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Phyllaphoides [Panaphidini]All adult viviparae of Phyllaphoides are (apparently) alate. The body is oblong, without prominent hairs, but with white cottony wax secretions. The eyes are prominent, but lack ocular tubercles. Antennal tubercles are absent. The antennae are 6-segmented, about as long as the body, and with the terminal process about as long as the base of antennal segment VI. The secondary rhinaria are round. The rostrum is rather short. Wings are hyaline, the media vein is twice forked, and hind wings have 2 oblique veins. The siphunculi are very short, much wider than long, scarcely more than pores. The cauda is globular, constricted at the base. The anal plate is bilobed. The legs are slender, and the tarsi are without empodial hairs. Phyllaphoides has only one species, which feeds on bamboo (Bambusa). Sexuales have been found late in the year in China, but in Taiwan it is known to overwinter in the parthenogenetic phase. The species has been recorded from China, Taiwan and, more recently, Japan. Phyllaphoides bambusicola (cottony-whiskered bamboo aphid) China, Taiwan, JapanAlatae of Phyllaphoides bambusicola are white with a pale yellow mesothorax (for adult apterae see note below). Both immatures and alatae (see pictures below) are densely covered in white cottony wax. Alatae are without antennal tubercles. Their eyes are large and lack ocular tubercles (cf. Neocranaphis arundinariae & Neocranaphis bambusicola, which both have ocular tubercles present). Antennal segment I is not quite equal in length to antennal segment II. The terminal process of antennal segment VI is 0.70-0.85 times as long as its base (cf. Neocranaphis arundinariae & Neocranaphis bambusicola which both have the terminal process 0.23-0.34 times the length of the base). Their antennae bear transversely oval secondary rhinaria. The rostrum is short, reaching little beyond the fore coxae, and the apical rostral segment is about as long as its greatest basal width. The forewings are rather narrow, with clear cut veins, and the radial sector is obliterated at the base. The dorsum has many setae surrounded by wax gland pores developed as cribriform discs. The femora are somewhat swollen. Empodial setae are missing. The siphunculi are very flat and pore-like (cf. Takecallis spp., which have truncate siphuncular cones). The cauda is knobbed, and the anal plate is bilobed. The body length of adult Phyllaphoides bambusicola alatae is 1.5-2.5 mm.
Images above by permission, copyright Akihide Koguchi, all rights reserved. Phyllaphoides bambusicola has so far only been found on two species of bamboo, Bambusa stenostachya and Phyllostachys makinoi. These aphids live on the bamboo leaf undersides. Takahashi (1923) reported that they do not jump from the leaf when disturbed, but instead walk rather actively away. Until recently Phyllaphoides bambusicola was thought to be confined to China and Taiwan. However, it was recently reported in the northern part of Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan (Sugimoto, 2019). If the identification of these aphids is confirmed, it will be the second report from Japan.
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