CONTRIBUTION TO KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRIBES AND 
HIGHER GROUPS OF THE FAMILY APHIDIDAE 
(HOMOPTERA) 
By O. W. OEsSTLUND 
Aphids are of considerable importance from an economic stand- 
point as all of them feed on the juices of plants. Their identification 
and placing in a natural system of classification have become exceed- 
ingly difficult of late on account of the great number of new genera 
and species made known. The older groups, to which we had become 
accustomed, are much overloaded and their demarcations proportionally 
indistinct. The following paper is an attempt to bring this side of the 
question up to date. 
Several attempts have been made to arrange the family in 
natural tribes and higher groups. The first serious attempt was made 
by Koch, but as no characteristics were published, only the names with 
included genera, it has remained practically unnoticed. Passerin1’s 
classification has been followed by most writers up to very recent time. 
Mordwilko’s arrangement is better and is gradually replacing that of 
Passerini. Important additions have still later been made by Tull- 
gren, Wilson, and others. 
In the following, the attempt has been to give proportionate con- 
sideration to the historical, morphological, and biological aspects as 
necessary foundations toward a natural classification, which of neces- 
sity is largely biological and historical, and not alone morphological. 
Famity APHIDIDAE 
Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat. Ed. X. Sub Aphis (genus). 
Latreille, 1807, Gen. Crust. Vol. 3. Sub Aphidii (family). 
Leach, 1815, Encyeclop. Vol. 9. Sub Aphidae (family). 
Burmeister, 1835, Handb. Entom. Vol. 2 Sub Aphidina (family). 
Zetterstedt, 1840. Ins. Lap. Part 1. Sub Aphidiae (family). 
Amyot et Serville, 1845. Hemipt. Sub Gradipedes (family). 
Rondani, 1848. Nouy. Ann. Bologna Vol. 9 Sub Aphidinae (family). 
Harris, 1852. Treatise Ed. 2. Sub Aphididae (family). 
Early writers refer to members of the present family under such 
common terms as pediculus, Blat-laus, puceron, plant-louse etc., which 
varied with the language and the country. Linnaeus’(1758) named all 
forms known to him according to the binomial system under the 
generic term Aphis. Latreille (1807) united the genus Aphis with 
Thrips and Aleyrodes under the family name Aphidii. Leach (1815) 
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