| Abstract [eng] |
Aphids (Arthropoda, Insecta, Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Aphidoidea) are insects that feed on plant sap. Aphids of the tribe Eulachnini feed exclusively on coniferous plants. In addition to being pests of forest and ornamental plants, they are also beneficial to beekeepers, as the honeydew they secrete is used to produce so-called “forest honey”. These aphids are specialised for particular feeding sites, with some species showing seasonal migration between above- and below-ground parts of the plant. Faunistic information about Eulachnini species in Lithuania has been fragmentary and insufficient. Some aphid morphs have been not recorded. Some discrepancies between the classification and species boundaries in tribe Eulachnini and the results of molecular phylogenetic studies were mentioned in literature. Six aphid species of tribe Eulachnini were recorded in Lithuania for the first time. Representatives of 5 morphs belonging to 3 aphid species were found for the first time during periodical observations of feeding specialisation and life cycles. Partial sequences of COI gene of 5 species and that of EF-1α gene of 7 species were included in phylogenetic analysis of aphid tribe Eulachnini for the first time. Taxonomic assessments of 3 problematic species complexes (Cinara (Cinara) pilosa, C. (C.) pinea and C. (C.) piniphila; Cinara (Cinara) piceicola, C. (C.) pilicornis and C. (C.) pruinosa; Cinara (Schizolachnus) obscura and C. (S.) pineti) were carried out. |
