Genus Nasonovia

Adult apterae of Nasonovia aquilegiae (see three pictures below) are pale greenish yellow, sometimes with internal reddish markings, and usually with some black dorsal markings. These markings usually include a large shining black dorsal spot which covers abdominal tergites II-V and marginal areas. There also be sclerites on the thorax and tergites VI and VII which are more or less fused into cross bars (cf. Nasonovia heie in Switzerland, which has a dorsal sclerotic pattern consisting of pairs of pale brown spinal, pleural and marginal spots on each segment). Antennae are pale, but with dark tips on segments III-V and the base and tip of VI. Antenna are about 0.8-1.0 times body length, with the terminal process 3.5-6.5 times the base of segment VI (cf. Longicaudus trirhodus, whose terminal process is 1.0-2.3 times the base). The longest hair on antennal segment III is 0.9-1.6 times the basal diameter. There are 6-33 secondary rhinaria on segment III, irregularly placed along one side of the basal 0.5 or more, and 0-3 on segment IV. The apical rostral segment is slender with almost parallel margins, 1.2-2.2 times the second hind tarsal segment. There are well developed, semiglobular marginal tubercles sometimes present on the prothorax and abdominal segments II-V. The siphunculi are 1.1-2.1 times the cauda, thick at base, and gradually attenuating towards their apices. The cauda is tongue-shaped or oblong triangular, blunt and usually with 5 hairs. The body length of adult Nasonovia aquilegiae apterae is 1.6-3.0 mm.

First & third images above copyright Andrew Jensen, second image copyright Sequoia Janirella Wrens,
all under a creative common licence.

The adult aptera of Nasonovia compositellae has a black head, and black cross bars across the pronotum and mesonotum. There is an extensive shining black dorsal abdominal shield covering the metanotum and abdominal tergites 1-VI , and tergites VII and VIII with black cross bars (see pictures below) (cf. Nasonovia ribisnigri and Nasonovia pilosellae which have no black dorsal abdominal shield, but only dark intersegmental sclerites between each abdominal segment). The body is dark green, often (as here) strongly tinged with orange-red. The antennae are 0.8-0.9 times the body length. The siphunculi are thick at the base and 1.3-1.6 times the length of the cauda. The cauda is finger-shaped with 7 hairs. The body length of the Nasonovia compositellae adult aptera is 1.8-2.5 mm.

Adult apterae of Nasonovia crenicorna (see first picture below of fundatrix) are light green with a faint dark spinal stripe. The antennae are dark or greenish brown except segment I and the base of segment III. The siphunculi and cauda are very light greenish-brown, and the siphunculi have dark apices. The antennae are 0.8-0.9 times the body length, with the terminal process 4.3-5.6 times the base of segment VI. There are 4-18 very small secondary rhinaria on the basal 0.67 of segment III, with none on IV or V. The longest hair on antennal segment III is 0.85-1.1 times the basal diameter of that segment. The apical rostral segment is 1.8-2.0 times the second hind tarsal segment, with about 30 accessory hairs. The abdominal tergites bear numerous blunt or slightly capitate hairs. There are rather indistinct marginal tubercles present on the prothorax and tergites II-V, although some may be absent. Tarsal segment I has 2 or 3 hairs. The siphunculi are 1.9-2.2 times the cauda, with a distinct, well developed flange, and below this sometimes some polygonal reticulation. The siphunculi are unusual in bearing 5-11 blunt or capitate hairs on the basal 0.67 (just visible in the picture below). The cauda is tongue-shaped, with 16-20 rather short hairs. Body length of the adult Nasonovia crenicorna aptera is 3.5-5.1 mm.

Images above copyright Andrew Jensen under a creative common licence.

Adult apterae of Nasonovia cynosbati are pale green, sometimes suffused with red (see largest aphid in first picture below, and the two largest aphids in background of second picture below). Their antennae have dark tips to segments III to VI. The antennal tubercles are well developed. The dorsal abdomen is pale, rarely with rather pale indistinct sclerites. Dorsal body hairs are pointed or blunt - never capitate (cf.Cryptomyzus spp., which have numerous capitate hairs). The abdominal spiracles are partially covered by cowl-like opercula so they appear crescent shaped (cf. Nasonovia ribisnigri, whose spiracles are open oval pores). The siphunculi are pale with dark or dusky tips and taper from the base to the apex (cf. Hyperomyzus spp., which have swollen siphunculi). The siphunculi are 1.2-2.3 times as long as the cauda, and usually have some imbrication, but only on the distal half (cf. Nasonovia houghtonensis, which has spicules over the whole length of its siphunculi). The cauda is triangular, pale or dusky, and usually has 5 hairs (cf. Nasonovia ribisnigri, which has 7 hairs on its cauda). The body length of adult Nasonovia cynosbati apterae is 1.8-3.0 mm.

