Pseudosynaleurodicus nigrimarginatus, Gillespie, Peter S., 2006

Gillespie, Peter S., 2006, A new genus and two new species of whiteflies from Australia (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), Zootaxa 1306, pp. 1-23 : 4-11

Pseudosynaleurodicus nigrimarginatus sp. nov.

Puparium—dorsum

Puparium pale with dark pigmentation around margin and with variable amount of medial darker markings usually associated with every second abdominal segment and some irregular cephalothoracic markings ( Figs 1 , 2), dimorphic (Ψ: 1,948 µm long, 1,319 µm wide; ♂: 1,642 µm long,1,017 µm wide). Lacking peripuparial wax fringe. Dorsum and margin covered in opaque wax. Thick wax supporting the marginal palisading ( Fig. 1 ) Dorsum lacking compound or simple pores. Margin finely crenulate, each crenulation with a glandular pore. Abdominal depressions paired and visible medially on all abdominal segments. Abdominal segmentation just visible medially, VII equivalent in length to preceding segments. Longitudinal and transverse moulting sutures more or less straight and reaching margin ( Fig. 2). Vasiform orifice rounded to elliptical, it and its surrounds darkly pigmented and situated less than 1.5 vasiform orifice lengths from margin ( Fig. 2). The vasiform orifice not elevated ( Fig. 5 ). Operculum circular to rounded rectangular, covering anterior half of vasiform orifice, posterior margin straight or very narrowly “M” shaped. Lingula just excluded, head broad at base and tapering to a narrow tip. Lingula with 2 pairs of setae, one long pair terminally and a (hard to see) subterminal shorter pair ( Figs 5 , 7 ). Caudal furrow absent.

Chaetotaxy

15 or 16 pairs of minute lanceolate setae on the extreme outer submargin. Anterior marginal setal pair present but situated ventrally and difficult to see. Posterior marginal setae absent. Cephalothoracic setae absent. First abdominal setae absent. Eighth abdominal setae present but minute and situated anterior of the vasiform orifice.

Puparium—venter

Ventral cuticle pale. Legs two­segmented and unsclerotised ( Fig. 6 ). Terminal leg segment has a protruding articulation from which a curved claw arises. Basal seta present mesad to mid and hind leg. 2 or 3 minute setae present on anterior aspect of hind legs. Antennae situated anterior mesad of fore legs. Antenna short, only coming to base of fore leg (both sexes) and unsclerotised, partially segmented with two or three basal segments and the distal part creased ( Fig. 6 ). 4 pairs of spiracles present on venter with the two cephalothoracic pairs more or less the same size as the abdominal 2 pairs. Ventral abdominal setae absent. Caudal and thoracic tracheal folds very faintly indicated, lacking stippling.

Adult

Large with pale mealy complexion with some slightly darker brown pigmentation on spots, margins and veins of wings and at abdominal and thoracic segmental margins ( Fig. 13 ). Adult ♂ about 3800 µm long, wing length 3406 µm (n=2). Adult Ψ 3,360 µm long, wing length 3,980 µm (n=3). Wing shape similar in both sexes, elongate ovoid to rounded quadrilateral in shape ( Fig. 13 ). Fore wing venation for both sexes typical for genus with thick costal vein supported basally by Sc although lacking a pterostigma, forked R, M and Cu veins present. R is forked mid vein, with R1 recurved strongly towards costal margin and curving to meet costal margin at an acute angle. Branch Rm curving distally near margin. Anal vein absent ( Fig. 13 ). Two darkly pigmented and patterned patches are present on the Cu veins of wings of both sexes (Figs 8,9). These patches are conspicuous on live adults, are not diminished by bleaching and may possibly perform some function other than visual. Hind wings similar in shape to fore with recurving branched R conspicuous.

Antenna seven segmented, III–VII narrow and elongate each with many rows of concentric rings of microtrichia ( Fig. 11 ). Antennal segment VII with terminal seta. Tarsal claw with a ventrally directed paronychium. Paronychium appears as stout terminal seta on a ventrally directed callosity which has a number of smaller setae present subterminally. Abdomen of both sexes with four pairs of ventral wax plates. ( Fig. 10 male). Vasiform orifice subcircular to “D” shaped. Operculum subcircular with posterior margin somewhat straight and bearing one pair of long setae. Lingula extends just beyond posterior margin, is rounded spinulose with only one long pair of lingula setae.

