This Science News Wire page contains a press release issued by an organization and is provided to you "as is" with little or no review from Science X staff.

Social network helps in discovery of a species of plant lice for the first time in Europe

May 17th, 2011

Spanish researchers from the University of Leon (Nicolás Pérez Hidalgo and M. Pilar Mier Durante) have discovered the plant lice Schizaphis piricola (Matsumura) in Madrid, Spain from a photography displayed on a social network platform: "Biodiversidad Virtual" (http://www.biodiversidadvirtual.org/) (Ángel Umaran). The results have been published recently in the open access journal ZooKeys and are available for free download.

"This discovery is yet another example of how social networks play an important role in our knowledge of biodiversity and the detection and/or monitoring of invasive or endangered species", said the lead author Nicolás Pérez Hidalgo.

Schizaphis piricola is the 103rd adventive plant lice species recorded in Europe and is probably introduced in other part of the continent as well. The aphid lives on pears and alternates with aquatic plants during the summer. The direct action of feeding by the aphids, and the indirect damage caused by the honeydew they excrete on the leaves, can affect the normal growth of pear trees.

More information:
www.pensoft.net/journals/zooke … -aphididae-in-europe

Provided by Pensoft Publishers

Citation: Social network helps in discovery of a species of plant lice for the first time in Europe (2011, May 17) retrieved 26 November 2025 from https://sciencex.com/wire-news/67082248/social-network-helps-in-discovery-of-a-species-of-plant-lice-for.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.