Muscaphis (Asphidaphium) eschirichi ( Börner, 1939 )

Muscaphis (Asphidaphium) eschirichi ( Börner, 1939)

( Figs 1 View Figures 1–5 , 6, 9 View Figures 6–9 )

Material: Hungary, Heves county, Bükk Mts, Nagyvisnyó, beech forest, Palustriella commutata colony on limestone tuff rocks in the outlet of the Bán Spring , 490 m a.s.l., N 48.1119° E 20.4739°, leg. Q.B. Huo, R. R. Mo, A. & D. Murányi, S. Papp, 19.x.2022, 4 viviparous apterous females and 5 larvae GoogleMaps .

Morphology. Apterae BL 0.766μm, red- brown, ochreous, with legs and antenna slightly paler, ranging 465μm, 0,6 times as long as the BL. PT/B = 1,02; RIV+ V /HT2 = 1.2–1.5. The dorsum presents a reticulate pattern. The cauda is covered by the abdominal tergite VIII. Siphunculi narrowly conical, slightly dorsoventrally flattened, tapering towards a rounded apex presenting a small subapical aperture.

Distribution and ecology. Holarctic species, in Europe it is known mainly from the North ( UK, Scandinavia, Baltic states, Russia) but also from the Czech Republic and Poland. The classification of M. escherichi concerning its association with mosses is under debate among some authors. Blackman & Eastop (2024) propose that M. escherichi is holocyclic on mosses, representing latter generations of Muscaphis drepanosiphoides ( Börner, 1939) that feeds from Sorbus as the primary host, defining them potentially synonymous. The transfer experiments of M. drepanosiphoides from Sorbus to Plagiothecium laetum Schimp. performed by Stekolshchikov & Shaposhnikov (1993) would support the synonymy. However, this present work relies on the studies of Albrecht (2015), where M. escherichi and M. drenaposiphoides are considered different species regarding their morphological distinctiveness, mainly the siphunculi, which characteristics are generally quite constant throughout the parthenogenetic morphs. In the Sorbus -feeding aphids, fundatrix and alatae have siphunculi which are long, black and truncate, with a large terminal aperture ( Albrecht 2015). Molecular analyses are needed to definitively resolve this taxonomic uncertainty. Muscaphis escherichi has been recorded from many species of moss, including Brachythecium salebrosum , Calliergonella cuspidata (Hedw.) Loeske , Cirriphyllum piliferum (Hedw.) Grout , Dicranum scoparium Hedw. , Hylocomium splendens (Hedw.) Schimp. , Hypnum cupressiforme , Kindbergia praelonga (Hedw.) Ochyra , Mnium hornum Hedw. , Pleurozium schreberi (Willd. ex Brid.) Mitt. , Pohlia filum (Schimp.) Mårtensson , Pseudoscleropodium purum (Hedw.) M.Fleisch. Plagiomnium affine (Blandow ex Funck) T.J.Kop. , Plagiomnium rostratum (Schrad.) T.J.Kop. , Plagiomnium undulatum (Hedw.) T.J.Kop. , Plagiothecium laetum , Polytrichum formosum Hedw. , Ptilium crista-castrensis (Hedw.) De Not. , Rhodobryum roseum (Hedw.) Limpr. , Rhytidiadelphus loreus (Hedw.) Warnst. , Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus (Hedw.) Warnst. , Sciuro-hypnum oedipodium (Mitt.) Ignatov & Huttunen (compiled from Albrecht 2015 and Blackman & Eastop 2024, nomenclature updated according to Hodgetts et al. 2020).

It was collected together with Pseudacaudella rubida ( Börner, 1939) from the same colonies of their new host plant, the rare Palustriella commutata . However, only M. eschirichi was found in October 2022, while only P. rubida was found in March 2024. Both species were scarce, a few viviparous apterous females and larvae were found in the samples. Ants were not present in the sample, but a rich community of other invertebrates (Fig. 10, Table 1); the samples were particularly rich in Collembola while relatively few mites were present.