Male—abdominal VII with remarkable lateral appendages protruding posteriorly 820 µm from segment ( Fig. 14 ). Male thoracic and abdominal segments with abundant discoidal pores ( Fig. 14 ) which are not present in female. Claspers and aedaegus thickened basally. Aedaegus narrowing apically and curved vertically towards the tip ( Fig. 15 ). Claspers broad and rounded with a number of stout setae on their internal and external faces. One large internally directed acute spur is present on each clasper ( Fig. 15 ).

3rd instar larva

Larva flat (height <10% larval width) (Fig. 4). Similar colouration to puparia. Peripuparial fringe of white wax present and conspicuous (Fig. 4). Dorsum with flocculent white wax produced medially and patches of whitish wax nearer the margins (Fig. 4).

Egg

Large 390 µm long, 180µm wide attached by short peduncle to leaf surface. The eggs are pale in colour and have the shape of an inverted flask (Fig. 12).

FIGURE 4. P. nigrimarginatus 3rd instar image (scalebar = 1mm).

Distribution

Australia. Queensland.

Host Plants

Macadamia ternifolia F.Muell. (Proteaceae) .

Material examined

Holotype puparium slide: ex Macadamia ternifolia, Manorina, D’Aguilar N.P., S.E. Queensland, 21 July 2004, P.S. Gillespie, B.C. McNeil & M. Coombs, 27.38770o S 152.78439o E ASCT 00131948 [QM]. Paratypes—slides— 1x puparium slide, same data as holotype ASCT 00131830, 1 x adult ɗ ( ASCT 00131842), 1 x adult Ψ ( ASCT 00131841) Bred ex pupae on Macadamia ternifolia, Manorina, D’Aguilar N.P. near Brisbane Qld, Coombs, McNeil & Gillespie, Aug 2004 [ ASCU]; 5 x ɗ puparia slides, 6 x Ψ puparia slides, 1 x 3rd, 3 x 2nd instar nymph slides, Mt Nebo, Qld, 16 July 2004, Coombs & McNeil ex Macadamia ternifolia STRf [ ANIC], 1 x puparia slide, same data as holotype ( ASCT 00131829)[ BMNH]—dry material— 28 x puparia/4th instar and 40 x nymphs on 14 leaf or leaf fragments ( ASCT 00131935, ASCT 00131936) [ ASCU]—adults (ethanol) 4x Ψ, 1 x ɗ Mt Nebo, Qld, 21 July 2004, Coombs, McNeil & Gillespie ( ASCT 00025262) [ ASCU].

Comments

In addition to the characters mentioned in the key the characteristic shape and distinctive markings of the live puparia as well as their presence on the underside of leaves, the two dark spots on the forewing of the adult should easily allow the identification of this species which appears to be highly host specific. The extreme elevation of the fourth instar puparium ( Fig. 1 ) contrasts with the flatness of early fourth instars ( Fig. 3). This species is known only from the rare plant, M. ternifolia , which is restricted to the rainforests of SE Qld. This plant is not used for commercial macadamia nut breeding. Five species of Macadamia are present in Australia, two of which have been used widely for horticultural germplasm for commercial macadamia nut production. P. nigrimarginatus has never turned up as a pest of these two plant species, although an undescribed species of Aleurocanthus has been recorded several times from commercial macadamia nut plantations and was also found amongst samples of P. nigrimarginatus . Other non­commercial species of Macadamia , such as M. praealta and M. wickhamii should also be examined as potential host plants for this species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. P. nigrimarginatus puparium dorsum habitus image (scalebar = 1 mm).

FIGURE 5. P. nigrimarginatus puparium vasiform orifice detail electron micrograph.

FIGURE 7. P. nigrimarginatus puparium vasiform orifice image.

FIGURE 6. P. nigrimarginatus puparium foreleg image.

FIGURE 13. P. nigrimarginatus adult wing drawing (scalebar = 1 mm).

FIGURE 11. P. nigrimarginatus adult antenna female image (scale bar = 0.5 mm).

FIGURE 10. P. nigrimarginatus adult male abdominal segments / wax plates drawing.

FIGURE 14. P. nigrimarginatus adult male VII & terminalia image.

FIGURE 15. P. nigrimarginatus adult male terminalia image.