Pseudacaudella rubida ( Börner, 1939 )

Pseudacaudella rubida ( Börner, 1939) View in CoL

( Figs 4–5 View Figures 1–5 , 7, 9 View Figures 6–9 )

Material: Hungary, Heves county, Bükk Mts, Eger, Nagy Eged, open karst forest, Hypnum cupressiforme colony on the bark of Quercus pubescens Wild. , 440 m a.s.l., N 47.9259° E 20.4104°, leg. Gy. Dudás, J. Varga, 22.i.2024, 5 viviparous apterous females and 6 larvae. 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. D. Murányi, 27.iii.2024, 3 viviparous apterous females and 3 larvae.

Morphology. Apterae are shining olive green to brown with rusty patches at the bases of siphunculi; BL 730,29μm. The dorsum of the adult is mostly smooth, sclerotic, and rather shiny, but nodulose on the margins. Antennal tubercles are undeveloped. The head cuticle is almost smooth dorsally, with nodules on the ventral side. The antennae are 0.9 times the body length, with a terminal process 2,38 times as long as the base of antennal segment VI. There are no secondary rhinaria. The hairs on antennal segment III are about 0,36 times the basal diameter of that segment. The rostrum reaches the hind coxae, and the apical rostral segment is 1,44 times the second hind tarsal segment. The siphunculi are cylindrical with a subapical constriction under the strongly developed flange. The siphunculi are 3,22 times the caudal length. The cauda has a broad rounded basal part, and a narrow tongue-shaped apical part, with 4 hairs.

Distribution and ecology. Recorded throughout in Europe, known also from Central Asia ( Kazakhstan), Northern Africa ( Morocco), the Americas ( Brazil, Panama, USA), and alatae have been collected in New Zealand. Ubiquitous species, occur on a wide range of mosses found from dry rocks to submerged in forest swamps. Not ant-attended and monoecious, though possible host alternation from Sorbus was reported from Ukraine ( Bozhko 1976 - under the name Staegeriella sp. ). Reported from all year, during the cold season as hibernating larvae. It seems anholocyclic, with a specialized overwintering second instar larva having a dark sclerotic cuticle and a wax coat ( Müller 1973, Tinguely 1993). Our samples from January contained both adults and unmodified larvae, indicating that the species do not went on hibernating during the extremely warm winter of 2024, or due to dwelling on a warm, southern exposed hill. Pseudacaudella rubida has been recorded from the mosses Brachythecium albicans (Hedw.) Schimp. , Calliergon cordifolium (Hedw.) Kindb. , Calliergonella cuspidata, Climacium dendroides (Hedw.) F.Weber & D.Mohr, Dicranum scoparium , Hylocomium splendens , Mnium hornum , Pleurozium schreberi , Polytrichum commune , Polytrichum formosum , Pseudoscleropodium purum , Racomitrium lanuginosum (Hedw.) Brid. , Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Sanionia uncinata (Hedw.) Loeske, Sciuro-hypnum oedipodium, Sphagnum divinum Flatberg & Hassel , Sphagnum recurvum P.Beauv. , Thuidium tamariscinum (Hedw.) Schimp. (compiled from Albrecht 2015 and Blackman & Eastop 2024, nomenclature updated according to Hodgetts et al. 2020).

As written above, it was coexisting with Muscaphis musci in Hypnum cupressiforme colonies and both adults and larvae were present in the samples from January 2024. On the contrary, it was found as the only aphid in a Palustriella commutata colony in March 2024, while the same colony was inhabited only by M. eischirichi in October 2022.

Acknowledgements

We are indebted to Dr Tímea Szederjesi (Department of Zoology, Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, Eger, Hungary) for the identification of accompanying earthworms. An anonymous reviewer is also thanked for the valuable suggestions and corrections. The research was supported by the National Research Development and Innovation Office of Hungary, Project No. K 129311.

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