Leaf hopper assassin bug - Zelus renardii Kolenati, 1856 - Cyprus

Demetris Kolokotronis and Eddie John  report (30/11/22) the discovery of non-native Zelus renardii Kolenati, 1857, (Leafhopper Assassin Bug) new to Cyprus, and discuss the species’ known presence in the eastern Mediterranean. As reported elsewhere, arrival is considered to have been human assisted, the early stages passively carried on imported nursery stock.

Photos  Nicosia 30/11/2022 by George Konstantinou.

Zelus renardii Nymph.

Family:  Reduviidae

Zelus renardii, commonly known as the leaf hopper assassin bug, is a predacious insect contained within tribe Harpactorini. Diurnal and found on both wild and crop plants, Z. renardii has spread from its native habitats in western North and Central America into three other biogeographic regions across the globe. Zelus renardii is considered a sister species to Z. cervicalis, as they share two unique characters: the lateral margins of dorsal phallothecal sclerite are recurved, and the medial process is strongly hooked apically

The native range of Z. renardii extends over various climatic zones throughout mainland North and Central America at altitudes between 8m to 2000m above sea level. Native ranges include tropical, dry, semi-arid, arid, and Mediterranean climates.Additionally, Z. renardii also appears well suited to urban and disturbed areas, as it has been observed in suburban areas on both native and non-native herbaceous and woody plants, as well as common garden plants. Egg masses can frequently be found on vegetable plants. Z. renardii is also sympatric with Z. tetracantus over a large part of its range in western USA, Mexico, Guatemala, Jamaica, and other parts of Central America

The adaptability to multiple habitat conditions may have facilitated its spread in non-native regions as they have preadaptations to diverse climatic condition. To date, Z. renardii has expanded to Hawaii, where they preyed mainly on invasive sugarcane leafhopper (Perkinsiella saccharicida) and other tropical areas within the Pacific, such as Johnston Atoll, Samoa, and the Philippines. Z. renardii has also been reported in Mediterranean-type environments within Chile and Argentina.

Expansion of Z. renardii throughout Europe began in Mediterranean regions, namely Greece and Spain. However, expansion has continued and Z. renardii is now known in multiple countries in the Mediterranean basin, such as Italy, Turkey and Albania. The majority of these observations have been from urban areas. Eight years post-introduction in Spain, Z. renardii had a limited expansion in Mediterranean-type habitats, and was mainly limited to coastal regions of the Iberian east and south from the city of Valencia to Malaga. Additionally, Z. renardii has been observed as far southeast as the Kfar Masaryk region of northern Israel.

Given the abundance of Z. renardii in anthropogenic environments, humans are likely the main vectors of transport into non-native habitats. Since eggs, which are typically glued to plants, take 8–12 days to hatch and both the 1st and 2nd instars typically remain in the areas around their hatching site, shipping of nursery plants or plant products is thought to be a major avenue of distribution into non-native locations. Disturbed and agricultural areas are suitable for Z. renardii and may also contribute to its spread throughout native and non-native regions once established. .From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ploiaria domestica Scopoli, 1786 - Thread-legged bug - Cyprus

Family: Reduviidae  

Ploiaria is a cosmopolitan genus of thread-legged bugs (Emesinae). There are presently about 130 described species.

The presence of Ploiaria domestica Scopoli, 1786 in Cyprus was confirmed in 2018 with the article in the following link:
http://www.entomology.org.il/sites/default/files/pdfs/Hadjiconstantis_Davranoglou_2018_IJE_PloiariadomesticaCyprus.pdf

