Tetralicia mexicana (Carapia-Ruiz & Sánchez-Flores in Carapia-Ruiz, Sánchez-Flores, García-Martínez & Castillo-Gutiérrez, 2018)

Ellenrieder, Natalia Von & Gill, Raymond J., 2024, The genus Tetralicia Harrison (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae) in California, U. S. A., with the description of five new species and a redescription of Tetralicia granulata Sampson & Drews, 1941, Zootaxa 5527 (1), pp. 1-129 : 42-44

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5527.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:771D2E7B-4025-45BF-B328-6EC8A8851ECD
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14047093
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039787AA-FF96-FFF6-FF45-07D3FE8CB199
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Tetralicia mexicana
status

Treatment

Figs 142–150 View FIGURE 142 View FIGURE 143 View FIGURES 144–150

Aleuropleurocelus mexicanus Carapia-Ruiz & Sánchez-Flores View in CoL in Carapia-Ruiz, Sánchez-Flores, García-Martínez & Castillo-Gutiérrez, 2018b: 4 View Cited Treatment .

Tetralicia mexicana : Valencia & Evans 2024: 220 View Cited Treatment .

Material examined. 9 puparia: U.S.A., California: 2, on oak, R.S. Woglum coll. [ USNM]; 2, Sierra Madre, on Quercus , 15.xii.1907, R.S. Woglum coll. [ USNM]; Los Angeles County: 2, Monrovia, on oak, 3.x.1913, R.S. Woglum coll. [ USNM]; 2, Los Angeles, on Quercus agrifolia , 2.xi.1942, R.H. Smith coll. [ USNM]; San Bernardino County: 1, New York Mountains of E San Bernadino Co., on Quercus turbinella , 25.ix.1948, J.M. Tucker coll. [ USNM].

Hosts. Described from Fagaceae : Quercus agrifolia and Quercus sp. ; here recorded also from Q. turbinella .

Description.

Field Characteristics. Puparium elliptical oval, black with a small marginal ring of wax, located on underside of leaves ( Carapia-Ruiz et al. 2018b).

Slide-mounted characters. TMS extending over submargin and ending before apparent margin ( Fig. 145 View FIGURES 144–150 ) or at apparent margin ( Fig. 144 View FIGURES 144–150 ), not lined with tubercles medially; longitudinal molting suture not lined with tubercles ( Figs 143 View FIGURE 143 , 144 View FIGURES 144–150 ); eyespots oval; Ce setae present; T2 and T3 setae present, T3 setae arising well behind anterior margin of metanotum; medial area of head with tubercles on a reticulate pattern ( Figs 142–145 View FIGURE 142 View FIGURE 143 View FIGURES 144–150 ), medial area of thorax with tubercles on a reticulate pattern limited to sides and area surrounding meso-metathoracic suture, with pores (1–5) and microsetae (1–3) on each side of medial and submedial areas of each head, meso and metathorax, central area of meso-metathorax with a patch of minute pores ( Fig. 144 View FIGURES 144–150 ) [not visible in excessively bleached specimens]; medial area of abdomen with two rows of tubercles adjacent to anterior margin of A1–7 and with a pair of large subconical tubercles on anterior margin of A8, with one row of tubercles adjacent to posterior margin of A1–7, and with paired pores and microseta on each side ( Figs 148 View FIGURES 144–150 ); anterolateral depressions on abdomen inconspicuous; lateral areas of dorsal disc with pores between dorsal disc and submargin and with reticulate pattern of tubercles ( Figs 142–146 View FIGURE 142 View FIGURE 143 View FIGURES 144–150 ); dorsal submargin with transverse rows of crests ( Fig. 146 View FIGURES 144–150 ); deflexed submargin with rounded granulations distributed uniformly except for a bare band adjacent to apparent margin, with a row of pores ( Figs 147 View FIGURES 144–150 ); marginal glandular teeth subquadrangular with tips rounded ( Fig. 147, 150 View FIGURES 144–150 ); VO oval, inset from posterior margin by more than its own length; operculum cordate, its dorsal surface with a few longitudinal ridges and with microspinulae across distal third to fourth; lingula concealed by operculum; VO ring oval, narrow ( Fig. 149 View FIGURES 144–150 ); dorsal setae of A8 arising lateral to VO ring, at level of anterior margin of VO ring to operculum ( Fig. 149 View FIGURES 144–150 ); bases of caudal setae widely separated, outside level of lateral margins of VO ring ( Figs 150 View FIGURES 144–150 ); with two membranous ventral sacs medially to bases of mesothoracic legs; venter smooth except for wide bands of spinulae medially to leg bases and around mouthparts ( Fig. 147 View FIGURES 144–150 ).

