Aleurocanthus

Gillespie, Peter S., 2012, A review of the whitefly genus Aleurocanthus Quaintance & Baker (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Australia, Zootaxa 3252, pp. 1-42 : 2

The genus Aleurocanthus in Australia

The genus Aleurocanthus in Australia is a speciose and diverse element of the Australian whitefly fauna, now representing more than 15% of the recorded Australian whitefly diversity. A number of the new species described here likely represent related elements of an older endemic fauna, whereas others are derived from more recent SE Asian affinities. The Australian elements, species like A. froggatti , A. neofroggatti , A. t-signatus and A. banksiae often appear in drier and temperate climates, but also have a presence in rainforest habitats. These species are generally dark and generally have reduced glandular spines, both in terms of size and number. Similarly another group including four taxa A. gullanae , A. laurenae , A. maculatus and A. schmidtii (for convenience titled here ‘ gullanae ’ species group) can show marked reduction in spine lengths. This is possibly an adaptation to more xeric habitats, but they also have other features warranting only tentative placement within Aleurocanthus . This is a distinctive group with the following features that are unusual for Aleurocanthus : usually with tuberculate or papillate dorsum; lacking anterior marginal setae; with short, blunt first abdominal setae on swollen bases (similar to submarginal glandular spines); glandular spines characteristically short (longest are about 130 μm), formed on broad, often tubercular bases; rhachisiform abdomen exaggerated posterolaterally in VII towards the margin. A further unusual feature, so far only evident on field collected samples, is the ventral extension of the venter medial to, and in the immediate proximity of, the legs into a small mound. This extension is waxy which appears to provide adhesion particularly where the leaf surface is hirsute. Whilst they share a number of features like paired glandular spines and crenulated margin that clearly indicate an alliance to Aleurocanthus , further features are distinctly different from Aleurocanthus sens . str. including the deep margin and distinctive ventral submarginal fold. Typically emerged puparia of this group show ecdysial splitting along this ventral fold whereas those of typical Aleurocanthus hinge or split along dorsal or marginal areas. Unusually, a number of these new species have an enlarged ridge running where the caudal furrow would otherwise have been. This group represents material primarily from south-western WA, and typically is found on Proteaceous hosts, although a small number of singleton samples exist from the drier parts of the eastern states including Cowra, NSW (ASCU) and Thargomindah, Qld (ANIC).

SE Asian derived elements present in the Aleurocanthus fauna of Australia are limited to rainforest-inhabiting species, like A. rugosa , A. sapindus , A. pendleburyi and A. spiniferus , with many of these being found elsewhere in SE Asia. Typically these species can be dark or light, often with a greater number of longer glandular spines. The potential for a number of the exotic species included here to be threats to Australian horticulture remains high and their prompt recognition will be important in any management strategy should an incursion occur. It is hoped that future molecular work on these taxa may provide some insight into the exact nature of the relationship amongst the Australian Aleurocanthus .