Introduction from the above article

   The cosmopolitan emesine genus Ploiaria Scopoli, 1786 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) is distributed in all zoogeographic regions of the world, and is one of the most species-rich genera of Leistarchini. Members of the genus are ecologically diversified and occupy various habitats ranging from dense tropical forests to scorching deserts. they are typically found on trees and their epiphytes, plant debris such as dead leaves (Blatchley 1929), and sheltered microhabitats under bark, tree trunks and stones (Blatchley 1929; Villiers 1950; Wygodzinsky 1966). Species of Ploiaria exhibit remarkable dispersive potential, which has allowed them to occupy numerous oceanic islands (Wygodzinsky 1966), presumably via rafting on tree trunks. more recently, association of at least two species: P. chilensis (Philippi, 1862) and P. domestica scopoli, 1786 with human habitats has also

contributed to their dispersal across the globe (Putshkov & Moulet 2009). In the Palearctic, most species are found in the Mediterranean region and typically inhabit arid ecosystems (Wygodzinsky 1966). P. domestica, the type species of the genus, is a turano-mediterranean species distributed in southern Europe to Central Asia (Putshkov & Putshkov 1996). It is synanthropic, and is also frequently found under stones, in piles of logs, thatched roofs and bird’s nests; its habitat preferences are reviewed by Putshkov and Moulet (2009). the distribution of this species in Cyprus is ambiguous. It is not mentioned in the works of Lindberg (1948) and Putshkov & Moulet (2009), and its presence in Cyprus is considered doubtful in the Catalogue of the Heteroptera of the Palearctic Region (Putshkov & Putshkov 1996). We have been unable to trace the exact reference that Putshkov &  Putshkov (1996) may have used to determine the possible presence of the species in Cyprus, and major monographs do not mention P. domestica from the island (Oshanin 1912; Dispons & Stichel 1959; Stichel 1960; Putshkov 1987; Maldonado Capriles 1990).

   At least three other species of the genus occur in Cyprus: the endemic P. disponsi Linnavuori, 1965, the eastern Mediterranean P. gutturalis Noualhier, 1895 (Lindberg 1948) and the cosmopolitan P. chilensis, which was almost certainly introduced (Putshkov & Moulet 2009). During a recent collecting trip, a single male specimen of P. domestica was collected, marking the first confirmed record of the species in the island of Cyprus. 

Text from the article: Hadjiconstantis, Michael, & Davranoglou, Leonidas-Romanos. (2018). Confirmed occurrence of Ploiaria domestica (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae) in Cyprus. Israel Journal of Entomology, 48(1), 63–67. http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1299614

Photos by Michael Hadjiconstantis. 23, October, 2017. At Tsada. 

Canthophorus melanopterus (Herrich-Schäffer, 1835) - Cyprus

Family Cydnidae

Endemic subspecies of Cyprus

Photos at Arediou, by George Konstantinou. 2010

Peirates strepitans Rambur 1839 - Assassin bug - Cyprus

Family: Reduviidae (Assassin bugs)

The Reduviidae are a large cosmopolitan family of the order Hemiptera (true bugs). They are slightly unusual overall, but very common among the Hemiptera because almost all are terrestrial ambush predators (most other predatory Hemiptera are aquatic). The main examples of nonpredatory Reduviidae are some blood-sucking ectoparasites in the subfamily Triatominae. Though spectacular exceptions are known, most members of the family are fairly easily recognizable; they have a relatively narrow neck, sturdy build, and formidable curved proboscis (sometimes called a rostrum). Large specimens should be handled with caution, if at all, because they sometimes defend themselves with a very painful stab from the proboscis.

The family
The Reduviidae are members of the suborder Heteroptera of the order Hemiptera. The family members are almost all predatory, except for a minority that are blood-sucking species of importance as disease vectors. About 7000 species have been described, making it one of the largest families in the Hemiptera.

The name Reduviidae is derived from the type genus, Reduvius. That name, in turn, comes from the Latin reduvia, meaning "hangnail" or "remnant". Possibly this name was inspired by the lateral flanges on the abdomen of many species. Info from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reduviidae

Photos at Meneou 20/11/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis

Pyrrhocoris apterus (Linnaeus, 1758) - The Firebug - Cyprus

Family: Pyrrhocoridae

The firebug, Pyrrhocoris apterus, is a common insect of the family Pyrrhocoridae. Easily recognizable due to its striking red and black coloration, but may be confused with the similarly coloured but unrelated Corizus hyoscyami (cinnamon bug, squash bug) (see comparison). Pyrrhocoris apterus is distributed throughout the Palaearctic from the Atlantic coast of Europe to northwest China. It has also been reported from the USA, Central America and India. It has been reported as recently expanding its distribution northwards into mainland UK. They are frequently observed to form aggregations, especially as immature forms, with from tens to perhaps a hundred individuals.

