Chaitophorus

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]

Chaitophorus
Chaitophorus on Populus sp. in Ottawa, Canada
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Sternorrhyncha
Family: Aphididae
Subfamily: Chaitophorinae
Genus: Chaitophorus
Koch, 1854

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 Lysiphlebus salicaphis and Aphelinus aureus 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 (C. populialbae and C. populeti) 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
  1. "Chaitophorus Koch, 1854". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  2. 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.
  3. Roger, Blackman. "Aphids on the World's Plants". Archived from the original on 2012-08-01.
  4. 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.
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