Aleurocanthus mcneili, Gillespie, Peter S., 2012

Gillespie, Peter S., 2012, A review of the whitefly genus Aleurocanthus Quaintance & Baker (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Australia, Zootaxa 3252, pp. 1-42 : 25-26

Aleurocanthus mcneili sp. n. ( Figs 50–51 )

Puparium. Pale angular puparia slightly constricted at cephalothoracic and caudal openings. Sexually dimorphic: female 1098–1227 μm long, 743–937 μm wide; male 840–904 μm long, 549–613 μm wide. Margin finely toothed with 11–12 elongate teeth per 0.1mm. Each tooth finely serrate under high magnification. Teeth at cephalothoracic and caudal openings gathered and slightly exaggerated.

Dorsum. Margin narrow with uniform single margin concentric row of simple pores proximal to marginal teeth, one pore every 4–5 teeth. Minute setae occasionally interstitial in row of pores. Abdomen rhachisiform with narrow lateral arms reaching sub dorsally. Longitudinal moulting suture present reaching margin. Transverse moulting suture sinuate reaching subdorsally. Abdominal VII medially same width as preceding segments. Vasiform orifice rounded, triangular, slightly longer than wide, little if any elevated above dorsum. Operculum rounded, filling vasiform orifice. Lingula obscured by operculum. Vasiform orifice situated about one and a half vasiform orifice widths from posterior margin.

Chaetotaxy. ( Figs 50–51 ): Anterior marginal setae present. Cephalothoracic setae tapered small (less than 20 μm) with acuminate tip; first abdominal setae tapered, acuminate, about 50 μm long. Eighth abdominal setae acuminate tip, tapered about 35–50 μm long, situated laterally of and slightly towards the anterior of the vasiform orifice. Caudal setae present 90-105 μm long, situated about three setal base widths from the posterior margin. Posterior marginal setae present. Margin with five pairs of conspicuous long narrow glandular spines (less than 300 μm) with laciniate tips, two pairs anteriorly on margin of cephalothorax and three abdominal pairs, one pair at about abdomen II, other two pairs on posterior margin. Glandular spines lack basal pore.

Venter. Margin concentric row of patterning of broad linear patterns more or less corresponding with marginal teeth. Cephalothoracic and caudal tracheal openings defined by folds, lacking stippling. Some fine stippling found laterally from vasiform orifice and covering most abdominal segments and 2–3 fine lines of stippling present at base of legs. Mid and hind legs with small fine setae at base. Abdominal setae present, small (less than 20 μm) and situated anterior to vasiform orifice. Antenna short, situated anterior to first leg and only reaching base of first leg.

Etymology. Named in honour of Bradley McNeil who collected the holotype.

Distribution. SE Qld.

Hosts. MYRTACEAE : Waterhousea floribunda .

Material examined. Holotype puparium slide: ex Waterhousea floribunda , ‘Manorina’, Mt Nebo, Qld, 24.ix.2003, [B.C.] McNeil & [M.] Coombs ( ASCT 00025270, ASCU). Paratypes: same data as holotype, 14 x puparia on 14 slides ( ANIC (x 2), ASCU ( ASCT 00024909-19), BMNH (x 1 )); Ex Waterhousea floribunda, Mt Glorious, Qld, P. DeBarro , #172, 10 x puparia on two slides (20-013417)( ANIC)

Comments. This distinctive species is very similar in form to A. octospinosum sp. n. differing from it in having pale colouration, and an additional pair of long setae on the posterior margin. The species belongs to the ‘ banksiae – valenciae ’ group.

Figures

FIGURES 48 – 51. A. maculatus sp. nov. puparia 48 – 49: 48, slide; 49, illustration; A. mcneili sp. nov. puparia 50 - 51: 50, slide; 51, illustration (500 µm).