Measurements. Puparium length: 934 ± 37; maximum width (at level of T2): 639 ± 38; length/maximum width: 1.5 ± 0; width at level of anterior margin of operculum: 419 ± 33; maximum width/width at anterior margin of operculum: 1.5 ± 0; deflexed submargin/body radius: 0.4 ± 0.1; Ce setae: missing; T2 setae: missing; T3 setae: missing; dorsal A8 setae: missing or not visible; caudal setae:51 ± 3; anterior marginal setae: missing or not visible; posterior marginal setae: missing or not visible; ventral A8 setae: 28 ± 1; VO ring length: 51 ± 2; VO ring width: 52 ± 2; VO ring length/width: 1 ± 0.04; caudal seta/VO ring length: 1 ± 0.1; caudal seta/operculum length: 1.4 ± 0.1; VO length: 41 ± 2; VO width: 42 ± 1; VO length/width: 1 ± 0.04; operculum length: 37 ± 2; operculum/VO length: 0.9 ± 0.04 (see Table 1 View TABLE 1 for ranges).

Similar species. It shares the presence of eyespots, Ce setae, and dorsum with large tubercles forming a reticulate pattern on sides with Tetralicia agrifoliae and T. nevadensis which also occur on Quercus in California.

Diagnosis. It can be recognized from the two species mentioned above (characters for them in square brackets) by its puparium ( Figs 142 View FIGURE 142 , 143 View FIGURE 143 ) elliptical oval with a caudal protuberance [rounded oval lacking a caudal protuberance; Figs 43 View FIGURE 43 , 151 View FIGURE 151 , 152 View FIGURE 152 ], smooth longitudinal molting suture ( Figs 143 View FIGURE 143 , 144 View FIGURES 144–150 ) [longitudinal molting suture lined with tubercles; Figs 43 View FIGURE 43 , 44 View FIGURES 44–49 , 151–153 View FIGURE 151 View FIGURE 152 View FIGURES 153–158 ], transverse molting suture extending over submargin and almost reaching ( Fig. 145 View FIGURES 144–150 ) to reaching ( Fig. 144 View FIGURES 144–150 ) apparent margin [transverse molting suture ending well before apparent margin; Figs 43 View FIGURE 43 , 44 View FIGURES 44–49 , 151–153 View FIGURE 151 View FIGURE 152 View FIGURES 153–158 ], and VO ( Fig. 149 View FIGURES 144–150 ) oval, narrow, and closed anteriorly [subtriangular with anterior portion wide and open antero-medially; Figs 46, 48 View FIGURES 44–49 , 155, 157 View FIGURES 153–158 ]. It further differs from T. agrifolia by its W-shaped ( Fig. 143 View FIGURE 143 , 144 View FIGURES 144–150 ) transverse molting suture [U-shaped; Fig. 43 View FIGURE 43 , 44 View FIGURES 44–49 ], dorsal setae of A8 arising at level of anterior margin of operculum ( Fig. 149 View FIGURES 144–150 ) [anterior to that level; Fig. 48 View FIGURES 44–49 ], bases of caudal setae widely separated ( Fig. 150 View FIGURES 144–150 ), outside level of operculum lateral margins [close together, within level of operculum lateral margins; Fig. 49 View FIGURES 44–49 ], venter with spinulae ( Fig. 147 View FIGURES 144–150 ) restricted to areas around mouthparts and legs [entire venter extensively covered with spinulae; Fig. 47 View FIGURES 44–49 ], and from T. nevadensis by its oval eyespots ( Figs 142–145 View FIGURE 142 View FIGURE 143 View FIGURES 144–150 ) [slit-like; Figs 151–153 View FIGURE 151 View FIGURE 152 View FIGURES 153–158 ].

Remarks. In the key in Valencia & Evans (2024: 211) this species is treated as lacking Ce setae. However, these were described as present in its original description ( Carapia-Ruiz et al. 2018b: 4) and we observed their presence in all our specimens as well. This is the only species that we examined in which the extension of TMS seems to be somewhat variable, extending over submargin and ending before apparent margin ( Fig. 145 View FIGURES 144–150 ) or at apparent margin ( Fig. 144 View FIGURES 144–150 ).

Distribution. Described from Mexico; here recorded from Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties in Southern California.