Life Cycle of Cryptomyzus Leonuri Bozhko, 1961 in Lithuania with the Description of previously unknown Morphs

Abstract

Cryptomyzus leonuri is the least investigated species of this genus in Europe. So far, the description of one morph, an apterous viviparous female, has been published (Bozhko 1961), and its life cycle remains unclear. This paper presents descriptions of previously unknown alate viviparous females, males and oviparous females of C. leonuri and the redescription of an apterous viviparous female, which has been also compared with the original description (Bozhko 1961) and character values indicated in the identification key of European species of the genus Cryptomyzus (Guldemond 1991a). Results of experimental cloning and the test on the possible host plant range are also summarised and measurements of both clonal and field samples are presented.

Morphological separation of aphid species Cryptomyzus leonuri Bozhko, 1961 and Cryptomyzus alboapicalis (Theobald, 1916) (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aphididae)

“…The present study confirmed that precise morphological discrimination between C. leonuri and C. alboapicalis remains a difficult task (Guldemond 1991;Bašilova 2010) and canonical functions are still needed for the proper morphological separation of these two species. In addition to the common key characters (SRHIN3, SIPHON/CAUDA, PT/BANT6), DHAS1-4, LRS and MAWSI were included for more precise morphological identification of C. alboapicalis and C. leonuri apterous viviparous females.…”

“…Characters for morphometric analysis (Table 2) were selected from the identification keys and morphological descriptions of both species (Hille Ris Lambers 1953;Bozhko 1961;Guldemond 1991;Heie 1994;Bašilova 2010). Measurements were performed with the Olympus BX40 microscope and the interactive measuring system MicroImage (OlympusOptical Co. GmbH).…”

“…Morphological differences between other morphs of this species couple were not discussed (Guldemond 1991;Blackman & Eastop 2006). Experimental rearing of C. leonuri enabled the description of other morphs, such as alate viviparous females, oviparous females and males (Bašilova 2010). Morphometric analysis of apterous viviparous females from clonal lineages revealed the overlapping of the key characters proposed by Guldemond (1991) for the separation of C. alboapicalis and C. leonuri (Bašilova 2010).…”

“…For the present, ten species of this genus are registered in Europe (Nieto Nafria et al 2004), three of them, Cryptomyzus alboapicalis (Theobald, 1916), Cryptomyzus leonuri Bozhko, 1961 andCryptomyzus ulmeri Börner, 1952, are reported as monoecious (Guldemond 1991;Bašilova 2010). These aphids spend all their life cycle on perennial herbs of the family Lamiaceae (Guldemond 1991;Bašilova 2010).…”