Aleurodicus decemensis, Martin, 2008

Martin, Jon H., 2008, A revision of Aleurodicus Douglas (Sternorrhyncha, Aleyrodidae), with two new genera proposed for palaeotropical natives and an identification guide to world genera of Aleurodicinae, Zootaxa 1835 (1), pp. 1-100 : 27-28

Aleurodicus decemensis sp. nov.

( Fig. 72 )

PUPARIUM. Habitus. Not noted. Margin. Outline oval, 1.05 mm long, 0.73 mm wide, widest at abdominal segment II (n=1). Cuticle pale but very slightly dusky in cephalothoracic subdorsum, true margin smooth, almost entirely deflexed; edge of puparium (apparent margin) rather uneven, resulting from submarginal pores observed in profile; short folds leading mesad from true margin can give a slight appearance of laterally-contiguous teeth. Dorsum. Longitudinal moulting suture only faintly marked, apparently reaching puparial margin; transverse moulting sutures slightly easier to discern, reaching submargin. Abdominal segment VII much reduced medially, about same length as pockets; abdominal segmentation, meso- / metathoracic and promesothoracic segmental divisions clear but cephalic / prothoracic division less marked. Vasiform orifice broadly-cordate, slightly wider than long, smooth; operculum trapezoidal, almost twice as wide as long, surface with many minute dots, its posterior margin slightly convex, bearing a pair of stout setae; lingula head proportionately very large, tongue-shaped, densely covered by seta-like spinules, bearing the normal 4 stout setae, its apex almost reaching puparial edge; Chaetotaxy. A pair of posterior marginal setae present, about 90µ long, fine; eighth abdominal setae present, anterior to vasiform orifice, 30µ long, similar to single pairs of submedian pro-, meso- and metathoracic setae; a pair of minute cephalic submedian setae also present, only 8µ long; submargin with 12 pairs of setae, most of them similar to posterior marginals but posteriormost 2 pairs very much longer and more robust, 120-160µ long. Pores. Cephalic compound pores 32µ in outer diameter, anterior 4 pairs of abdominal compound pores almost identical to cephalics but 36µ in outer diameter; axial processes of the 5 pairs of large compound pores extremely elongate, apically acute and sword-like, up to 170µ long; length of axial processes leads to large compound pores being observed only laterally, and no basal cells can be discerned; abdominal segments VII and VIII each with a pair of tiny compound pores about 16µ in diameter, each with a tiny, truncate, axial process that protrudes slightly beyond pore mouth. Immediately within puparial margin lies a single row of curious D-shaped pores ( Fig. 72 , detail of deflexed submar- gin); further mesad, but still in submargin, is a row of much larger 8-shaped septate pores that seem not to be the double-rimmed type that are common in the submargin of several other species of Aleurodicus ; remainder of dorsal disc with small 8-shaped pores and even smaller wide-rimmed pores; submedian area, particularly of abdomen, is effectively defined by asymmetric geminate pores – curious modified 8-shaped pores in which one half is much smaller than the other (Figs B xi, 72 expanded detail), with many having an apparent faint double rim - this type of pore is also present elsewhere, particularly adjacent to bases of large compound pores. Venter. Ventral abdominal setae 90µ long, fine, underlying lingular base. Legs and antennae as figured, robust, typical for Aleurodicus . Tracheal folds absent.

THIRD-INSTAR NYMPH. Cuticle slightly pigmented, outline broadly oval, 0.58–0.59 mm long, 0.44– 0.45 mm wide, widest opposite posterior pair of compound pores (n=2). Margin down-curled but not deflexed, rather uneven. Vasiform orifice and operculum as in puparium, but lingula just reaching beyond body margin. 2 pairs of large compound pores present in cephalothorax, bell-shaped, 25-30µ wide, each with a long and sword-like axial process that extends much beyond pore mouth and is up to 70µ long, measured from pore-base. 3 pairs of small cicatrices present, two pairs in cephalothoracic area and third pair posterolateral to vasiform orifice, these indicating presence of 3 pairs compound pores in second-instar. Chaetotaxy as in puparium, posteriormost 2 submarginal pairs very long and robust, up to 150µ long; 4 pairs of cephalothoracic setae present but extremely small, especially cephalic pair, less than 5µ. Dorsum with 8-shaped pores of differing sizes, outer (submarginal) row the largest, appearing more like double-rimmed pores than in puparium; interspersed with 8-shaped pores on dorsal disc are tiny wide-rimmed pores. Legs triangular, evidently 3- segmented, each with a curved apical claw; antennae small, about same size as apical segments of legs; ventral abdominal setae similar to posterior marginal setal pair.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Holotype puparium, PANAMÁ, Canal Zone, Gamboa Hill, on Machaerium sp. , cf. milleflorum or purpurascens ( Fabaceae : Papilionoideae ), 20.iii.1983 (J.H.Martin #4091) ( BMNH). Paratypes: 2 third-instar nymphs, same data as holotype ( BMNH).

ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet is created from the latin words decem (ten) and ensis (sword), describing the ten sword-like axial processes of the large compound pores in the puparium of this species.

COMMENTS. Although this species is known from just a single puparium and two third-instar nymphs, its most unusual characteristics lead to its description being well justified. The extreme length and robust nature of the compound pore axial processes is highly unusual (more reminiscent of Palaealeurodicus species ), and the form of the 8-shaped pores also differs consderably from the double-rimmed septate type more often seen in Aleurodicus species. The asymmetric 8-shaped pores that line the submedian area of the puparium, with one “loop” only half the size of the other, may be unique. A. decemensis does not have obvious close affinities with any other Aleurodicus species.

Figures

FIGURE 72 Aleurodicus decemensis sp. nov., holotype puparium, Panamá.