''Toxoptera citricida'' ( syn. ''Toxoptera citricidus'') is a species of

aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...

known by the common names brown citrus aphid, black citrus aphid, and oriental citrus aphid. It is a pest of

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...

and vector for the pathogenic plant virus

citrus tristeza virus Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) is a viral species of the genus ''Closterovirus'' that causes the most economically damaging disease to its namesake plant genus, ''Citrus''. The disease has led to the death of millions of ''Citrus'' trees all over ...

. The aphid spread the virus through citrus groves in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

and

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

in the 1970s, leading to the near destruction of the citrus industry there. This aphid was first discovered in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

in 1995. The adult aphid is shiny black and wingless (aptera) or winged (alate or alatoid), and the

nymph A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label=Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ty ...

is dark reddish brown. The aphid feeds on new buds and leaves. The virus is transmitted when the aphid introduces it into the

phloem Phloem (, ) is the living biological tissue, tissue in vascular plants that transports the soluble organic compounds made during photosynthesis and known as ''photosynthates'', in particular the sugar sucrose, to the rest of the plant. This tran ...

of the plant.Featured Creatures
/ref> In most parts of the world, there is no sexual reproductive stage in the autumn as there is in other aphid species and there are no males and no eggs. All the individuals are viviparous parthenogenetic females all year round. Populations increase very rapidly when the conditions are favourable. The nymphs mature in about a week at temperatures of 20 °C or higher.Komazaki S. 1987. Growth and reproduction in the first two and summer generations of two citrus aphids, Aphis citricola van der Goot and Toxoptera citricidus (Kirkaldy) (Homoptera: Aphididae), under different thermal conditions. Applied Entomology and Zoology 23:220-227. It has been calculated that a single aphid could produce over 4,400 offspring in three weeks in the absence of predation by natural enemies.

References

External links

Insect vectors of plant pathogens Agricultural pest insects Insects described in 1907 Hemiptera of Oceania Aphidini {{Aphididae-stub