Aleurodicus pauciporus Martin

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

Aleurodicus pauciporus Martin

(Figs 9, 27, 28)

Aleurodicus pauciporus Martin, 2004: 26 . Holotype puparium, Belize [BMNH, examined].

DISTRIBUTION. Neotropical Region – Belize, Costa Rica, [ Panamá], [ Venezuela].

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Type material listed in description, Belize ( BMNH, USNM) ; 9 puparia, Costa Rica, Guanacaste Province, Santa Rosa NP, on undetermined host, 06.iii.1990 (Cox) ( BMNH) ; 7 puparia, Costa Rica, northern Heredia Province, 10 km north of Puerto Viejo , on undetermined host, 02.ii.1983 (Martin) ( BMNH) ; 2 puparia, Ecuador, Manabi Province, Pedernales , on Psidium guajava , 11.ii.2005 (Martin) ( BMNH) ; 1 puparium, Panamá, v.1912 (Busck, Q. 8801) ( USNM) , 5 puparia, Panamá, Canal Zone, Barro Colorado Island , 20.iii.1923 (Wheeler-Zetek, Q. 23110) ( USNM) ; 3 puparia, 2 third-instar nymphs, Venezuela, Turmero , Aragua, 01.iii.1982 (Arnal / Debrot #5) ( USNM) .

COMMENTS. The most notable feature of the puparia of this species is the paucity of dorsal simple pores, which are more numerous, and of more types, in most species of Aleurodicus . The lack of simple pores is reflected in similarly sparse secretion by the immature stages, with the puparia of some colonies distinctly brownish submarginally. Nevertheless, the nature and distribution of the compound pores, and the puparial chaetotaxy, meet the generic definition of Aleurodicus . Within the genus, A. pauciporus is the only described species with such scarcity of simple pores. The puparia from Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panamá and Venezuela (listed above) are tentatively determined as A. pauciporus but have a higher density of submarginal pores, but this pore band is still poorly defined mesally.

This species is cautiously treated as a member of the talamancensis species-group.