Molecular data and species diagnosis in Essigella Del Guercio, 1909 (Sternorrhyncha, Aphididae, Lachninae)

Abstract

Morphological and molecular data are used to describe three new species of Essigella (Sternorrhyncha: Aphididae: Lachninae): Essigella domenechi sp. n., Essigella gagnonae sp. n., and Essigella sorenseni sp. n.; and to re-establish as valid Essigella patchae Hottes, 1957, stat. n., until now considered a synonym of E. pini Wilson, 1919. The catalogue of Essigella species is updated. This study highlights the need and utility to use discreet DNA characters in aphid species diagnoses.

First record of Diaeretus leucopterus (Haliday) (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae), the parasitoid of the aphid species, Eulachnus agilis (Kaltenbach) (Hemiptera, Aphididae) in North Africa

“…It is an uncommon species, while its occurrence in North Africa has not been documented yet. The Nearctic aphids of the genus Essigella del Guercio are biogeographically associated with pine trees in North America (Blackman and Eastop 1994;Théry et al 2018). Diaeretus essigellae Starý & Zuparko (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) was described from Essigella californica (Essig) (Hemiptera, Aphididae, Lachninae) on Pinus spp.…”

DNA Barcoding and Molecular Phylogenetics Revealed a New Cryptic Bamboo Aphid Species of the Genus Takecallis (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

“…Aphids (Hemiptera, Aphididae), due to the seasonal polymorphism and complex life cycles, are insects difficult to identify. Thus, the usability of DNA barcoding, a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, has been used for additional diagnostic data in species identification [1][2][3][4][5]. Moreover, DNA barcoding enables the detection of cryptic species and the reassessment of species diversity delimitation on various taxonomic levels [6][7][8][9].…”