Chaitophorus
| Chaitophorus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Chaitophorus on Populus sp. in Ottawa, Canada | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Sternorrhyncha |
| Family: | Aphididae |
| Subfamily: | Chaitophorinae |
| Genus: | Chaitophorus Koch, 1854 |
Chaitophorus is a genus of aphids first described by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1854.[1] This genus includes roughly 90 to 110 species, and is found in North America, Europe, and Asia.[2]
Hosts[]
Chaitophorus aphids are generally host-specific.[3] They are known primarily from members of Salicaceae, namely Populus and Salix. However, some species are known from Vitaceae, Apiaceae, and Asteraceae.[2]
Identification[]
The morphological differences between species of this genus are fairly subtle. As a result, identification to the species can be challenging, and knowledge of the host plant can be valuable.
Ecological relationships[]
Parasitoids such as and are known to specialize in this genus.[3]
Like many aphids, Chaitophorus are known to have generally mutualistic relationships with ants. This relationship is described to have independently evolved at least 5 times within the genus. As they feed on phloem sap, the aphids excrete honeydew, which is in turn consumed by ants. Some members of this genus ( and ) have been shown to vary the nutritional content of their honeydew depending on the presence of attending ants; however this has been shown to not be universal to the genus.[4]
References[]
- ^ "Chaitophorus Koch, 1854". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ a b Ali, Hayder Badry; Kamal, Ruia Safwan (2018-12-24). "Faunistic Review of the Genus Chaitophorus Koch, 1854 (Aphididae, Chaitophorinae, Chaitophorini) with New Record Species for Iraq Aphid Fauna". Bulletin of the Iraq Natural History Museum. 15 (2): 145–151. doi:10.26842/binhm.7.2018.15.2.0145.
- ^ a b Roger, Blackman. "Aphids on the World's Plants". Archived from the original on 2012-08-01.
- ^ Stadler, Bernhard; Dixon, Anthony F. G. (2005). "Ecology and Evolution of Aphid-Ant Interactions". Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics. 36: 345–372. doi:10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.36.091704.175531. JSTOR 30033808.
- Aphididae