Reproduction
Firebugs generally mate in April and May. Their diet consists primarily of seeds from lime trees and mallows (see below). They can often be found in groups near the base of lime tree trunks, on the sunny side. They can be seen in tandem formation when mating which can take from 12 hours up to 7 days. The long period of copulating is probably used by the males as a form of ejaculate-guarding under high competition with other males.

Development
P. apterus was the subject of an unexpected discovery in the 1960s when researchers who had for ten years been rearing the bugs in Prague, Czechoslovakia attempted to do the same at Harvard University in the United States. After the 5th larval instar, instead of developing into adults, the bugs either entered a 6th instar stage, or became adults with larval characteristics; some of the 6th instars went on to a 7th instar. All specimens died without reaching maturity.

A specimen with wings

The source of the problem was eventually proven to be the paper towels used in the rearing process; the effect only happened if the paper towels were made in America. The researchers could replicate these results with American newspapers such as the New York Times, but not European newspapers such as The Times. The cause was found to be hormones found in the native balsam fir tree (Abies balsamea) used to manufacture paper and related products in America, and in some other North American conifers. This hormone happened to have a profound effect on P. apterus, but not on other insect species, showing the diversification of hormone receptors in the insects. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 
Photos at Lakatamia 10/04/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis.

Horistus (Horistus) infuscatus (Brulle, 1832) - Cyprus

Family: Miridae 

The species Horistus (Horistus) infuscatus in Cyprus host on Asphodelus species.

Photos at Geri, 29/2/2016 by Michael Hadjiconstantis

Gorse Shield Bug - Piezodorus lituratus (Fabricius, 1794) - Cyprus

Family: Pentatomidae

Piezodorus lituratus, common name Gorse Shield Bug, is a species of Pentatomidae, a family of shield bugs
Piezodorus lituratus can reach a length of 10–13 millimetres (0.39–0.51 in). These large shieldbugs occur in two adult colour forms. In the spring when they emerge and mate they are predominantly green, while the new generation that appears in the late summer has purplish-red markings on the pronotum and Corium. In autumn they have much paler color, prior to the hibernation they may become darker, but after the hibernation they are bright green.

In the Piezodorus lituratus var. alliaceus the corium shows a uniform yellow-greenish color.

This species could be confused with the Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina), but Piezodorus lituratus has a different habitat and red antennae.
Mating takes place from May to July, the females lay 10 to 20 eggs on the stems, leaves and fruits of the host plants. The nymphs occur until September. The adult of the new summer generation can be found from the end of July or beginning of August. Hibernation takes place as imago.

Main host plants are various legumes (Fabaceae), especially common broom (Sarothamnus scoparius) and dyer’s greenweed (Genista tinctoria), but also alfalfa (Medicago sativa), vetches (Vicia species), sweet-clover (Melilotus species), crownvetches (Coronilla species) sainfoins (Onobrychis species), lupin (Lupinus species) and others
This species is present in Africa, in most of Europe, in Northern Asia (excluding China) and in North America
These shield bugs live in many habitats where host plants are present. They prefer dry and warm habitats, especially with sandy soil.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Larnacas Lpithou 18/1/2016 by George Konstantinou

Planthoppers - Phantia subquadrata (Herrich-Schäffer 1838) - Cyprus

Family: Flatidae

Flatidae are a family of fulgoroid planthoppers. They are cosmopolitan in distribution and are distinguished from others in the superfamily by a combination of characters. Adults of some species have brightly coloured wings and are easily identified but the identification of species often requires dissection and comparison with identification keys.

