Current state of systematics of the Ericaphis fimbriata (Hemiptera: Aphididae) species complex

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

9:36 AM – 9:48 AM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 212

Presenting Author(s)

Bryan Brunet

Research Scientist
Government of Canada
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Co-Author(s)

JG

Jennifer Gleason

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Michelle T. Franklin

Entomologist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada
YU

Yonathan Uriel

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada

Ericaphis fimbriata is an aphid of economic importance in British Columbia (BC). In the Lower Mainland of BC, it is the predominate aphid species on highbush blueberry, and is the primary vector of Blueberry Scorch Virus (BlScV), a virus that causes necrosis of plant tissue and eventual death. Despite its association with blueberry, E. fimbriata will complete its life cycle on other ericaceous hosts, as well as unrelated hosts in the Rosaceae family, namely strawberry and rose. Other closely related aphid species do not display this variation in host families, and this is therefore a unique trait for E. fimbriata. This has prompted the idea that E. fimbriata may consist of cryptic species with more specific host-affinities. Here, we will review the systematics of this putative species complex using data accumulated from morphometric analysis, DNA barcoding, ultra-conserved elements and whole genome sequencing.