The Correct Spelling Of The Scientific Name For The Brown Citrus Aphid

1 Pages·1994·0.34 MB·English

by  M B Stoetzel

PROC. ENTOMOL. SOC. WASH.
96(1). 1994, p. 179
Note
The correct spelling ofthe scientific name
for the brown citrus aphid
In 1907. Kirkaldy (1907. Proceedings of apposition, would retain its proper ending
the Hawaiian Entomological Society 1: 99- whatever the gender of the generic name
102) described My:iis citricidus and report- with which it is combined. The spelling of
ed that it was similar to Myziis cerasi, that citricida is like that in fratricida, homicida,
it was very common on Citrus throughout patricida, and suicida which are all nouns
the Hawaiian Islands, and that it was prob- derived from verbs, which do not change
ably an introduction from China. for gender accord, and from which come
Thisaphid iscommonlycalled the brown such words as fratricidal, homicidal, patri-
citrusaphid (BrCA), in contrast to the black cidal, and suicidal. However, Kirkaldy used
citrus aphid (BICA), Toxoptera aurantii citriciduswhich isa latinized adjective with
(Boyerde Fonscolombe), and has long been a masculine ending to agree with the genus
known to occur in south eastern Asia, Aus- Myzus; and, according to Article 32c (ii) of
tralia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, the Code (International Code ofZoological
southern Africa, and subtropical and warm Nomenclature, Third Edition. 1985. Uni-
temperate partsofSouth America. Until re- versity ofCalifornia Press, Berkeley) incor-
cently, the brown citrus aphid was not rect latinization is not to be considered an
known to occur in the citrus-growing area inadvertent error.
ofthe Middle East, the Mediterranean Re- The genus Toxoptera Koch (1856. Niim-
gion, the Caribbean, or Central and North berg. Heft 8: 237-274) is derived from the
America. However, in 1991,onealatebrown Greekwordstoxon meaningbowandptero-
citrus aphid was collected in a yellow pan meaning wing and is feminine. According
trap in melon fields in Costa Rica (Voegtlin, to Article 31b ofthe Code (Idem.), an ad-
D. & W. Villalobos M. 1992. norida En- jectival species name must agree in gender
tomologist 75(1): 161-162). with the generic name with which it iscom-
In 1992, I identified several brown citrus bined. Therefore, thecorrectscientificname
aphids from collections in Costa Rica, Do- for the brown citrus aphid is T. citricida
minican Republic, Haiti, Nicaragua, and (Kirkaldy).
Puerto Rico. In April 1993, 1 identified sev- For their comments on this note, I thank
eral brown citrus aphids from collections in D. J. Voegtlin (Illinois Natural History Sur-
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and in Jamaica. vey, Champaign, Illinois 61820), G. C.
While this aphid is still not known to occur Steyskal (retired, 3654 N.W. 51st Terrace,
in the continental United States, it is ap- Gainesville, FL 32606); and A. S. Menke
parent that it could soon reach the citrus- and F. C. Thompson (Systematic Entomol-
growingareasin thesouthern United States. ogy Laboratory, ARS, USDA, % National
Because this aphid is ofgreat economic Museum of Natural History, Washington,
concern, it is important to settle questions D.C. 20560).
concerning the spelling of the specific epi-
Manya B. Stoetzel, Systematic Entomol-
thet. Clearly Kirkaldy intended "citrus-kill- ogy^Laboratory. ARS. USDA. Building004.
esrpe"llaisngthoefstpheecifsipcecniaemsen;aamnedsahsouslucdh,hatvhee Room 6. BARC-W. Beltsville. Mary-land
20705.
been citricida, which, as a verbal noun in