Images above by permission, copyright Claude Pilon, all rights reserved.

Adult apterae of Nasonovia houghtonensis (see first picture below of a fundatrix) are green to yellow-green to straw-yellow with no dark dorsal markings (cf. Nasonovia grossa in Rocky Mountain region, which has an extensive dark dorsal patch). It has pale siphunculi (sometimes dark tipped) and a pale cauda. The antennae are mainly pale, but the tips of antennal segment IV-V and most of segment VI are dark. The antennae are 0.7-0.8 times the body length (cf. Nasonovia cynosbati in USA, which has antennae 0.8-1.4 times its body length). The terminal process is 3.8-5.9 times as long as the base of segment VI. Secondary rhinaria on segment III are few and rather small, with 2-10 of various sizes irregularly scattered along the segment, and none on segments IV and V. The longest hair on antennal segment III is 1.2-2.0 times the basal diameter of that segment (cf. Nasonovia ribisnigri in USA & Europe, which has the longest hair on that segment 0.7-1.1 times the basal diameter). The apical rostral segment (RIV+V) is 1.4-2.7 times the second hind tarsal segment (HTII). The siphunculi are 0.9-2.1 times the caudal length (dependent on subspecies), and have spinulose imbrication over the entire length (cf. Nasonovia cynosbati, which has spinulose imbrication only on the distal part). The cauda is tongue-shaped, slightly constricted near the middle, with about 5 hairs. The body length of adult Nasonovia houghtonensis apterae is 1.5-2.0 mm.

Images above copyright Andrew Jensen, under a creative common licence.

Adult apterae of Nasonovia pilosellae (see first picture below) are medium-sized yellowish-green or pinkish to blackish, rather shiny aphids. There are dark intersegmental sclerites between each abdominal segment, as well as either an ill-defined patch, or broad transverse bands of dark dorsal pigmentation on the abdomen. The ratio of the length of the terminal process of the last antennal segment to its base ranges from 5.7-8.0 (cf. Nasonovia ribisnigri, in which the ratio of the length of the terminal process of the last antennal segment to its base is 7.0-11.4). The secondary rhinaria on the third antennal segment spread out along one side of the segment (cf.Nasonovia ribisnigri, where the secondary rhinaria on the third antennal segment tend to be concentrated on the basal part of the segment). The first segment of their hind tarsus has two hairs. Their siphunculi are cylindrical and rather long, with little or no apical reticulation The cauda of Nasonovia pilosellae is elongate and rather blunt finger-shaped. The body length of the Nasonovia pilosellae adult aptera is 1.2-2.5 mm.

Nasonovia ribisnigri apterae on the primary host (gooseberry and blackcurrant, see first picture below) are shiny green with no dark markings. On their secondary host (various members of the daisy family) Nasonovia ribisnigri apterae are more variable in colour, ranging from green to yellow or pink, and have dark intersegmental sclerites between each abdominal segment (see second picture below). The length of the terminal process is 7.0-11.4 times the length of the base of the antennal segment VI (cf. Nasonovia pilosellae which has the length of the terminal process 3.4-8.3 times longer than the base). The first segment of the hind tarsus has three hairs. Nasonovia ribisnigri siphunculi are pale with dark tips. They are at least as long or longer than the cauda and taper slightly. The cauda is finger shaped, not constricted and the same colour as the basal part of the siphunculi. The body length of Nasonovia ribisnigri apterae is 1.3-2.7 mm.

Adult apterae of Nasonovia williamsi (see picture below) are shining green to yellowish-green to amber yellow. Their antennae are mainly dusky, apart from segment VI which is dark. The antennae are 1.0-1.2 times the body length, with a terminal process that is 5.4-7.7 times the base of antennal segment VI. Secondary rhinaria are protruding and tuberculate, with 23-56 on antennal segment III, irregularly scattered along the whole the segment, 0-22 on segment IV, and 0-1 on V (cf. Acyrthosiphon vandenboschi on Potentilla in California, USA, which has no rhinaria on the antennal segment III). . The apical rostral segment is slender, with almost parallel margins. It is 1.6-1.9 times the length of the second hind tarsal segment, and has 10-19 accessory hairs. There are rather large, pale, smooth, rounded or pear-shaped marginal tubercles present on the prothorax and abdominal segments II-V. The siphunculi are pale, sometimes with a dark apical part; they are almost cylindrical, thicker towards the base, almost smooth, sometimes with one or a few fine hairs, and 1.0-1.8 times the caudal length (cf. Chaetosiphon hottesi on Potentilla in North America, which has longer siphunculi, more than twice as long as the cauda). The cauda is pale, tongue-shaped, rather short and blunt, sometimes constricted, with 5(-6) hairs. The body length of adult Nasonovia williamsi apterae is 1.5-2.3 mm.

Image above copyright Andrew Jensen, under a creative common licence.