In the subfamily Flatinae, the body of adults is flattened laterally and the tegmina are tent-like. In the Flatoidinae, the body is not laterally compressed and the tegmina are not as tent-like and sometimes held horizontally. The wing venation is distinctive in that the veins in the anal region are nodose, and the costal area has numerous cross veins. The antennae are small and the first segment is collar-like and small. The second segment is longer and ends in a bulge and a flagellum arises from it. They have two ocelli. Nymphs have a tail of waxy filaments.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A planthopper is any insect in the infraorder Fulgoromorpha, in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, a group exceeding 12,500 described species worldwide. The name comes from their remarkable resemblance to leaves and other plants of their environment and that they often "hop" for quick transportation in a similar way to that of grasshoppers. However, planthoppers generally walk very slowly. Distributed worldwide, all members of this group are plant-feeders, though few are considered pests. The infraorder contains only a single superfamily, Fulgoroidea. Fulgoroids are most reliably distinguished from the other Auchenorrhyncha by two features; the bifurcate ("Y"-shaped) anal vein in the forewing, and the thickened, three-segmented antennae, with a generally round or egg-shaped second segment (pedicel) that bears a fine filamentous arista.

Overview

Planthoppers are laterally flattened and hold their broad wings vertically, in a tent-like fashion, concealing the sides of the body and part of the legs. Nymphs of many fulgoroids produce wax from special glands on the abdominal terga and other parts of the body. These are hydrophobic and help conceal the insects. Adult females of many families also produce wax which may be used to protect eggs.

Planthopper (Pterodictya reticularis) with abdominal filaments of ketoester wax

Fulgoroid nymphs also possess a biological gear mechanism at the base of the hind legs, which keeps the legs in synchrony when the insects jump. The gears, not present in the adults, were known for decades[5] before the recent description of their function.

Planthoppers are often vectors for plant diseases, especially phytoplasmas which live in the phloem of plants and can be transmitted by planthoppers when feeding.

A number of extinct members of Fulgoroidea are known from the fossil record, such as the Lutetian-age Emiliana from the Green River Formation (Eocene) in Colorado.

Both planthopper adults and nymphs feed by sucking sap from plants; in so doing, the nymphs produce copious quantities of honeydew, on which sooty mould often grows.[3] One species considered to be a pest is Haplaxius crudus, which is a vector for lethal yellowing, a palm disease that nearly killed off the Jamaican Tall coconut variety.From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planthopper

Photos Geri, 27/7/2015 by Michael Hadjiconstantis and George Konstantinou

Lace bugs - Stephanitis (Stephanitis) pyri (Fabricius 1775) - (Τίγρης της μηλιάς και της αχλαδιάς) - Cyprus

Σε  τριανταφυλλιά

Tingidae is a family of very small (2–10 millimetres or 0.08–0.39 inches) insects in the order Hemiptera that are commonly referred to as lace bugs. This group is distributed worldwide with about 2,000 described species.

They are called lace bugs because the pronotum and forewings of the adult have a delicate and intricate network of divided areas that resemble lace. Their body appearance is flattened dorso-ventrally and they can be broadly oval or slender. Often the head is concealed under the hood-like pronotum.

Lace bugs are usually host-specific and can be very destructive to plants. Most feed on the undersides of leaves by piercing the epidermis and sucking the sap. The then empty cells give the leaves a bronzed or silvery appearance. Each individual usually completes its entire life cycle on the same plant, if not the same part of the plant.

Most species have one to two generations per year, but some species have multiple generations. Most overwinter as adults but some species overwinter as eggs or nymphs. This group has incomplete metamorphosis in that the immature stages resemble the adults, except that the immatures are smaller and do not have wings. However, wing pads appear in the second and third instar and increase in size as the nymph matures. Depending on the species, lace bugs have four (few) or five (most) instars.

Lace bugs sometimes fall out of trees, land on people and bite, which, although painful, is a minor nuisance. No medical treatment is necessary. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Διαχειμάζει ως ενήλικο σε προστετευμένες θέσεις επάνω στον κορμό του ξενιστή ή και στο έδαφος. Έχει 3-4 γενεές ανά έτος. Τα θηλυκά τοποθετούν τα αυγά τους στα φύλλα έτσι ώστε το μισό αυγό να είναι μέσα στο φύλλο και το υπόλοιπο απ' έξω και εν συνεχεία τα καλύπτουν με σκούρο έκκριμα.

