Aphids associated with papaya plants in Puerto Rico and Florida

Abstract

Aphids associated with papaya plants were collected from two sites in Puerto Rico (Isabela and Corozal) and three farms in Homestead, Florida. Between the two regions, Florida and Puerto Rico, twenty-one species of aphids from 12 genera were identified: Aphis sp., Aphis illinoisensis Shimer, Aphis spiraecola Patch, Aphis gossypii Glover, Aphis craccivora Koch, Aphis iddletonii (Thomas), Aphis nerii Boyer de Fonscolombe, Hyperomyzus carduellinus (Theobald), Hysteroneura setariae (Thomas), Lipaphis pseudobrassicae (Davis), Picturaphis sp., Pentalonia nigronervosa Coquerel, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), Sarucallis kahawaluokalani (Kirkaldy), Shinjia orientalis (Mordvilko), Schizaphis rotundiventris (Signoret), Toxoptera citricida (Kilkardy), Toxoptera aurantii (Boyer de Fonscolombe), Tetraneura nigriabdominalis (Sasaki), Uroleucon ambrosiae (Thomas), and Uroleucon pseudoambrosiae (Olive). The number of species was greater in Florida (n = 14) than in Puerto Rico (n = 11). Differences among species were also found between sites in Puerto Rico, with 10 species in Corozal and six in Isabela. Only one species, A. illinoisensis, was common at all sites sampled, whereas three additional species, A. spiraecola, A. gossypii, and A. craccivora were collected in both the Corozal, Puerto Rico, and the Florida areas. The difference in species composition between Puerto Rican sites (Corozal and Isabela) and between localities (Florida and Puerto Rico) is probably associated with differences in agricultural crops or weeds present in each region.