) is described based on samples from Taiwan that were previously misidentified as A.mori Schwarz, 1896. Morphological and genetic differences between the two species, as well as their distribution, are detailed and discussed. Comments on the pest status of Anomoneura spp. in East Asia are also provided.

New records of an alien aphid species Tinocallis (Sappocallis) takachihoensis from countries in central and northern Europe (Hemiptera, Aphididae, Calaphidinae)

The aphid genus Tinocallis Matsumura, 1919 (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Calaphidinae) in central and northern Europe is reviewed; it includes four species. The first records of the Asian elm aphid Tinocallis takachihoensis Higuchi, 1972 are reported from the Czech Republic, Denmark, and Poland. The record in Denmark is the first in Scandinavia. Alate viviparous females and nymphs of T. takachihoensis were collected from Ulmus glabra "Pendula" (the Czech Republic and Poland) and from U. minor (Denmark) in 2017. Tinocallis takachihoensis is the fourth Tinocallis species to be recorded from Poland and together with two other species from the subgenus Sappocallis, T. nevskyi and T. saltans, is a species of alien origin. The alate viviparous females are reviewed and re-described and their affinities and distribution in central and northern Europe are discussed. A key to the European species of Tinocallis based on the characters of live and slide-mounted specimens is also given.

Elongation Factor-1α Accurately Reconstructs Relationships Amongst Psyllid Families (Hemiptera: Psylloidea), with Possible Diagnostic Implications

The superfamily Psylloidea (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha) lacks a robust multigene phylogeny. This impedes our understanding of the evolution of this group of insects and, consequently, an accurate identification of individuals, of their plant host associations, and their roles as vectors of economically important plant pathogens. The conserved nuclear gene elongation factor-1 alpha (EF-1α) has been valuable as a higher-level phylogenetic marker in insects and it has also been widely used to investigate the evolution of intron/exon structure. To explore evolutionary relationships among Psylloidea, polymerase chain reaction amplification and nucleotide sequencing of a 250-bp EF-1α gene fragment was applied to psyllids belonging to five different families. Introns were detected in three individuals belonging to two families. The nine genera belonging to the family Aphalaridae all lacked introns, highlighting the possibility of using intron presence/absence as a diagnostic tool at a family level. When paired with cytochrome oxidase I gene sequences, the 250 bp EF-1α sequence appeared to be a very promising higher-level phylogenetic marker for psyllids.

Plant manipulation through gall formation constrains amino acid transporter evolution in sap-feeding insects

Background

The herbivore lifestyle leads to encounters with plant toxins and requires mechanisms to overcome suboptimal nutrient availability in plant tissues. Although the evolution of bacterial endosymbiosis alleviated many of these challenges, the ability to manipulate plant nutrient status has evolved in lineages with and without nutritional symbionts. Whether and how these alternative nutrient acquisition strategies interact or constrain insect evolution is unknown. We studied the transcriptomes of galling and free-living aphidomorphs to characterize how amino acid transporter evolution is influenced by the ability to manipulate plant resource availability.

Results

Using a comparative approach we found phylloxerids retain nearly all amino acid transporters as other aphidomorphs, despite loss of nutritional endosymbiosis. Free living species show more transporters than galling species within the same genus, family, or infraorder, indicating plant hosts influence the maintenance and evolution of nutrient transport within herbivores. Transcript profiles also show lineage specificity and suggest some genes may facilitate life without endosymbionts or the galling lifestyle.

Conclusions

The transcript abundance profiles we document across fluid feeding herbivores support plant host constraint on insect amino acid transporter evolution. Given amino acid uptake, transport, and catabolism underlie the success of herbivory as a life history strategy, this suggests that plant host nutrient quality, whether constitutive or induced, alters the selective environment surrounding the evolution and maintenance of endosymbiosis.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-017-1000-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Macrosiphoniella remaudierei, a new species of aphid on Helichrysum in Iran (Hemiptera, Aphididae)

A new species of aphid, belonging to the genus Macrosiphoniella Del Guercio, 1911, is described using three samples collected in Iran on Helichrysumarmenium (Asteraceae, Inuleae) by the late Prof. G. Remaudière. Both apterous and alate viviparous females of the new taxon, Macrosiphoniellaremaudiereisp. n., are described and compared to corresponding morphs of the closely allied Macrosiphoniellaaetnensis and to other congeneric aphid species on Helichrysum in the Palaearctic region. Type specimens are now stored in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris.

Identification, Synthesis, and Field Tests of the Sex Pheromone of Margarodes prieskaensis (Jakubski)

Here, we report the identification and synthesis of the sex pheromone of female Margarodes prieskaensis (Jakubski), and the attractiveness of the synthetic pheromone to males in field trapping tests. Volatile organic compounds were collected from virgin females using a sample enrichment probe (SEP). Analyses by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry revealed the presence of only two constituents. By scaling up the SEP, sufficient of the major constituent was collected for ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses and ancillary NMR techniques. The sex attractant was identified as (2R,4R,6R,8R)-2,4,6,8-tetramethylundecan-1-ol. The enantiomerically pure compound was synthesized from octadecyl (2R,4R,6R,8R)-2,4,6,8-tetramethylundecanoate, a minor component of the uropygial (preen) gland secretion of the domestic goose, Anser domesticus. Field trapping experiments, carried out in vineyards in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, showed that the synthetic compound was as attractive to winged males of M. prieskaensis as virgin females. The second compound detected was identified as the corresponding acetate, but addition of this did not affect the attractiveness of the major component. We believe this to be the first identification of a sex attractant of the Margarodidae.

