Xiaoqing Tang

Hainan Institute of Biotechnology, Haikou, 570206, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Molecular Evolution and Biodiversity, 2024, Vol. 14, No. 5   
Received: 03 Aug., 2024    Accepted: 11 Sep., 2024    Published: 19 Sep., 2024

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

This study provides a comprehensive overview of the systematic classification of aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae), exploring current taxonomic approaches and their challenges. The rapid adaptive radiation of aphids and gene tree discordance complicate classification, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary methods that integrate morphological and molecular data. The study first reviews the historical development of aphid taxonomy, emphasizing the progress in traditional morphology and microscopy in species identification while noting the limitations of morphological taxonomy, especially the presence of cryptic species and taxonomic ambiguities. Molecular tools, such as DNA barcoding and genomic analyses, play a crucial role in resolving complex phylogenetic relationships and supporting the identification of new species. Ecological data and chemical traits, including host plant specialization and symbiotic associations, are also proven to be valuable taxonomic indicators. Through a case study on the taxonomic revision of the genus Aphis, the necessity of combining morphological and molecular approaches is demonstrated. This study offers new insights into addressing the complexities of aphid taxonomy and promotes more comprehensive species identification and biodiversity research.

Aphid taxonomy; Cryptic species; DNA barcoding; Digital taxonomy; Adaptive radiation