Three novel Tamalia (Hemiptera, Aphididae, Tamaliinae) species associated with leaf galls on Arbutus, Arctostaphylos, and Comarostaphylis shrubs (Ericaceae) in North America

The Nearctic aphid genus Tamalia is associated with galls on shrubs in the heath family, Ericaceae. We present morphological and biological details for three novel species of this distinctive taxon: species A on the host plant Arbutus arizonica, species B on Comarostaphylis diversifolia, and species C on Arctostaphylos glaucensis; these are the first records of Tamalia aphids from host plant genera other than Arctostaphylos. Character measurements and comparisons of the apterous viviparous morph, as well as mtDNA COI sequence data (where available) support the validity of these novel gall-inducing species. The widespread presence of multiple apterous individuals sharing galls is consistent with data gathered from populations of all four previously described Tamalia aphids, suggesting facultative communal gall occupation is basal within this taxon. The presence of inquiline Tamalia aphids within galls of species C, but not species A or B, reflects a putative origin of the inquilines occurring in association with a host-plant shift from Arbutus and Comarostaphylis to Arctostaphylos spp.