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Recursive partitioning to prioritize morphometric traits that separate Aspen specialist Chaitophorus aphid by species and stage

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Abstract

Arthropod herbivore assemblages are used to gain insight into questions about evolution, ecology, diversity, and conservation. However, determination at the species level of small arthropods may be challenging risking underestimating diversity. Here we suggest morphometric analyses as a supplementary determination method, and we demonstrate its use for a study of Chaitophorus species collected from Aspen trees (Populus tremula). Although sampled as one colony, the aphids represented three species. Rearing the species separately allowed us to get estimates characteristic of the developmental stages from each of the three species for morphometric comparisons. Recursive partitioning (RP) was used to create a decision tree for choice of morphometric parameters that with significance (p < 0.05) could determine the aphids by species and developmental stage; this insight could then be used as a key for determination. Eight of fifteen morphometric traits were selected by RP to be used in the key. Body length was responsible for nine splits and was consequently the more consistent morphometric trait used in the key.

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Acknowledgements

RKG is also thankful to Swedish Institute (SE) for providing the financial support under the Guest Scholarship Programme (letter no. 00622/2007 dated June 11, 2007) during this study.The authors are thankful to Dr. Poornima Saraswat, Assistant Professor, Mody University of Science and Technology, Sikar, Rajasthan, India for helping in the aphid sketch and its demarcation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Science, St. Mary’s School, Sikar, 332301, Rajasthan, India

    Richa Raizada

  2. Department of Biotechnology, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, Uttar Pradesh, Gorakhpur, 273009, India

    Rajarshi Kumar Gaur

  3. Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science Centre, Umeå University, 90187, Umeå, SE, Sweden

    Richa Raizada, Rajarshi Kumar Gaur & Benedicte R. Albrectsen

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  1. Richa Raizada
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  3. Benedicte R. Albrectsen
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Supplementary file2 (XLS 76 KB Table S1 Morphometric analysis for the characterization of characterize four nymph instars and adults of three Chaitophorus species)

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Raizada, R., Gaur, R.K. & Albrectsen, B.R. Recursive partitioning to prioritize morphometric traits that separate Aspen specialist Chaitophorus aphid by species and stage. Int J Trop Insect Sci 42, 941–946 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-021-00620-6

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