Cerafilum ochlandrae, Dubey, 2024

Dubey, Anil Kumar, 2024, Description of a new whitefly genus and two new species (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) from the Western Ghats and Andaman Islands, India, Zootaxa 5453 (2), pp. 271-281 : 272-277

Cerafilum ochlandrae sp. nov.

( Figs 1–28 )

Puparium. In vivo, pale brown, elongate ( Figs 7 , 14 ), fragile; white woolly threads of wax originating from subdorsum/submargin; median/submedian area without or with dust of wax ( Fig. 1 ); surrounded by a waxy palisade ( Figs 2, 3 ); submargin slightly raised; dimorphic, ♀ puparia slightly longer than ♂; broadest at abdominal segments III/IV; ♀ 1140–1080 μm long, 530–560 μm wide; ♂ 1120 μm long, 560 μm wide; found singly on the underside of leaves, 24–46 puparia per leaf.

Margin. Crenulate ( Fig. 8 ), 24–27 crenulations in 0.1 mm; thoracic and caudal tracheal pores not indicated; submarginal papillae absent; submarginal lines fine, small ( Fig. 17 ); anterior marginal setae absent, posterior marginal setae not differentiated from other submarginal setae.

Dorsum. Submargin with microtubercles ( Fig. 18 ); submedian area smooth; submedian-subdorsal area with a row of small, pointed setae ( Fig. 19 ), 11 pairs observed; cephalothorax with 7 pairs, second cephalic pair ( Fig. 10 ) longest, 4 pairs on abdomen, 1 pair each on subdorsal area of segment II, submedian area of segment IV–VI, and 3 pairs on posterior submargin/margin (including caudal setae) ( Fig. 4 ); longitudinal moulting suture reaching margin, transverse moulting sutures produced anteriorly in middle, reaching subdorsal-submedian area; pro-mesothoracic sutures obsolete; meso-metathoracic and abdominal segment sutures reaching submedian-subdorsal area; submedian pockets on segment sutures, and depressions reaching nearly half the length of segments ( Fig. 20 ); segment lengths along midline: cephalothorax 450–460 μm (mesothorax 80 μm, metathorax 57–63 μm; Figs 11 , 15 ); abdomen 600– 620 μm (A1: 40–70, A2: 47–55, A3: 60–75, A4: 58–65, A5: 62–70, A6: 62–72, A7: 15–20, A8: 45–47); thoracic tracheal furrows absent; caudal furrow present; geminate pores in 3 rows, submargin with 1 row, submedian area with 2 rows; pores absent on subdorsal area; pore and porette separated by 2X diameter of large pore.

Vasiform orifice. Subcordate ( Figs 5 , 22, 23 ), 55–58 μm long, 52–57 μm wide, inner posterior and lateral margins smooth ( Figs 5 , 13 ), distance from vasiform orifice to caudal margin 105–110 μm; posterior area of vasiform orifice with microtubercles; operculum 27–30 μm long, 40–45 μm wide, apically truncate, with microtrichia, lingula 25–40 μm long, exposed, triangular, lobulate, apex pointed, exceeds orifice margin in a single puparium (paratype); a pair of long subapical setae, 28–40 μm long.

Chaetotaxy. Cephalic setae 32–35 μm, first abdominal setae 35–42 μm ( Fig. 9 ), eighth abdominal setae 52–67 μm (47 μm in one puparium), eighth abdominal setae cephalolateral of vasiform orifice, parallel to the base of operculum; anterior marginal setae absent; 1 pair of cephalic submedian/subdorsal setae generally longer (55–65 μm long) than other cephalic seta pairs, or in some puparia smaller (32–35 microns long) than others; posterior submargin with 3 pairs of setae 17–25 μm long, well separated.

Venter. A narrow submarginal ventral fold present ( Fig. 24 ); paired ventral eighth abdominal setae 18–25 μm long, 45–48 μm apart ( Fig. 27 ); median and submedian area with transverse rows of fine stippling ( Fig. 28 ); antennae bases medial to base of prothoracic legs, 75 μm long ( Figs 6 , 26 ); legs not curved, without apical pads ( Figs 25, 26 ); adhesive sacs and spiracles present; rostral setae present.

Third instar. Elongate-oval, 700 μm long, 320 μm wide, broadest from mesothorax to abdominal segment IV; margin crenulate; metathorax 35 μm long; abdominal segments I–VIII: A1: 40, A2: 37, A3: 43, A4: 43, A5: 43, A6: 42, A7: 12, A8: 23 μm long; vasiform orifice subcordate, 57 μm long, 55 μm wide; operculum sub-rectangular, anteriorly truncate, covering half length of the orifice, 22 μm long, 35 μm wide; lingula exposed, not reaching beyond posterior margin of vasiform orifice, 18 μm long; vasiform orifice located 60 μm anterior of caudal margin; cephalic and the first abdominal setae present; eighth abdominal and caudal setae 37 and 32 μm long, respectively.

Host plant. Poaceae : Ochlandra travancorica (Bedd.) Benth.

Holotype. INDIA: Kerala, Kozhikode, Adivaram, one puparium, ♀, on slide, on Ochlandra travancorica , 8.xi.2013, 11º29′274′′N, 76º01′571′′ E, A. K. Dubey ( Deposited in the collections of National Zoological Collection , Zoological Survey of India , Kolkata ).

Paratypes. 25 puparia and 1 third instar on 10 slides, data same as for the holotype ( ZSI, FRI, A. K. Dubey) .

Etymology. The species is named after the host plant genus, Ochlandra .

Remarks. The lateral lobes of the lingula are not prominent in many puparia, the length of the eighth abdominal setae and vasiform orifice subequal, both longer than cephalic and the first abdominal setae. The submedian and subdorsal setae are pointed, some curved, but not as in Aleuromarginatus ; the second cephalic pair of submedian-subdorsal setae are longer than remainders, and do not extend beyond cephalic margin.

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. Cerafilum ochlandrae gen. et sp. nov.: habitus, on Ochlandra travancorica; 1, puparium with woolly wax threads; 2, puparium, with wax palisade, wax threads removed; 3, population on the underside of leaf.

FIGURES 4–6. Cerafilum ochlandrae gen. et sp. nov.: camera lucida drawings; 4, puparium, dorsal view; 5, vasiform orifice; 6, prothoracic leg, antenna.

FIGURES 7–13. Cerafilum ochlandrae gen. et sp. nov.: holotype; 7, dorsal and ventral views; 8, margin; 9, first abdominal segment, setae; 10, cephalic pair of long setae; 11, thoracic sutures and legs; 12, abdominal segments; 13, vasiform orifice, caudal area.

FIGURES14–23.Cerafilumochlandrae gen.etsp.nov.:SEMmicrophotographs;14, puparium,dorsalview;15,cephalothoracic setae; 16, abdominal segments, setae; 17, margin; 18, microtubercles; 19, submedian/subdorsal setae; 20, abdominal depressions; 21, posterior abdominal area; 22, vasiform orifice; 23, lingula setae.

FIGURES 24–28. Cerafilum ochlandrae gen. et sp. nov.: SEM microphotographs; 24, ventral view; 25, legs, adhesive sacs; 26, prothoracic leg; 27, caudal tracheal fold; 28, submedian stippling.