ASSOCIATION OF THE APHIDS (INSECTA: HOMOPTERA: APHIDIDAE) WITH MONOCOTS FLOWERING PLANTS IN INDIA

Abstract

The present paper deals with the association of aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae) with the monocots flowering plant in India. The analysis of data revealed that only 7.66% of the total monocot species recorded in the world is known in India and amongst them only 6.55% (301 species) are associated with 181 species of the aphids. Poaceae is the most suffered family of the monocots by the aphid infestation (163 species of plants are associated with 142 species of aphids including earlier records) followed by Orchidaceae (36 species of plants are associated with 13 species of aphids), Cyperaceae (17 species of plants are associated with 27 species of aphids), Araceae (10 species of plants are associated with 17 species of aphids) and less than 10 species of plants in other families. In India, members of only 6 subfamilies of the aphids are associated with monocots flowering plants. Aphidinae is the largest (75 species) subfamily among them followed by Eriosomatinae (13 species), Hormaphidinae (7 species), Calaphidinae (4 species), Greenideinae (2 species) and Lachninae (single species) excluding the aphids listed earlier on Poaceae. Aphis (Aphis) gossypii Glover is the highly polyphagous species and feeds on 25 species of monocots belonging to 15 families excluding Poaceae of which it is associated with 6 species. Two species, Sitobion (Sitobion) indicum Basu and Sitobion (Sitobion) luteum (Buckton) are highly host specieifc and are associated with only 2 families, Orchidaceae and Cyperaceae.