Diversity of Aphid Fauna (Hemiptera: Aphididae) of Kerala Ganganalli Sharanabasappa M1,*, Bhaskar Haseena1, Joshi Sunil2, Vidya C V3 1Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur680656, Kerala, India 2Division of Germplasm Collection and Characterisation, National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Hebbal, Bengaluru560024, Karnataka, India 3Banana Research Station, Kerala Agricultural University, Kannara680652, Kerala, India *Email: mgsharanabasappa@gmail.com (corresponding author): ORCID ID 0000-0003-3906-8152
Online Published on 31 August, 2024. Abstract Extensive surveys were undertaken across Kerala during 2018-22, to explore the diversity of aphid fauna associated with different flora. The study recorded 25 species of aphids under 17 genera in four tribes belonging to four subfamilies of Aphididae. Aphidinae was the predominant subfamily, followed by Greenideinae, Hormaphidinae and Eriosomatinae. Aphidinae was represented by two tribes, Aphidini and Macrosiphini. The tribes Aphidini (Aphis (L.), Rhopalosiphum Koch, Hysteroneura Davis and Melanaphis van der Goot) and Macrosiphini (Pentalonia Coquerel, Brevicoryne van der Goot, Macrosiphoniella del Guercio, Macrosiphum Passerini, Metopolophium Mordvilko, Acyrthosiphon Mordvilko, Uroleucon Mordvilko and Aulacorthum Mordvilko) were represented by four and eight genera, respectively. The subfamily Greenideinae was represented by two genera in a single tribe (Greenideini); Hormaphidinae represented by two genera in a single tribe (Cerataphidini), while only one genus in a single tribe (Eriosomatini) was recorded in the subfamily Eriosomatinae. The genus Aphis was the most diverse with five species. Aphis gossypii Glover exhibited a wider host range with 20 host plants. The study records new distribution of three aphid species from south India and seven species from Kerala. Top Keywords Aphididae, Subfamilies, Aphidinae, Aphidini, Macrosiphini, Greenideinae, Eriosomatinae, Hormaphidinae, Host range, Species diversity, Kerala, Distribution. Top |