Ζει σε αποικίες στην κάτω επιφάνεια των φύλλων όπου συνυπάρχουν προνύμφες και ενήλικα άτομα και τρέφονται μυζόντας τους χυμούς των φύλλων.

Προσβάλλει κυρίως τα γιγαρτόκαρπα (μηλιά, αχλαδιά, κυδωνιά) και δευτερευόντος άλλα είδη όπως την δαμασκηνιά, την κερασιά, την ροδακινιά, τον πυράκανθο, την τριανταφυλλιά, την φουντουκιά κ.α.

Τα προσβεβλημένα φύλλα γίνονται χλωρωτικά και έχουν πολυάριθμα κίτρινα στίγματα στην άνω επιφάνεια. Η κάτω επιφάνεια των φύλλων είναι γεμάτη με μαύρα στίγματα, εκδύματα και άτομα του S. pyri. Σε σοβαρές προσβολές μπορεί να έχουμε φυλλόπτωση και μείωση της παραγωγής αν και αυτό είναι σπάνιο. Πηγή http://www.greensupport.gr

Photos Nicosia 17/9/2015 by George Konstantinou

Apterola (Apterola) kuenckeli (Mulsant & Rey, 1866) - Cyprus

Family Lygaeidae

 A member of Seed Bugs 

.Photos  24/8/2015 by George Konstantinou

Tamarix Cicada - Tettigetta musiva (Germar, 1830) - Cyprus

Cicadas  are insects in the order Hemiptera, suborder Auchenorrhyncha (which was formerly included in the now invalid suborder called "Homoptera"). Cicadas are in the superfamily Cicadoidea. Their eyes are prominent, though not especially large, and set wide apart on the anterior lateral corners of the frons. The wings are well-developed, with conspicuous veins; in some species the wing membranes are wholly transparent, whereas in many others the proximal parts of the wings are clouded or opaque and some have no significantly clear areas on their wings at all. About 2,500 species of cicada have been described, and many remain to be described. Cicadas live in temperate-to-tropical climates where they are among the most-widely recognized of all insects, mainly due to their large size and unique sound. Cicadas are often colloquially called locusts, although they are unrelated to true locusts, which are various species of swarming grasshopper. Cicadas are related to leafhoppers and spittlebugs.

Cicadas are benign to humans under normal circumstances and do not bite or sting in a true sense, but may mistake a person's arm or other part of their body for a tree or plant limb and attempt to feed. Cicadas have long proboscises under their heads which they insert into plant stems in order to feed on sap. Bites can be painful if a cicada attempts to pierce a person's skin, but they are unlikely to cause other harm. Bites are unlikely to be a defensive reaction and are rare, usually occurring when a cicada is allowed to rest on a person's body for an extended amount of time.

Cicadas can cause damage to several cultivated crops, shrubs, and trees, mainly in the form of scarring left on tree branches while the females lay their eggs deep in branches.

Many people around the world regularly eat cicadas. They are known to have been eaten in Ancient Greece as well as China, Malaysia,Burma, Latin America, and the Congo. Female cicadas are prized for being meatier. Shells of cicadas are employed in the traditional medicines of China.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Potamia, 11/8/2015 by George Konstantinou

Cicada sp. - Cyprus

Cicadas  are insects in the order Hemiptera, suborder Auchenorrhyncha (which was formerly included in the now invalid suborder called "Homoptera"). Cicadas are in the superfamily Cicadoidea. Their eyes are prominent, though not especially large, and set wide apart on the anterior lateral corners of the frons. The wings are well-developed, with conspicuous veins; in some species the wing membranes are wholly transparent, whereas in many others the proximal parts of the wings are clouded or opaque and some have no significantly clear areas on their wings at all. About 2,500 species of cicada have been described, and many remain to be described. Cicadas live in temperate-to-tropical climates where they are among the most-widely recognized of all insects, mainly due to their large size and unique sound. Cicadas are often colloquially called locusts, although they are unrelated to true locusts, which are various species of swarming grasshopper. Cicadas are related to leafhoppers and spittlebugs.

