Discovering Uncharted Territories: Adding Two New Records to Aphid Fauna of Pakistan, Unveiled in the Pine Plantations of District Battagram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province
Discovering Uncharted Territories: Adding Two New Records to Aphid Fauna of Pakistan, Unveiled in the Pine Plantations of District Battagram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province
Bakht Zada1, Ahmed Zia2, Sardar Azhar Mehmood1, Abdur Rehman3*, Toheed Iqbal4*, Kiran Shahjeer5 and Shabir Ahmed1
ABSTRACT
Pakistan, characterized by its geographical diversity across four regions, holds a unique position in terms of flora and fauna. However, many regions, including District Battagram in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, remain largely unexplored due to geopolitical challenges, social barriers, and uncertain ground conditions. Despite being covered with dense coniferous forests, District Battagram has never been surveyed for aphids, a prevalent pest in pine plantations globally. This study aimed to investigate the aphid complex affecting pine trees in the district, revealing two speciesCinara atrotibialis and Cinara atlanticathat are newly recorded in the country. The study provides detailed information on morphometry, taxonomic descriptions, host plants, and global distribution for each of the identified species.
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