Aleurodicus pseudugesii, Martin, 2008

Martin, Jon H., 2008, A revision of Aleurodicus Douglas (Sternorrhyncha, Aleyrodidae), with two new genera proposed for palaeotropical natives and an identification guide to world genera of Aleurodicinae, Zootaxa 1835 (1), pp. 1-100 : 39-40

Aleurodicus pseudugesii sp. nov.

(Figs 43, 44)

PUPARIUM. Habitus. Notebook observation stated only that waxy secretions were present, opaque and rather plain – possibly through being worn by leaf movement. Colony was present under one leaflet of its coconut palm host. Margin. Outline oval, 0.98–1.20 mm long, 0.67–0.82 mm wide, generally widest at abdominal segment I/II (n=15). Margin. True margin almost smooth, but margin usually slightly down-curled and submarginal pores in relief lend visible edge of puparium a roughened appearance (Fig. 43). Dorsum. Longitudinal moulting suture reaching puparial margin; transverse moulting sutures almost reaching as far as row of compound pores. Abdominal segment VII extremely reduced medially, such that only 7 abdominal segments discernible medially; abdominal segmentation suture-like as far laterad as row of compound pores; meso- / metathoracic division marked as a thickened furrow, pro- / mesothoracic division rather more subtly indicated submedially only. Vasiform orifice (Fig. 44) cordate, about as long as wide, smooth; operculum trapezoidal, dorsally smooth, its posterior margin very shallowly “m”-shaped, bearing a pair of long setae; lingula head elongate, acute, only its extreme apex rounded, densely covered by seta-like spinules, bearing the normal 4 stout setae near its apex; lingular apex closely approaches, but does not overlap, puparial margin. Chaetotaxy. A pair of posterior marginal setae, pair of eighth abdominal setae, 4 pairs of submedian cephalothoracic setae, and 12 pairs of outer submarginal setae present, all long and fine, the submarginals with most of their lengths extending beyond puparial margin. Pores. Anterior 4 pairs of abdominal compound pores all similar in size, most 50–60µ in outer diameter, each with a broad, dagger-shaped axial process extending beyond pore mouth; cephalic compound pores a little smaller, with axial processes proportionately narrower; posterior 2 pairs of small abdominal compound pores rather large, 30–40µ in diameter, both pairs appearing broadly bell- or medusa-shaped in lateral view (Fig. 44). Immediately within puparial margin are a few ranks of tiny widerimmed pores (Fig. 43); lining mesal boundary of wide-rimmed pore band are widely-spaced small doublerimmed septate pores (Figs 43, 44), apparently 13 on one side and 16 on the other in holotype (mesal to these small double-rimmed pores boundary of narrow submargin is effectively defined by submarginal setal bases). Abdominal segments VII and VIII each with a loose array of large bright simple pores anterior to the small compound pore on the respective segment (Fig. 44); remainder of dorsal disc sparsely provided with a mixture of tiny septate pores and minute porettes. Venter. Ventral abdominal setae similar to dorsal setae; other characters typical for Aleurodicus .

THIRD-INSTAR NYMPH. Outline oval, 0.68–0.77 mm long, 0.42–0.49 mm wide, widest slightly posterior to mid-length (n=6). Margin smooth. Vasiform orifice, operculum and lingula as in puparium, lingula slightly overlapping edge of body. 2 pairs of large compound pores present in cephalothorax, broadly medusashaped, 30–40µ in width, each with an axial process that just reaches pore mouth. 3 pairs of small cicatrices present, two pairs in cephalothoracic area and third pair posterolateral to vasiform orifice, these being the scars of compound pores in second-instar; positions of puparial compound pores clearly visible in all specimens, as pale circular patches, but no specimen apparently close to ecdysis. Chaetotaxy as in puparium, setae as long as in puparium. Dorsum with pores generally distributed as in puparium, but double-rimmed pores absent and bright pores on abdominal segments VII/VIII much less numerous. Legs triangular, evidently 3- segmented, each with a curved apical claw; antennae small, about same size as apical segments of legs; ventral abdominal setae similar to dorsal setae.

ADULTS. Study material available as listed below. Basic parameters typical for Aleurodicus .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Holotype puparium, ECUADOR, Orellana Province, military campus near Coca, on Cocos nucifera (Arecaceae) , 16.ii.2005 (J.H.Martin #8146) ( BMNH). Paratypes: 28 puparia, 6 thirdinstar nymphs, 9 adult males, 9 adult females, same data as holotype ( BMNH, USNM); 1 puparium, PERU, Junin, on Cocos nucifera , 19.viii.2005 (Lozada) ( BMNH).

ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet refers to the similarities between this species and A. dugesii .

COMMENTS. A. pseudugesii most closely resembles A. dugesii Cockerell and A. araujoi Sampson & Drews. The presence of a single row of widely spaced double-rimmed pores, marking the inner boundary of a submarginal band of wide-rimmed pores suggests closest affinity with A. dugesii , but A. dugesii has larger but non-septate double-rimmed pores (inner part of pore merely notched on one side), larger wide-rimmed pores in a broader band, does not have arrays of bright pores on abdominal segments VII and VIII, and lacks a pair of cephalic submedian setae. A. araujoi , also one of the capiangae / dugesii species-group, shares with A. pseudugesii the array of bright pores on each side of abdominal segment VII (but not also on segment VIII as in pseudugesii ), and a rather acuminate lingula; however, A. araujoi (Fig. 21) has many more, much larger, double-rimmed septate pores, in an uneven row, these surrounded by sparse tiny simple pores that may be of the wide-rimmed variety but which do not form a distinct band and some of which extend mesal to compound pores and submarginal setal bases.