Zoological Studies

Galls of Cerataphis bambusifoliae (Hemiptera, Aphididae) Found on Styrax suberifolius in Taiwan

Utako Kurosu, Mayako Kutsukake, Shigeyuki Aoki, Chuan-Chan Wang, How-Jing Lee, and Takema Fukatsu (2008) Hitherto unknown fig-shaped galls of a cerataphidine aphid were found on Styrax suberifolius in a mountainous region of Taiwan.  The morphology of 1st-instar nymphs deposited by alates that had emerged from the galls accorded well with the morphology of 1st-instar nymphs of Cerataphis bambusifoliae on bamboo.  The mitochondrial DNA sequences from the gall and bamboo aphids also supported the identity of the 2 generations.  The gall-living aphids are therefore considered to be the primary host generation of C. bambusifoliae, and a description of the alates, apterous adults, and the 1st-instar nymphs is given.  We also revealed that, like other cerataphidines, C. bambusifoliae produces many 2nd-instar, sterile soldiers in their galls.