Pentalonia nigronervosa

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Pentalonia nigronervosa, better known as the banana aphid, is the most common aphid associated with bananas. It is an economically important insect because of its role as vector of the Banana bunchy top virus that causes bunchy top in bananas. The link between the two was first made in 19221 and confirmed in 19272 .

The banana aphid is also the vector of the Abaca bunchy top virus 3  and of the Banana bract mosaic virus4 . It has also been reported as a putative co-vector of the Cardamom bushy dwarf virus5 . 

Taxonomy

The banana aphid belongs to the genus Pentalonia which comprises four species:  P. nigronervosa Coquerel (described in 1859 by the French entomologist Jean-Charles Coquerel using a specimen from the Indian Ocean island of Réunion)6 , P. caladii van der Groot, P. gavarri Eastop7   and P. kalimpongensis8 . The last two species are poorly documented and not always cited as members of the genus.

References