Aphis aurantii

Boyer de Fonscolombe, 1841

Black Citrus Aphid, Camellia Aphid

Aphis aurantii is an economically significant known as the Black Citrus Aphid or Camellia Aphid. It is a major pest in commercial tea plantations and gardens in China, where it causes substantial damage to Camellia sinensis. The species exhibits a broad range across multiple plant , with documented specialization on Ficus in sympatric suggesting ongoing host-associated divergence. Population genetic studies reveal high haplotype diversity across Chinese populations with evidence of recent expansion events and isolation-by-distance patterns.

Aphis aurantii by no rights reserved, uploaded by Jesse Rorabaugh. Used under a CC0 license.

California greenhouse pests and their control (0713) (20328095859) by Pritchard, A. Earl (Arthur Earl), 1915-1965. Used under a No restrictions license.

A handbook of the destructive insects of Victoria, with notes on the methods to be adopted to check and extirpate them (1891) (14595647240) by Internet Archive Book Images. Used under a No restrictions license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Aphis aurantii: /ˈeɪfɪs ɔːˈræntiˌaɪ/

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Images

Habitat

Commercial tea plantations and gardens in China; also found on diverse plants including Ficus in sympatric .

Distribution

China (extensively sampled across 11 locations showing widespread haplotype distribution); also recorded from the Azores (Faial, Flores, Graciosa, Pico, São Jorge). occurs among local Chinese despite geographic structure, with correlating positively with geographic distance.

Diet

Phloem sap-feeding on plants.

Host Associations

Camellia sinensis - major explicitly identified as primary in commercial tea plantations
Ficus - specialized shows significant genetic divergence and morphometric differences suggesting incipient speciation
Citrus - inferred 'Black Citrus ' suggests association, though not explicitly confirmed in sources

Ecological Role

Destructive pest in commercial tea plantations and gardens; significant agricultural and forestry pest with broad plant range.

Human Relevance

Major economic pest affecting tea production in China; subject of genetic research to understand patterns and inform management strategies.

More Details

Population Genetics

Chinese show low diversity (0.00968) but extremely high haplotype diversity (0.9991), with 166 haplotypes identified from 177 individuals. No distinct lineages detected; haplotypes widely distributed across and network. AMOVA indicates genetic differences both within and among populations. Neutral tests and mismatch distribution suggest recent population expansion events.

Host-Associated Divergence

on Ficus exhibit significant genetic divergence from populations on other plants in the same geographical area, supported by five-gene phylogenetic analysis and 38 morphological characters. This suggests specialized evolution on Ficus with potential ongoing , challenging the ' characterization as broadly .

Nomenclature Note

Listed as synonym in Catalogue of Life but accepted in GBIF and NCBI; treated as Aphis (Toxoptera) aurantii in some classifications.