Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Assessing diversity of aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) along elevation gradient in Azad Jammu and Kashmir-Pakistan

  • Original Research Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Studies determining biodiversity along elevation during past two decades have generated considerable data on altitudinal diversity of many animal and plant taxa. Pakistan’s contribution to such investigations mainly comprises diversity of some plant communities and few hexapods. The present work was conducted to evaluate diversity of aphids, an economically and ecologically important taxon, along elevation gradient in the Poonch division, a biodiversity rich spot, of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. Samples were collected during the growing season of 2015–2016, from cereal crops, fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, medicinal and aromatic plants, wild and cultivated trees. Aphids picked from host plants with horse-hair brush were preserved in 70% ethanol for taxonomic analysis. A total of 66 species in 37 genera belonging to 6 subfamilies of Aphididae were found associated with sampled flora along an elevation gradient of 950–2600 m above sea level. Data analysis showed high species richness between 950–1800 m a.s.l. Generally aphid diversity declined along increasing altitude. However highest species diversity, 51 species in 27 genera, recorded at Rawalakot (1638 m a.s.l), underscores maximum aphid species richness at intermediate elevation. Subfamily Aphidinae and genus Aphis showed highest altitudinal range. The study besides signifying the interactive role of climatic conditions, productivity and floral complexity of a region in shaping aphid diversity along altitude, would also serve as the baseline for the future bioecological works on aphids and associated taxa thereof in the study area and elsewhere.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agarwala BK, Ghosh AK (1985) Monograph on oriental aphidoidea: key to the genera and synoptic list. Zoological Survey of India

  • Amin M, Mahmood K, Bodlah I, Khan MR (2017) New additions to pakistan’s aphididae (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea) damaging Rosa species. Sarhad J Agri 33:511–518

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrew NR, Hughes L (2005) Arthropod community structure along a latitudinal gradient: implications for future impacts of climate change. Austral Ecol 30:281–297

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arif S, Khan MR, Shehzad A, Nazir N, Rahim J, Naz F, Rafi A (2014) Biodiversity of Syrphid flies (Syrphidae: Diptera) from Poonch district of Azad Kashmir Pakistan. J Agr Tech 10:1465–1472

    Google Scholar 

  • Azhari LH, Sulaiman A, Rohaini N, Hazmi IR (2019) Fauna of chrysomelid beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) along an elevational gradient at Mount Fraser Pahang Malaysia. Agr Nat Res 53:173–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Bateman BL, Kutt AS, Vanderduys EP, Kemp JE (2010) Small-mammal species richness and abundance along a tropical altitudinal gradient: an Australian example. J Trop Ecol 26:139–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beck J, Chey VK (2008) Explaining the elevational diversity pattern of geometrid moths from Borneo: a test of five hypotheses. J Biogeogr 35:1452–1464

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beğen HA, Görür G (2021) The Aphid Fauna (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea) and Host Plants of The Büyükada Island (İstanbul Turkey). J Adv Res Nat App Sci 7(1):1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Blackman RL, Eastop VF (1994) Aphids on the world's trees: an identification and information guide. Cab International, Willington, 987 pp

  • Blackman RL, Eastop VF (2008) Aphids on the world’s herbaceous plants and shrubs 2, vol set. John Wiley & Sons

    Google Scholar 

  • Blackman RL, VF Eastop (2019) Aphids on the world’s plants: an online identification and information guide. Available at http://www.aphidsonworldsplants.info

  • Boggs CL, Murphy DD (1997) Community composition in mountain ecosystems: climatic determinants of montane butterfly distributions. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 1:39–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carneiro E, Mielke OH, Casagrande MM, Fiedler K (2014) Community structure of skipper butterflies (Lepidoptera Hesperiidae) along elevational gradients in Brazilian Atlantic forest reflects vegetation type rather than altitude. Plos one 9:108207

  • Chatzaki M, Lymberakis P, Markakis G, Mylonas M (2005) The distribution of ground spiders (Araneae, Gnaphosidae) along the altitudinal gradient of Crete Greece: species richness activity and altitudinal range. J Biogeogr 32:813–831

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coelho MS, Carneiro MA, Branco CA, Borges RA, Fernandes GW (2017) Galling insects of the Brazilian Páramos: species richness and composition along high-altitude grasslands. Environ Entomol 46:1243–1253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dixon AF, Kindlmann P, Leps J, Holman J (1987) Why there are so few species of aphids especially in the tropics. American Nat 129:580–592

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dixon AFG, Kindlmann P (1990) Role of plant abundance in determining the abundance of herbivorous insects. Oecologia 83(2):281–283

  • Favret C (2019) Aphid species file Version 5.0/5.0. http://aphid.speciesfile.org/. Accessed 12 Oct 2019

  • Fernandes GW, Lara AC (1993) Diversity of Indonesian gall-forming herbivores along altitudinal gradients. Biodivers Lett 1:186–192

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fernandes GW, Price PW (1991) Comparison of tropical and temperate galling species richness: the roles of environmental harshness and plant nutrient status. Plant-animal interactions: evolutionary ecology in tropical and temperate regions Wiley 91–115

  • Ghazal AMF (2015) Vegetation patterns and plant communities distribution along an altitudinal gradient at Asir Mountain, Southwest Saudi Arabia. Pak J Bot 47(4):1377–1389

  • Hagvar S (1976) Altitudinal zonation of the invertebrate fauna on branches of birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh). Norsk Entomol Tidsskr 61–73

