The species of Clematis are infested by 27 aphid species (Blackman & Eastop 2014), of which nine belong to the genus Aphis. Three of those species (A. fabae Scopoli, 1763; A. gossypii Glover, 1877; and A. nerii Boyer de Fonscolombe, 1841) are polyphagous and infest various plants of different genera and families, while the remaining six (A. brachysiphon Narzikulov, 1964; A. clematidis Koch, 1854; A. clematicola Pashtshenko, 1994; A. clematiphaga Pashtshenko, 1994; A. longituba Hille Ris Lambers, 1966; A. vitalbae Ferrari, 1872) are narrow oligophagous, solely infesting the species of Clematis (Holman 2009). Most reports of these species concern the central and eastern Palearctic (Hille Ris Lambers 1966; Kumar & Burkhardt 1970; Narzikulov & Daniyarova 1990; Pashchenko 1997). So far three species of Aphis have been found to infest clematis plants in Europe (Holman 2009), and only two have been reported from Poland (Osiadacz & Hałaj 2010). Besides polyphagous A. fabae, the oligophagous A. clematidis has been found in some regions of Poland (Osiadacz & Hałaj 2009). The material gathered from Clematis x vitalba L. in Upper Silesia included A. vitalbae [apterae and alate viviparae, Zabrze city, 14.07.2012, leg. M. Kręciała, Ruda Śląska city, 10.09.2012, leg. R. Hałaj; apterae males and oviparae, Zabrze city, 7.10.2013, leg. M. Kręciała, Bytom city, 02.11.2013, leg. B. Osiadacz; the evidence has been deposited in the collection of Department of Entomology and Environmental Protection, Poznań University of Life Sciences]. The addition of A. vitalbae comes to 758 the Poland fauna of Aphidomorpha (Osiadacz & Hałaj 2012). A. vitalbae can be discriminated from A. clematidis on the basis of shorter hairs on appendages and lack of powdery wax (see key). Its 2-year-long occurrence and the overcoming of the reproduction barrier (the occurrence of sexuales generation – see Fig. 1) indicates it has become naturalized in Poland. The species show the ability to build up large local populations in the country they enter [the mean number of aphid individuals on one over-20-year-old plant about 3 m high: 2,200 individuals – Zabrze, 16.07.13; 1,900 individuals – Ruda Śląska, 17.07.13; 2,000 individuals – Bytom, 18.07.13]. This may lead to an invasive outbreak in the future.

Fig. 1
figure 1

Morphs of Aphis vitalbae: A – viviparous female (14 July 2013); B – oviparous female (6 October 2013), C – male (6 October 2013) [photo by M. Kręciała]

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Key to aphids on Clematis spp. in Europe

  • 1. Siphunculi with a distinct subapical zone of polygonal reticulation .............................................................................2

  • –. Siphunculi without subapical polygonal reticulation ...................................................................................................3

  • 2. Siphunculi 2.3–3.2 times longer than cauda. Longest hairs on antennal segment III maximum 0.4 × basal diameter of this segment. Living apterae whitish green with dark apices to antennal segments, legs and cauda ............................................................................................... Macrosiphum (Macrosiphum) atragenae Holman, 1980

  • –. Siphunculi 1.7–2.2 times longer than cauda. Longest hairs on antennal segment III 0.7–1.0 × basal diameter of this segment. Living apterae usually green, sometimes yellowish or pink with femora and siphunculi pale or only slightly darker towards apices ............................................................................. Macrosiphum (M.) euphorbiae (Thomas, 1878)

  • 3. Spiculose head. Antennal tubercles well-developed, steep-sided or apically convergent. Abdominal tergites 1 and 7 without marginal tubercles ...............................................................................................................................................4

  • –. Non spiculose head. Antennal tubercles undeveloped or weakly developed. Abdominal tergites 1 and 7 with marginal tubercles ............................................................................................................................................................6

  • 4. Siphunculi with contrastingly black distal sections ........................................ Myzus (Myzus) varians Davidson, 1912

