Bemisia reyesi Hernández-Suárez and Martin, 2012

Hernández-Suárez, Estrella, Martin, Jon H., Gill, Raymond J., Bedford, Ian D., Malumphy, Christopher P., Betancort, J. Alfredo Reyes & Carnero, Aurelio, 2012, 3212, Zootaxa 3212, pp. 1-76 : 23-24

Bemisia reyesi Hernández-Suárez and Martin sp. n.

( Figures 30, 56, 74, 75)

PUPARIUM ( Fig. 30). Habitus. The immature stages occur in small groups, usually on the underside of the leaves of its hosts. Puparia secrete long white curls of opaque wax from the dorsum, completely obscuring the insects themselves ( Fig. 56). Cuticle pale. Margin. Outline oval, 0.90mm long, 0.65mm wide, generally widest at abdominal segment I. Margin crenulate with tracheal openings not marked. Dorsum. Longitudinal moulting suture reaching puparial margin; transverse moulting sutures reaching submarginal area. Submedian/subdorsal area of dorsal disc smooth; abdominal segmentation and meso-metathoracic division well marked, and abdominal segment VII significantly reduced in length medially; submedian abdominal depressions not marked. Vasiform orifice triangular, sides very subtly convex and apex rather rounded, with floor ridged and the presence of an apical “teeth”, posteriorly there is a very narrow caudal furrow bordered by shallow caudal ridges, the vasiform orifice inset from puparial margin by approximately its own length or less; operculum cordate, occupying half of vasiform orifice. Lingula head rather ovoid, spinulose, included in vasiform orifice, with a pair of stout apical setae that extend beyond apex of Vasiform orifice. Chaetotaxy. Anterior and posterior marginal setae present, needle-like, posterior pair similar to caudal setae. Normal dorsal disc chaetotaxy comprises single submedian pairs of cephalic, eighth abdominal and first abdominal setae, all very short; eighth abdominal setae placed slightly anterior to widest part of operculum; a pair of submarginally-placed caudal setae present, hair-like; a row of 12 submarginal setae spine-like, most rather shorter and finer than 1 st abdominal setae. Pores. Simple pores present scattered in subdorsal and submarginal area; two rows of the geminate pore/porette type in abdominal segments; from zero to two pairs of pore/ porettes on each side between 1 st abdominal setae (two pairs on either side of the median line, between the first abdiminal setae, is the norm in the B. afer complex—see Fig. 31). Venter. Cuticle smooth, diaphanous, not sculptured. Ventral abdominal setae underlying vasiform orifice. Legs bisegmental and with apical adhesion pads directed anteriorly on the fore legs, and posteriorly on the middle and hind legs. Middle and hind legs each with a tiny basal setae. Antennal bases anteromesad and slightly longer than fore legs. Tracheal folds faintly stippled.

Etymology: This species is named in recognition of J. Alfredo Reyes-Betancort who contributed much material to this study and who provided identifications for many host plants.

Material examined: Holotype puparium: GRAN CANARIA, Pinar de Tamadaba, 07.xii.2002 (J.H.Martin #7740) on Hypericum reflexum . Paratypes: 39 puparia, 33 third-instar nymphs, 15 second-instar nymphs, 21 first-instar nymphs same data as holotype ( BMNH); TENERIFE: dry material on leaves, Güímar, Barranco de Badajoz, 25.xi.2000 (Martin #7487); dry material on leaves, valley near La Punta del Hidalgo, 28.xi.2000 (Martin #7496; TENERIFE: 19 puparia and 1 third-instar nymph Cuevas Negras, 29.vi.1997 (J.A. Reyes coll.) on H. reflexum ; 10 pupuria, 1 third-instar nymph and 1 adult female Barranco de Blas, 20.vii.1997 (J.A. Reyes coll.) on H. reflexum ; 95 puparia, 9 third-instar nymph and 2 second-instar nymph Barranco Badajoz, 11.i.1998 and 25.i.1998 (E. Hdez. coll.) on H. reflexum ; 1 puparia and 2 adult female. GRAN CANARIA: Los Tiles, 22.i.1998 (E. Hdez. Coll.) on H. reflexum . Other material observed: TENERIFE: Barranco de los Cochinos, Las Mercedes, Lomo de Abache. GRAN CANARIA: El Viso-Inagua (700msnm) 25.iv.2003, on H. reflexum .

Comments: B. reyesi is recognised immediately by its remarkable dorsal wax curls ( Fig. 56), distinguishing it from all the other Bemisia species and forms in Macaronesia, and yet slide-mounted specimens reveal no apparent glandular structures. Takahashi established the genus Lipaleyrodes in 1962 with L. phyllanthi Takahashi as the type species. Lipaleyrodes Takahashi is now regarded as a junior synonym of Bemisia Quaintance and Baker ( Dubey et al., 2009) , as a result of comparative studies of puparial and adult characters of the nine species formerly included in Lipaleyrodes . Prior to the establishment of this synonymy, we had considerable difficulty in deciding on the generic placment of this new species; the waxy secretions suggested Lipaleyrodes , but the lack of any visible secretory glands rendered slide-mounted specimens more attributable to Bemisia . The lack of any visible structure associated with the secretion of the waxy curls remains notable and puzzling. In the Canaries, only Aleurodicus dipersus might possibly be mistaken for B. reyesi in the field, but the former is found only at very low altitudes on many different ornamental plants, and B. reyesi on one host only, at higher altitudes. Details of Bemisia reyesi adult body colour and sclerotic pigmentation are shown in Figs 74–75.

The puparial vasiform orifice in Bemisia reyesi tends to be more similar to the tabaci -group, but the presence of two pore/porettes on each side of median line between the 1 st abdominal setae (seen in some puparia only) would place this species in afer group.

Hypericum reflexum (Fam. Hypericaceae ), the only known host so far, is endemic to the Canary Islands (Gran Canaria, Tenerife and La Gomera). It grows on rocky slopes and in shady areas in evergreen forest from 300–1500 metres, sometimes in humid juniper-olive woodlands and humid pine forest .