Cicadas are benign to humans under normal circumstances and do not bite or sting in a true sense, but may mistake a person's arm or other part of their body for a tree or plant limb and attempt to feed. Cicadas have long proboscises under their heads which they insert into plant stems in order to feed on sap. Bites can be painful if a cicada attempts to pierce a person's skin, but they are unlikely to cause other harm. Bites are unlikely to be a defensive reaction and are rare, usually occurring when a cicada is allowed to rest on a person's body for an extended amount of time.

Cicadas can cause damage to several cultivated crops, shrubs, and trees, mainly in the form of scarring left on tree branches while the females lay their eggs deep in branches.

Many people around the world regularly eat cicadas. They are known to have been eaten in Ancient Greece as well as China, Malaysia,Burma, Latin America, and the Congo. Female cicadas are prized for being meatier. Shells of cicadas are employed in the traditional medicines of China.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Potamia, 11/8/2015 by George Konstantinou

Cottony cushion scale - Icerya purchasi (Maskell,1878) Βαμβακάδα των εσπεριδοειδών - Cyprus

Family: Monophlebidae

Icerya purchasi (common name: cottony cushion scale) is a scale insect that feeds on more than 50 families of woody plants, most notably on Citrus and Pittosporum. Originally described in 1879 from specimens collected in New Zealand as pests of kangaroo acacia, it is now found worldwide where citrus crops are grown. The cottony cushion scale originates from Australia.

This scale infests twigs and branches. The mature hermaphrodite is oval in shape, reddish-brown with black hairs, 5 mm long. When mature, the insect remains stationary, attaches itself to the plant by waxy secretions, and produces a white egg sac in grooves, by extrusion, in the body which encases hundreds of red eggs. The egg sac will grow to be two to three times as long as the body. Newly hatched nymphs are the primary dispersal stage, with dispersion known to occur by wind and by crawling. Early stage nymphs feed from the midrib veins of leaves and small twigs, and do the bulk of the damage. At each molt, they leave at the old feeding point the former skin and the waxy secretions in which they had covered themselves and from which their common name is derived. Unlike many other scale insects, they retain legs and a limited mobility in all life stages. Older nymphs migrate to larger twigs and eventually as adults to branches and the trunk. Their life cycle is highly temperature dependent, as the length of time in each stage of life is longer in cold temperatures than high temperatures.

True males are uncommon to rare overall, and in many infestations are not present. Pure females are unknown. Self-fertilization by a hermaphrodite will produce only hermaphrodites. Matings of a male and hermaphrodite will produce both males and hermaphrodites.

In addition to the direct damage from sap sucking, the insects also secrete honeydew, on which sooty mold often grows and causes further damage to the host plant. Some ants will also consume this honeydew.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Athalassa, 25/10/2014 by George Konstantinou

Fig wax scale - Ceroplastes rusci (Linnaeus, 1758) - (Insecta: Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Coccidae) - Cyprus

Ceroplastes is a genus of wax scales in the family Coccidae. There are more than 130 described species in Ceroplastes

This scale is deeply encased in pinkish-gray wax, which is divided into three wax plates on each side with additional plates at the anterior and posterior ends. The single large dorsal plate has a central nucleus. Dorsal and lateral plates are separated from each other by dark red lines which are the color of the scale's body beneath the wax. The anterolateral and mediolateral plates have some white wax which indicates the stigmatic wax bands.

The biology of the fig wax scale has not been studied in Florida but has been described on fig trees in Israel (Bodkin 1927). In general, adult females overwinter on twigs and produce eggs very early in the spring. The eggs hatch to crawlers which move to feed on leaves. After about one month, the crawlers molt to 2nd instar nymphs and migrate to the leaf petioles or to new shoots. Maturity is attained in the summer, and a new generation of crawlers is produced. These nymphs mature late in the fall, overwinter on the twigs, and repeat the cycle (Bodkin 1927). Swailem and Awadallah (1973) reported scales to be equally present on both upper and lower leaf surfaces on fig trees in Egypt.

Talhouk (1975) reported the presence of this scale in the Mediterranean region (Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey) and Argentina.