  • –. Siphunculi pale, or dusky only at apices .......................................................................................................................5

  • 5. Siphunculi clavate. Antennal segment III without secondary rhinaria. Living apterae not shiny (matte), variable from whitish or pale yellowish green to mid-green, rose-pink or red, rather uniformly colored ................................................................................................. Myzus (Nectarosiphon) persicae (Sulzer, 1776)

  • –. Siphunculi tapering. Antennal segment III usually with 1–2 small secondary rhinaria near base. Living apterae are shiny pale whitish or yellowish green with darker green, orange or rust-colored spots at bases of siphunculi, to dull green or greenish brown ............................................................ Aulacorthum (Aulacorthum) solani (Kaltenbach, 1843)

  • 6. Cauda black like siphunculi. Living apterae dull black, sometimes with white wax markings ..................................................................................................................... Aphis (Aphis) fabae Scopoli, 1763

  • –. Cauda pale or dusky. Living apterae not dull black ......................................................................................................7

  • 7. Apical segment of rostrum 0.75–1.0 times longer than second segment of hind tarsus. Living apterae with white wax powder, dorsum dark olive green with a blackish spinal stripe, marbled. Body length 1.7–2.3 mm........................................................................................................... Aphis (A.) clematidis Koch, 1854

  • –.Apical segment of rostrum 1.1–1.7 times longer than second segment of hind tarsus. Living apterae without wax, dorsum color varying from very dark green to pale green or yellowish in summer, often with a darker green stain sometimes resembling the letter “H”. Body length 1.2–1.9 mm .................................... Aphis (A.) vitalbae Ferrari, 1872

A. vitalbae is known from southern Europe (Nieto Nafría 2013). Its occurrence in France (Leclant 1978), Greece (Remaudière 1982), Italy (Barbagallo & Patti 1993; Barbagallo & Stroyan 1982) and Spain (Nieto Nafría et al. 2006) suggests that it is probably a Mediterranean element. An analysis of other records (Holman 1991; Holman & Pintera 1981; Taschev 1964) indicates its expansion to the north. Via Bulgaria (Taschev 1964), Romania (Holman & Pintera 1981) and the Czech Republic (Holman 1991), the species crossed the mountain barrier of the Carpathians and the Sudetes (Fig. 2), probably passing through the Moravian Gate. The region is a natural hollow area between the Western Carpathians and Eastern Sudetes and constitutes one of the main routes both for plants and animals (Osiadacz and Wojciechowski 2008; Šmarda 1956; Sternberg 1998). The phenomena of range expansion are quite frequently noted both among indigenous European aphid species (e.g. Vučetić et al. 2014) and the alien ones (e.g. Barjadze & Ben-Dov 2011; Barjadze et al. 2011b; Hałaj et al. 2011). The reason for this can be the introduction through plant trade, now intensified and sometimes uncontrolled in terms of pest control (Hałaj et al. 2011). Additionally, the changing climatic conditions can have had some impact (Hałaj & Osiadacz 2014; Osiadacz & Hałaj 2014). Aphid infestation can cause damage and deformation of plant organs. Aphids are also among important vectors of contagious diseases (Harris & Maramorosch 1977). These two aspects together result in the fact that aphids can cause significant damage to crops or lower plants’ commercial value (e.g. Barjadze et al. 2011a; Hałaj & Osiadacz 2013); hence every new pest should be reported and monitored. A. vitalbae was observed to cause premature drying of leaf ends and the deformation of young shoots if it infested the bottom part of clematis leaves in large colonies (30–50 individuals). This significantly lowers the esthetic value of these decorative plants. On the other hand, the appearance of this aphid on young plants leads to plant withering, which can certainly result in tangible losses to the growers.

Fig. 2
figure 2

Distribution and probable expansion route of Aphis vitalbae range in Europe (1 - new localities of Aphis vitalbae in Poland; 2 - localities of Aphis vitalbae in Europe, 3 - compact range of Aphis vitalbae)

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