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Aphis schinifoliaePeppertree aphidOn this page: Identification & Distribution Other aphids on the same hostIdentification & DistributionAdult apterae of Aphis schinifoliae are dark reddish-brown with paler brown blotches (see large aphids in both pictures below). The femora, tibiae and antennae are pale basally, but dark apically. The cauda is dusky, but the siphunculi are pale (cf. Aphis schinivora & various polyphagous aphids on Schinus which all have dark siphunculi). Antennal tubercles are undeveloped. The antenna has a short terminal process, about 1.4 times as long as the base of antennal segment VI. Well-developed marginal tubercles are usually present on abdominal tergites II-VI, as well as I and VII. The siphunculi are rather short and almost flangeless. Body length of adult Aphis schinifoliae apterae is 1.4-1.7 mm. Young immatures are bright orange, darkening as they pass through the larval instars.
Both images above copyright Flavio Martinez both under a Creative Commons License. The alate Aphis schinifoliae has the head, thorax, antennae (except base of segment III) and legs (except bases of femora and middle of tibiae) dark. The entire abdomen, including tergites VII & VIII, are pale, with indistinct marginal sclerites on tergites II-IV. Secondary rhinaria are distributed 4-6 on antennal segment III on the apical 0.5-0.67 of the segment, and 0-1 on segment IV. The images below are clarified mounts of Aphis schinifoliae apterous vivipara and male.
Both images above by permission copyright Ortego, Nieto Nafria & Mier (2007) all rights reserved. Aphis schinifoliae males are apterous. They have the head, antennae, most of the legs, anal plate and cauda dark. There are sometimes stigmatic and intersegmental sclerites, and a band on tergite VIII. Secondary rhinaria are distributed 8-16 on antennal segment III, 4-11 on segment IV, and 4-9 on segment V. The body length is 1-1.45 mm. The ovipara is similar to the apterous vivipara, but is distinguished by the pigmentation and number of hairs on the genital plate. The central part of the plate is pale, and it carries at least thirty hairs (there are never more than a dozen in the vivipara). Tergite VIII caries 5-7 hairs. The hind tibia is a little swollen, and carries 6-36 pseudosensoria. Aphis schinifoliae is monoecious on peppertrees (Schinus) species). Populations are holocyclic, with oviparae and apterous males recorded on Schinus molle from November to February (Ortega et al., 2007). The peppertree aphid is found in Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. It has not been recorded outside its native range thus far, despite planting its hosts worldwide in countries with Mediterranean, subtropical or tropical climates. Other aphids on the same hostAphis schinifoliae has been reported on 5 pepper-tree species (Schinus dependens, Schinus gracilipes, Schinus molle, Schinus polygamus, Schinus roigii). Blackman & Eastop list 4 species of aphid as feeding on Aguaribay (Schinus molle) worldwide, and provide formal identification keys (Show World list). Of those aphid species, Baker (2015) lists 3 as occurring in Britain (Show British list).
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