Catalog of the phylloxerids of the world (Hemiptera, Phylloxeridae)

A taxonomic and nomenclatural catalog of the phylloxerids (Hemiptera, Phylloxeridae) is presented. Six family-group names are listed, three being synonyms. Thirty-five genus-group names, of which six are subjectively valid, are presented with their type species, etymology, and grammatical gender. Ninety-four species-group names are listed, of which 73 are considered subjectively valid. This is the last group of Aphidomorpha to be catalogued, bringing the list of valid extant species to 5,218.

Development of ovary structures in the last larval and adult stages of psyllids (Insecta, Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha: Psylloidea)

The development and organization of the ovaries of ten species from four Psylloidea families (Psyllidae, Triozidae, Aphalaridae and Liviidae) have been investigated. The ovaries of the last larval stage (i.e. fifth instar) of all examined species are filled with numerous clusters of cystocytes which undergo synchronous incomplete mitotic division. Cystocytes of the given cluster are arranged into a rosette with polyfusome in the centre. These clusters are associated with single somatic cells. At the end of the fifth instar, the clusters begin to separate from each other, forming spherical ovarioles which are surrounded by a single layer of somatic cells. In the ovarioles of very young females all cystocytes enter the prophase of meiosis and differentiate shortly thereafter into oocytes and trophocytes (nurse cells). Meanwhile, somatic cells differentiate into cells of the inner epithelial sheath surrounding the trophocytes and into the prefollicular cells that encompass the oocytes. During this final differentiation, the trophocytes lose their cell membranes and become syncytial. Oocytes remain cellular and most of them (termed arrested oocytes) do not grow. In the ovarioles of older females, one oocyte encompassed by its follicle cells starts growing, still connected to the syncytial tropharium by a nutritive cord. After the short phase of previtellogenesis alone, the oocyte enters its vitellogenic the growth phase in the vitellarium. At that time, the second oocyte may enter the vitellarium and start its previtellogenic growth. In the light of the obtained results, the phylogeny of psyllids, as well as phylogenetic relationships between taxa of Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha are discussed.

Catalog of the adelgids of the world (Hemiptera, Adelgidae)

A taxonomic and nomenclatural Catalogue of the adelgids (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) is presented. Six family-group names are listed, five being synonyms of Adelgidae. Twenty-two genus-group names, of which nine are subjectively valid and in use, are presented with their type species, etymology, and grammatical gender. One hundred and six species-group names are listed, of which 70 are considered subjectively valid.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Poratrioza sinica (Insecta: Hemiptera: Psyllidae)

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Poratrioza sinica (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) has been sequenced and annotated in this study. This mitogenome is 14,863 bp in length with an A + T content of 72.0%, and contains 37 typical animal mitochondrial genes that are arranged in the same order as that of the putative ancestral insect mitogenome. All protein-coding genes start with ATN codons except for nad5, which uses TTG as the initial codon. All the transfer RNA genes have the typical cloverleaf structure, except for trnS1 (AGN) which lacks the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm. The control region is 700 bp in length with 82.4% A + T content. This is the second completely sequenced mitogenome from the family Psyllidae of Hemiptera.

An annotated checklist of the scale insects of Iran (Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Coccoidea) with new records and distribution data

A list of scale insects (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea) of Iran is present based mainly on the literature records since 1902. In total, 13 families and 275 species have been recorded and these are listed along with their locality data and host plants. The families are as follows: Asterolecaniidae, Cerococcidae, Coccidae, Diaspididae, Eriococcidae, Kermesidae, Margarodidae, Monophlebidae, Ortheziidae, Phoenicococcidae, Pseudococcidae, Putoidae and Rhizoecidae. The following ten species are recorded for the first time from Iran: Diaspidiotus lenticularis (Lindinger), Diaspidiotus wuenni (Lindinger), Fiorinia proboscidaria Green, Koroneaspis lonicerae Borchsenius, Eriococcus cingulatus Kiritchenko, Eriococcus pamiricus (Bazarov), Eriococcus reynei Schmutterer, Eriococcus sanguinairensis Goux and Eriococcus saxidesertus (Borchsenius) and Porphyrophora victoriae Jashenko.

A new species of armored scale, Mycetaspis ailynaomi (Hemiptera, Diaspididae, Aspidiotinae), associated with Mammea americana L. (Malpighiales, Calophyllaceae) from Puerto Rico

A new species of armored scale, Mycetaspis ailynaomi Dones and Evans is described and illustrated from specimens collected on mamey (Mammea americana) from Puerto Rico. A key to the species of Mycetaspis is provided.