Aleurodicus mirabilis (Cockerell), 1899

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 : 36

Aleurodicus mirabilis (Cockerell) , revived combination

( Figs 70 , 128, 130, 143, 144)

Aleurodes mirabilis Cockerell, 1898: 225 . Syntypes, Mexico [USNM, not examined].

Aleurodicus mirabilis (Cockerell) Cockerell, 1899: 360 .

Aleurodicus (Lecanoideus) giganteus Quaintance & Baker, 1913: 70 . Syntypes, Brazil [USNM, not examined]. [Synonymised by Martin, 2004: 18]

Lecanoideus mirabilis (Cockerell) Mound & Halsey, 1978: 243 .

DISTRIBUTION. Neotropical Region – Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Mexico, Trinidad.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Samples from all countries listed above ( BMNH).

COMMENTS. Lecanoideus is here regarded as a junior synonym of Aleurodicus for reasons discussed on p. 15. The decision to regard L. giganteus as a junior synonym of L. mirabilis was based upon an examination of syntype material at USNM by Steve Nakahara (personal communication), and was discussed by Martin (2004).

The immature stages of A. mirabilis secrete particularly thickly flocculent waxy material (Fig. 143) that can obscure the adults completely unless lifted clear (Fig. 144), and colonies frequently line major leaf veins (Fig. 128), a characteristic also seen in A. floccissimus , and in A. magnificus (see above). A. mirabilis differs from A. floccissimus as detailed in key couplet 23 (p. 18) and figures 69 and 70. Adults leave particularly broad, white, trails under leaves whilst ovipositing (Fig. 130).

Figures

FIGURE 70 A. mirabilis (Cockerell), puparium, Ecuador, posterior detail with deflexed submarginal detail shown bottom-left, dorsal submarginal detail inset bottom-right, deflexed margin as dashed line, lingula & mesal boundary of submarginal band of wide-rimmed pores as dotted lines.