Tetraleurodes champaiensis Dubey, 2015

Dubey, Anil Kumar & Ramamurthy, V. V., 2015, Description of a grass feeding whitefly of the genus Tetraleurodes (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) from the Indo-Myanmar border, Florida Entomologist 98 (1), pp. 32-32 : 32-

Tetraleurodes champaiensis Dubey sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–12 )

PUPARIUM

Cuticle dark black; without wax secretion; elongate; 846-1070 µm long, 395-618 µm wide, broadest at the metathoracic/first abdominal segment region. Puparia were found 1-6 per leaf, mostly at the basal region, almost near ground level (white part of grass blades) and on central blades of the grass, but occasionally a single puparium is observed somewhat above the basal region (green part of the grass blades).

MARGIN

Crenulate, 14-21 crenulations in 0.1 mm, each crenulation with a wax secreting gland at base. Anterior marginal setae 16-25 µm long and posterior marginal setae 32-32 µm long. Caudal and thoracic tracheal pore areas not modified in a comb or pores.

DORSUM

Submargin separated from the dorsal disc by a submarginal raised fold except the anterior and posterior submedian area. Submargin with small striations. Longitudinal moulting suture reaching margin and transverse moulting suture slightly turned anteriorly and reaching submarginal furrow. Abdominal segments rhachis-form and elevated on median area. Median length of abdominal segment VII (34 µm long) nearly 65% of the segment VI (52 µm long) but in scanning electron microscope image the abdominal segment VII appears almost equal to that of VI. The distance between posterior margin of vasiform orifice and the puparial caudal margin measured 55-73 µm long. Caudal and thoracic tracheal furrows absent. The distance between pores and porettes equal to 1-4 times of the diameter of the large pore. Submedian pockets present. Submedian depressions occupying nearly half the length of respective abdominal segment. Geminate pores present, mostly scattered on submargin and subdorsum, but present in a longitudinal row on submedian area.

CHAETOTAXY

Cephalic setae 18-20 µm, metathoracic setae 11-23 µm, eighth abdominal setae, anterolateral of vasiform orifice 9-17 µm and caudal setae 20-48 µm long. First abdominal setae absent.

VASIFORM ORIFICE

Elevated posteriorly; subcircular, slightly longer than wide, 46-71 µm long, 41-53 µm wide; operculum subcordate, 32-41 µm long, 27-35 µm wide, almost covering the orifice, but in some puparia covering half the length of orifice ( Fig. 9 ). Lingula tip visible in some slide mounted specimens, sometimes reaching beyond posterior margin of the vasiform orifice ( Fig. 9 ), apex bilobed, and each lobe with a pair of small subapical setae.

VENTER

A pair of ventral abdominal setae present, length varies 6.9-18 µm long, 34-38 µm apart. Antennae reaching the base of prolegs, 57-73 µm long (keel 3-9 µm long). Microsetae present at base of meso- and metathoracic legs, each approximately 2.5 µm long. Adhesive sacs and spiracles visible. Stipples absent in thoracic tracheal folds but present in caudal tracheal fold.

HOST PLANT

Sporobolus heterolepis A. Gray ( Poales : Poaceae ).

MATERIAL EXAMINED

Holotype: India: Mizoram, Champai near border of India and Myanmar, one puparium on slide, on Sporobolus heterolepis , 24.VII.2011, A. K. Dubey ( IARI).

Paratypes: Sixty five paratypes on 13 slides, data same as the Holotype ( AKD, FRI, IARI, NHM, USNM) .

ETYMOLOGY

The species is named for the Champai district of Mizoram ( India), which is type locality of the new species .

Figures

Figs. 1-6. Tetraleurodes champaiensis sp. nov.: 1, puparium, dorsal and ventral views. 2, margin. 3, longitudinal molting suture and cephalic setae. 4, abdominal submedian pockets and depression. 5, vasiform orifice. 6, prothoracic leg and antenna.

Figs. 7-12. Tetraleurodes champaiensis sp. nov.: SEM microphotographs. 7, puparium, dorsal view. 8, margin, thoracic tracheal pore area. 9, posterior abdominal area, vasiform orifice and lingula. 10, puparium, ventral view. 11, geminate pores. 12, caudal tracheal fold, ventral setae.