Dialeurodes citri (Ashmead), 1916

Hernández-Suárez, Estrella, Martin, Jon H., Gill, Raymond J., Bedford, Ian D., Malumphy, Christopher P., Betancort, J. Alfredo Reyes & Carnero, Aurelio, 2012, 3212, Zootaxa 3212, pp. 1-76 : 26

Dialeurodes citri (Ashmead)

( Figures 32 & 81)

Aleyrodes citri Ashmead, 1885: 704 .

Dialeurodes citri (Ashmead) Quaintance & Baker, 1916: 469 .

citri Riley & Howard, 1893: 219 . ( Aleyrodes ) [Synonymised by Quaintance & Baker, 1917: 408.]

eugeniae var. aurantii Maskell, 1896: 431 . ( Aleurodes ) [Synonymised by Quaintance & Baker, 1914: 97.]

kuchinasii Sasaki, 1908: 55 . ( Aleyrodes ) [Synonymised by Takahashi, 1951b: 19.]

tuberculatus Takahashi, 1932: 9. [Synonymised by Takahashi, 1958: 66.]

citri var. kinyana Takahashi, 1935: 43 [Synonymised by Mound & Halsey, 1978: 133.]

citri var. hederae Takahashi, 1936: 219 [Synonymised by Mound & Halsey, 1978: 133.]

Distribution in the Canary Islands: GRAN CANARIA: Arucas. Elsewhere: Palaeartic Region: Algeria, Corsica, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Sardinia, Sicily, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Japan, Federation of Independent States. Oriental Region: China, Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand. Neotropical Region: Argentina. Neartic Region: USA (Florida).

Host plants in the Canary Islands: Citrus reticulata . Other listed host plants: D. citri has been recorded feeding on a wide variety of other plants ( Mound & Halsey, 1978) but it is most commonly associated with Citrus ( Patti & Rapisarda, 1981; Martin et al., 2000).

Comments: Dialeurodes citri is a well known citrus pest, although its hosts also include many broad leaf trees ( Jensen, 2001). Dialeurodes citri is characterised by having a colourless pupal case, broadly oval with margin smooth and tracheal areas differentiated as pores; eighth abdominal setae anterior to widest part of operculum; ventral tracheal folds punctuated by distinct stippling. In the field, crypsis renders feeding stages difficult to see unless in high numbers.