Systematics of the subfamily aphidinae (Hemiptera :aphididae) from south India

Abstract

Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) are one of the major groups of economically important sucking pests of crops worldwide. They are remarkable for their role as the largest group of insect vectors of plant viral diseases. The family Aphididae is composed of 24 subfamilies that globally include 5109 species under 527 genera. In India, only 16 subfamilies are recognized,comprising of 794 species under 208 genera. Aphidinae, is the largest subfamily under Aphididae, which includes highly polyphagous aphids with 431 species distributed in India. In spite of the diversity and potential as crop pests, the fauna of aphids from South India is poorly studied.