 From https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/orn/scales/fig_wax_scale.htm

Photos Dali, 31/10/2014 by George Konstantinou

Baizongia pistaciae (Linnaeus) - Aphids - Cyprus

Family: Aphididae

Baizongia pistaciae [L.] induces galls on Pistacia palaestina or in Pistacia terebinthus, in the Mediterranean region. Its galls are very big and populated by thousands of female aphids, forming a clone created by a single mother.

Gall insects are parasitic herbivores that not only consume plant resources, but also induce physiological and morphological changes in plant tissue. These growth transformations are the

result of both the stimulus of the gall-inducer and the reactions of the plants (Tscharnke 1989; Wool 1997). Galls in plants are defined as pathologically developed cells, tissues or organs that have arisen by hypertrophy (increase in cell size) and/or by hyperplasia (increase in cell number), following the

stimulation from a foreign organism.

Gall-inducing species are a minority among aphids: less than 10 percent of the 4,401 aphid species listed by Blackman and Eastop (1994) are considered gall inducers. These species are the subject of researches meanly in USA, Japan, England and Israel (Wool, 2003).

In Israel and the region around, 16 species creates galls on three different Pistacia trees:  eight on Pistacia atlantica Desf., seven on Pistacia palaestina Boiss. and only one on Pistacia lentiscus L.

The biggest galls are created by Baizongia pistaciae [L.], which parasites apical buds of P. palaestina. These galls form perfectly closed pouches with a volume of tens of milliliters, which may contain thousands of aphids, representing four generations of descendants of a single female fundatrix. The geographic distribution of these aphids around the Mediterranean Basin, from Morocco and Spain east to Iran, corresponds with that of the host trees (Bodenheimer and Swirski 1957; Davatchi 1958, Zohary, 1952).

The life cycle (holocyclic – with an obligatory sexual phase) of B. pistaciae lasts two years. Several generations of parthenogenic reproduction are interrupted by a single sexual generation. This involves

alternation between the primary host (Pistacia trees) used by active aphids during spring and summer, and the roots of various Poaceae (grasses and cereals) as secondary hosts in fall and winter. Host alternation is accomplished by winged aphids: in autumn, following desiccation and opening of

the galls on Pistacia trees, fall migrants disperse on the ground where they reproduce and conquer root grasses. In the next spring, migrants fly from overwintering colonies on the secondary hosts to the primary ones and deposit the sexual generation. These mate and lay overwintering eggs from which gall fundatrices hatch the following spring. They produce new galls in young apical buds that serve as incubators in which the single fundatrix reproduces parthenogenetically, resulting in a clone of thousands of genetically identical offspring (Wool 1995). During migration from host to host, a part of the winged aphids actively fly to neighbor plants, while others are carried along by winds. Among the latter, mortality may reach very high level. Using genetic tools, Martinez et al. (2005) indirectly showed that survival and, as a consequence, production of offspring are higher in aphids flying to

near hosts than in individuals transported far away by winds.

B. pistaciae is a specialist: it creates galls only on P. palaestina or in Pistacia terebinthus. P. palaestina is now considered as a variety of P. terebinthus (Kafkas and Perl-Treves 2001; Kafkas 2006). This aphid is unable to establish on other Pistacia species like atlantica or lentiscus.

Its galls are found in greater number in trees growing in disturbed habitats like roadsides (Martinez & Wool, 2006), or in transitional zones (ecotones) between closed Mediterranean forests and open landscape. It parasites more often old trees than young ones, and shrub-like individuals than tree-like ones (Martinez et al., 2005).

Authors - Martinez Jean Jacques Itzhak

Πηγή https://itsicmzoology.wordpress.com/article/baizongia-pistaciae-l-a-gall-inducer-2lu56ivsd9r6u-3/

Photos Kornos ,8/11/2014 by George Konstantinou

See also

Aphids of the family: Aphididae - Αφίδες (Μελίγκρες και Φυτόψειρες)

Pistacia terebinthus L. - Τερέβινθος - Τρεμιθκιά - Τρεμιθιά - Cyprus