The Palaearctic triozids associated with Rubiaceae (Hemiptera, Psylloidea): A taxonomic re-evaluation of the Trioza galii Foerster complex

Abstract

The Palaearctic Trioza galii complex is revised to contain T. cocquempoti sp. n., T. drosopouli sp. n., T. galii Foerster and T. velutina Foerster stat. rev., with following new synonymies: T. rubiae Baeva and T. rubicunda Loginova = T. galii and Trioza distincta Flor = T. velutina, respectively. T. galii f. spinogalii Šulc and T. galii f. aspinovelutina Šulc are considered to be of infrasubspecific rank and thus unavailable. Trioza velutina var. thoracica Flor is an available name regarded as nomen dubium. Lectotypes are designated for Trioza galii and T. velutina. Adults and last instar larvae (except T. velutina) are diagnosed and illustrated. Identification keys are provided. All four species are associated with Rubiaceae on which they induce galls. Confirmed hosts of T. galii are Galium spp. and Asperula cynanchica, literature records also suggest Sherardia arvensis and Rubia spp. T. cocquempoti and T. drosopouli develop on Rubia spp. T. velutina is probably associated with Galium spp. but hard evidence is not available. The T. galii complex is diagnosed using adult and larval characters. The definition is similar to Conci's (1992) concept of Spanioza but excludes S. tamaninii. S. tamaninii is morphologically intermediate between the T. galii complex and the T. centranthi complex (associated with Valerianaceae) which may be sister groups. The synonymy of Spanioza with Trioza is confirmed, and the new combination Trioza tamaninii is proposed.