Aphis nelsonensis Cottier, 1953:171
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Conservation Status
Missing
Last record: 1965 (Teulon & Stufkens, 1998:14; Stringer et al., 2012)
"This aphid has only been collected on two occasions, once by A J Healy about a mile from the summit, Whangamoa Hills, between Rai Valley and Nelson at an altitude of about 900 feet in November 1946 (Cottier 1953); and once by A D Lowe from Cass, Canterbury, in January 1965 (Natural History Museum, London). The aphid has not been seen since, despite concerted efforts to find it by MAW Stufkens between 1993 and 1998...In recent aphid surveys of Epilobium another aphid species, the introduced Aphis nr epilobii, is the only species that has been found. This species was first observed in New Zealand in 1962 (Lowe 1966) and has possibly displaced A. nelsonensis on Epilobium."
(Teulon & Stufkens, 1998:14)
"The aphid has not been seen since, despite concerted efforts to find it by M.A.W. Stufkens between 1993 and 2000."
(Teulon et al., 2003:21)
"The aphid Aphis nelsonensis has been collected from only two sites: Whangamoa Saddle, Nelson, in 1946; and Cass, Canterbury, in 1965. This species has not been seen again despite extensive searching and it may be Extinct. It has been recorded from Epilobium where it may be out-competed by an adventive aphid, Aphis nr epilobii, which was first recorded in 1962 and is now common on the host plant (D. Teulon, unpublished data)."
(Stringer et al., 2012:112)
Distribution
South Island, New Zealand
"This aphid has only been collected on two occasions, once by A J Healy about a mile from the summit, Whangamoa Hills, between Rai Valley and Nelson at an altitude of about 900 feet in November 1946 (Cottier 1953); and once by A D Lowe from Cass, Canterbury, in January 1965 (Natural History Museum, London)."
(Teulon & Stufkens, 1998:14)
"The aphid Aphis nelsonensis has been collected from only two sites: Whangamoa Saddle, Nelson, in 1946; and Cass, Canterbury, in 1965."
(Stringer et al., 2012:112)
Biology & Ecology
The host plant is a species of Epilobium, but species identification has not been possible:
"The Epilobium species could not be identified by A J Healy because the leaves and stems were so badly malformed due to the presence of the aphid (Cottier 1953) and the host plant from A D Lowe's collections were not identified to the species level either (Natural History Museum)."
(Teulon & Stufkens, 1998:14)
Hypodigm
Specimens are housed in two collections (Teulon & Stufkens, 1998:14):
New Zealand Arthropod Collection, Auckland
Natural History Museum, London
Media
References
Original scientific description:
Cottier, W. (1953). Aphids of New Zealand. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 106: 1-382.
Other references:
Stringer, I. A. N., Hitchmough, R. A., Larivière, M.-C., Eyles, A. C., Teulon, D. A. J., Dale, P. J. and Henderson, R. C. (2012). The conservation status of New Zealand Hemiptera. New Zealand Entomologist 35(2): 110-115.
Teulon, D. A. J. and Stufkens, M. A. W. (1998). Current status of New Zealand indigenous aphids. Conservation Advisory Science Notes No. 216, Department of Conservation, Wellington.
Teulon, D. A. J., Stufkens, M. A. W., Dohlen, C. D. von and Kean, J. (2003). Status of New Zealand indigenous aphids, 2002. DOC Science Internal Series 106. Department of Conservation, Wellington. 31 pp.