Asialeyrodes nicobarica, Dubey, 2019

Dubey, Anil Kumar, 2019, Asialeyrodes nicobarica sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) from the Nicobar Island, located in the Indian part of the Sundaland hotspot, and two new synonymies, Zootaxa 4674 (4), pp. 439-450 : 442-445

Asialeyrodes nicobarica sp. nov.

( Figs 1–26 )

Puparium. White; shiny; with secretion of white wax at caudal and thoracic tracheal pore openings ( Fig. 2 ); suboval ( Figs 3 , 6 , 13 ); broadest at metathorax to abdominal segment I/II; constricted at thoracic tracheal pore region; thoracic tracheal pores deeply indented with smooth internal rim; dimorphic; female puparia larger than the male; female 680–700 µm long, 560–600 µm wide; male 570–580 µm long, 460 µm wide; found singly on lower surface of leaves, 5–12 puparia per leaf.

Margin: Smooth ( Figs 4 , 9 , 17 ); margin invaginated at caudal and thoracic tracheal openings forming deep pore ( Figs 11 , 16, 18 ), but without internal teeth.

Dorsum: Submargin differentiated from the dorsal disc by a prominent submarginal furrow reaching near caudal furrow. Submargin with a row of 12 pairs of setae. Submarginal lines evident ( Fig. 7 ). Dorsal disc without tubercles on submedian/subdorsum. Median tubercles present on abdominal segments I–VI ( Figs 8, 10 , 14 ). The abdominal segment VII almost equal to the length of segment VI in median area. Median length of cephalothorax is equal to the abdomen, the cephalothorax and abdomen measured 350–375 µm long and 350 µm long in females, respectively, and 300–305 µm long, 280–290 µm long in males, respectively. The median length of mesothorax (40–50 µm long) was longer than the metathorax (30–35 µm long). The median length of abdominal segments I–VIII measured as: A1: 32–35, A2: 32–33, A3: 30, A4: 30, A5: 20–25, A6: 20–25, A7: 20–25 and A8: 30–37 µm long, respectively in female, and A1: 27–30, A2: 25, A3: 27–28, A4: 20–25, A5: 20, A6: 17–20, A7: 17–18 and A8: 30–33 µm long, respectively in male. Longitudinal and transverse moulting sutures reaching submarginal furrow ( Fig. 13 ). Intersegmental sutures reaching submedian area on cephalothoracic and abdominal segments. Submedian pockets on intersegmental sutures, not much prominent. Thoracic tracheal furrows absent; caudal tracheal furrow present, broad at middle length of it, and constricted near posterior end of vasiform orifice and caudal tracheal pore opening ( Figs 11 , 18 ), filled with many small linear striations ( Figs 5 , 15 ), 75–80 µm long in female and 55–62 µm long in male. Geminate pores present ( Fig. 21 ) in four rows (one row along the submarginal furrow, placed in between submarginal setae, one row on subdorsum along the submarginal furrow, and two rows on submedian area, plus a few scattered in middle of subdorsum); two pairs of geminate pores present on submedian area of the first abdominal segment, and one pair each on abdominal segment II–VII, geminate pores absent on submedian area of abdominal segment VIII. Pockets discontinuous on abdominal segment VIII.

Vasiform orifice: Subcordate ( Figs 11 , 19 ), posterior end conical, notched, forming projections from both sides of the notch, cephalolaterad margin forming concentric notch in slide mounts; inner posterior and lateral margin smooth; 35–37 µm long, 32–37 µm wide in female; 27–30 µm long, 35 µm wide in male; operculum subcordate; posterior margin with microtrichia, completely filling the orifice in the length; 25 µm long, 20–27 µm wide in female; 20 µm long, 22–25 µm wide in male; lingula concealed (visible in SEM); the distance between posterior end of vasiform orifice to puparial margin more than two times of the length of vasiform orifice.

Venter: Ventral surface suboval ( Fig. 22 ). Thoracic tracheal folds ( Figs 23, 24 ) and caudal tracheal fold ( Fig. 25 ) without stipples. A pair of ventral eighth abdominal setae present ( Fig. 25 ), 10 µm long, 22–25 µm apart.Antennae arising from inside prothoracic legs, apex reaching near base of prothoracic legs, nearly 1/3 rd of prothoracic legs ( Fig. 12 ), 47–50 µm (including keel) long. Microsetae present at middle of meso-, and metathorax. Adhesive pads and spiracles visible ( Fig. 26 ).

Chaetotaxy: Anterior marginal setae 6–7 µm long, 137 µm apart; posterior marginal setae 8–12 µm long, 132–155 µm apart. Cephalic and first abdominal setae minute, 3 µm long; eighth abdominal setae small, placed in concentric notch of cephalolaterad margin of the orifice, 4–7 µm long, and caudal setae on caudal ridge, 3–5 µm long. Submarginal setae ( Fig. 20 ) 12 pairs, 5 pairs anterior to thoracic tracheal pores and 7 pairs posterior to it, placed close to submarginal furrow, 3–5 µm long.

Type specimens. Holotype: India, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Nicobar Island, Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve ( GNBR), 2 puparia under one coverslip, on Neolamarckia cadamba , 21.xi.2018, 6º53′57.87″ N, 93º53′32.55″E, A. K. Dubey. The right of two puparia located under one coverslip on a slide is selected as the holotype (female) and other becomes paratype (allotype, male) ( Deposited in Zoological Survey of India, Head Quarter, Kolkata, India; Registration No. H 15/8628).

Paratypes: 43 puparia on 16 slides, data same as of the holotype, and several puparia in 95% alcohol available with A. K. Dubey.

Host plant. Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser (Rubiaceae) .

Distribution. INDIA: Nicobar Island, Laxmi Nagar.

Etymology. The species is named after its type locality, the Nicobar Island.

Remarks. Puparia of the new species differ from all the Asialeyrodes species in shape; the puparia of other Asialeyrodes species are not constricted as much at the thoracic tracheal pore region, and by the presence of median tubercles on the abdominal segments I–VI ( Figs 10 , 14 ), the posteriorly notched vasiform orifice and having the caudal furrow much broader in the middle ( Fig. 18 ) and filled with linear striations.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map showing type locality of A. nicobarica sp. nov.

FIGURES 2. A. nicobarica sp. nov., habitus on leaf.

FIGURES 3–5. A. nicobarica sp. nov., line drawings, 3, puparium; 4, margin, thoracic tracheal pore; 5, vasiform orifice and caudal margin.

FIGURES 6–12. A. nicobarica sp. nov., holotype, 6, puparium; 7, longitudinal moulting suture; 8, abdominal segments; 9, thoracic tracheal pore; 10, median tubercles on A1–A6; 11, posterior abdominal area; 12, legs and antenna (ventral).

FIGURES 13–21. A. nicobarica sp. nov., scanning electron microscope images, 13, puparium, dorsal view; 14, median tubercles on A1–A6; 15, caudal furrow; 16, thoracic tracheal pore; 17, margin; 18, posterior abdominal area, furrow; 19, vasiform orifice; 20, submarginal seta; 21, geminate pore.

FIGURES 22–26. A. nicobarica sp. nov., scanning electron microscope images, 22, puparium, ventral view; 23, prothoracic legs, first spiracle; 24, thoracic tracheal fold; 25, caudal tracheal fold, ventral setae; 26, eighth abdominal spiracle.