21 Ara 2024 Cumartesi
Biosystematics, economic importance, natural enemies and food plants of Aphis (Toxoptera) aurantii Boyer de Fonscolombe, 1841 (Insecta: Hemiptera: Aphididae: Aphidinae) in India
Abstract : Aphis (Toxoptera) aurantii Boyer de Fonscolombe (1841), commonly known as camellia aphid, black citrus aphid and tea aphid, is a highly polyphagous feeding on almost 176 species/subspecies of plants in India belonging to 134 genera grouped into 57 families. Its life cycle is anholocyclic. Most infectious family is Asteraceae (17 species) followed by Rutaceae (20 species), Fabaceae and Rosaceae (9 species each), Rubiaceae (8 species), Malvaceae, Moraceae and Theaceae (7 species each) and 1 to 6 species of other 49 families of the plants. It is pestiferous on several economically important plants such as citrus, coffee, tea, mango etc. In fields, its population is naturally managed by 6 species of parasitic wasps and 53 species of predators of which ladybird beetles are dominating. A total of 21 species of ants are reported to attend the colonies of Aphis (Toxoptera) aurantii on different plants.