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Photo#1333791
Aphalaroida spinifera? - Aphalaroida spinifera - male

Aphalaroida spinifera? - Aphalaroida spinifera - Male
Rio Rico, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, USA
January 22, 2017
Size: 2 mm
Caught sweeping a Mesquite tree.
Coordinates: 31.468124, -110.974281

Images of this individual: tag all
Aphalaroida spinifera? - Aphalaroida spinifera - male Aphalaroida spinifera? - Aphalaroida spinifera - male Aphalaroida spinifera? - Aphalaroida spinifera - male Aphalaroida spinifera? - Aphalaroida spinifera - male Aphalaroida spinifera? - Aphalaroida spinifera - male Aphalaroida spinifera? - Aphalaroida spinifera - male

Moved after Chris Mallory concluded:
Moved from Aphalaroida.
"Based on my interpretation of all of these characters I think spinifera is a pretty solid match."

Moved
Moved from Psylloidea.

Yes, I think so
A. spinifera / rauca seem to be very similar and quite difficult, having used to be treated as a single species. The forewing maculation definitely favors rauca as illustrated by Hodkinson, but as he notes this is an unreliable character. However, the pattern is not unlike that illustrated by Crawford of spinifera in his original description. The forewing shape and venation, which are more reliable characters, are more in line with spinifera. The length of the glandular hairs too seems most consistent with spinifera, though nearly all of them are covered in a secretion that distorts their shape. The ones that aren't obscured, though, appear to be apically acute and not truncate, again consistent with spinifera. And the antenna length / head width ratio (taken from the ventral image) falls into the low end of the range listed for spinifera, and is slightly too high for rauca. This is all supported by the shape of the forceps which appear simple, parallel sided, and with apex as figured by Hodkinson.

Based on my interpretation of all of these characters I think spinifera is a pretty solid match. I think the "A. pithelocobia" currently on bugguide from Pinal County may be the same species, though I can't be sure.

 
Your discussions on how
you arrive to your identifications are most informative.
Thank you Chris for educating me and others about these interesting and generally overlooked creatures.

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