Apriona germari and Apriona rugicollis are two distinct species
In September 2013, three species of Apriona were added to the EPPO A1 List: Apriona germari, A. japonica and A. cinerea, but recent taxonomic changes have occurred with significant consequences on their geographical distributions. In the revision of the genus Apriona published by Jiroux in 2011, A. rugicollis is no longer considered as a synonym of A. germari but as a distinct species. A. japonica, which was previously considered to be a distinct species, has been synonymized with A. rugicollis. Finally, A. cinerea remains a separate species. When taking these taxonomic changes into account, a live specimen of Apriona intercepted by the French NPPO in a container from China in June 2014 was confirmed to be A. rugicollis. Considering the revised geographical distributions of both species and the fact that A. rugicollis is more widely distributed in China than A. germari, it is likely that most interceptions made by EPPO member countries on wood packaging material imported from China concerned A. rugicollis and not A. germari.
- Apriona germari
Because morphological variations were observed among specimens collected from the different parts of the geographical range of A. germari, it was found more appropriate to consider the former species, A. parvigranula, as a subspecies of A. germari (to be called A. germari ssp. parvigranula). The geographical distribution of A. germari is given as follows:
Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia (A. germari ssp. parvigranula), China (A. germari ssp. parvigranula - Hainan and Yunnan), India, Laos (A. germari ssp. parvigranula), Myanmar (A. germari ssp. parvigranula), Nepal, Thailand (A. germari ssp. parvigranula - Northern part), Vietnam (A. germari ssp. parvigranula).
- Apriona rugicollis
A. rugicollis is considered to be a distinct species and is synonymized with A. japonica, A. gressitti and A. plicicollis. The creation of two subspecies: A. rugicollis ssp. nobuoi (= A. japonica ssp. nobuoi - present in Okinawa, Japan) and A. rugicollis ssp. yayeyamai (= A. yayeyama - present in Ishigakishima island, Ryukyu archipelago, Japan) is also proposed.
The geographical distribution of A. rugicollis is given as follows:
Asia: China (Anhui, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Qinghai, Shandong, Sichuan, Xizhang, Zhejiang), Japan, Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of), Korea (Republic of), Taiwan.
- Apriona cinerea
A. cinerea (=A. newcombei) remains a distinct species with the following geographical distribution:
Asia: India (Uttar Pradesh), Pakistan.
Sources
Jiroux E (2011) Révision du genre Apriona Chevrolat 1852 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Batocerini). Les cahiers Magellanes (NS) 5, 1-103.
Correspondance with Anses Plant Health Laboratory, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France (2014-07).