  • Hayat A, Khan MR, Naz F, Rafi MA (2014) Ladybird beetles of sub-family Chilocorinae (Coccinellidae: Coleoptera) of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Pak Entomol 36:135–143

    Google Scholar 

  • Hidalgo NP, Martínez-Torres D, Collantes-Alegre JM, Muller WV, Nafría JM (2012) A new species of Rhopalosiphum (Hemiptera Aphididae) on Chusquea tomentosa (Poaceae Bambusoideae) from Costa Rica. Zookeys 166:59–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hodkinson ID (2005) Terrestrial insects along elevation gradients: species and community responses to altitude. Biol Rev 80:489–513

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jung JK, Kim ST, Lee SY, Park CG, Park JK, Lee JH (2012) Community structure of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) along an altitudinal gradient on Mt. Sobaeksan Korea J Asia-Pac Entomol 15:487–494

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katuwal HB, Basnet K, Khanal B, Devkota S, Rai SK, Gajurel JP, Scheidegger C, Nobis MP (2016) Seasonal changes in bird species and feeding guilds along elevational gradients of the Central Himalayas Nepal. PLos one 11:e0158362

  • Khan MR, Khan MR, Ali K, Bashir I, Malik IA, Mir A (2004) Biodiversity of butterflies from districts Poonch and Sudhnoti Azad Kashmir. Asian J Plant Sci 3:556–560

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khan W, Khan SM, Ahmad H, Shakeel A, Page S (2017) Ecological gradient analyses of plant associations in the Thandiani forests of the Western Himalayas Pakistan. Turk J Bot 41:253–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kindlmann P (1988) Extraordinary Latitudinal Gradients in Species-Richness–One Explanation. na.

  • Kumar A, Longino JT, Colwell RK, O’Donnell S (2009) Elevational patterns of diversity and abundance of eusocial paper wasps (Vespidae) in Costa Rica. Biotropica 41:338–346

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawton JH, MacGarvin M, Heads PA (1987) Effects of altitude on the abundance and species richness of insect herbivores on bracken. J Anim Ecol 1:147–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lazzarotto CM, Lázzari SMN (1998) Richness and diversity of aphids (Homoptera Aphididae) along an altitudinal gradient in the Serra do Mar Paraná Brazil. Rev Bras Zool 15:977–983

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin JH (1983) The identification of common aphid pests of tropical agriculture. Int J Pest Manag 29(4):395-411

  • McCain CM (2007) Area and mammalian elevational diversity. Ecology 88:76–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCain CM (2009) Global analysis of bird elevational diversity. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 18:346–360

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naumann-Etienne K, Remaudière G (1995) A commented preliminary checklist of the aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae) of Pakistan and their host plants. Parasitica 51(1)

  • Pudzi SA, Aziz NN, Shaifuddin SJ, Ghani IA, Hatta SK (2018) THE EFFECT OF ELEVATION ON DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE OF CLASS INSECTA AT GUNUNG DATUK NEGERI SEMBILAN. Serangga 22(2)

  • Rahbek C (1995) The elevational gradient of species richness: a uniform pattern? Ecography 200–205

  • Rahim J, Khan MR, Khan MA, Nazir N (2013) Biodiversiy of Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) From District Poonch Azad Kashmir. Pak J Zoo 45(5)

  • Remaudière G, Remaudiere M (1997) Catalogue of the world's Aphididae: Homoptera Aphidoidea. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)

  • Samia AI, Benoufella-Kitous K (2021) Diversity of aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) associated with potato crop in Tizi-Ouzou (North of Algeria) with new records. Acta Agriculturae Slovenica 117(1):1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanders NJ, Lessard JP, Fitzpatrick MC, Dunn RR (2007) Temperature but not productivity or geometry predicts elevational diversity gradients in ants across spatial grains. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 16:640–649

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simbaqueba R, Serna F (2021) Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) of Colombia with new records for northern South America. Caldasia 43(1):1–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stekolshchikov AV, Khruleva OA. (2020) Contribution to the aphid fauna (Homoptera, Aphidinea) of the Taymyrsky Dolgano-Nenetsky District and the krai city of Norilsk with descriptions of two new species of the genus Metopolophium. Zootaxa 4748(1)

  • Statistics S. Statistical yearbook. Shenzhen (2012): Bur Stat

  • Suhaimi S, Zakaria A, Sulaiman A, Yaakob MZ, Juhary MA, Sulaiman N (2018) Species diversity and abundance of butterfly (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) at different altitudes along the Raub Corridor to Fraser’s Hill Pahang Malaysia. Serangga 22(1)

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are thankful to Dr. Amir Sultan of National Herbarium NARC, Islamabad for his assistance in the identification of sampled host plants species.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, Balochistan Agriculture College, Quetta, 87300, Pakistan

    Muhammad Amin

  2. Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Entomology, University of Poonch, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Rawalakot, 12350, Pakistan

    Muhammad Amin, Khalid Mahmood & Muhammad Qasim

  3. Insect Biodiversity and Conservation Group, Department of Entomology, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, 46000, Pakistan

    Imran Bodlah

Authors
  1. Muhammad Amin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Khalid Mahmood
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Imran Bodlah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Muhammad Qasim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Muhammad Amin.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding publication of this article.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Amin, M., Mahmood, K., Bodlah, I. et al. Assessing diversity of aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) along elevation gradient in Azad Jammu and Kashmir-Pakistan. Int J Trop Insect Sci 42, 573–580 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-021-00573-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-021-00573-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation