Aleurodicus darienpalmae, 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 : 26-27

Aleurodicus darienpalmae sp. nov.

(Fig. 57)

PUPARIUM. Habitus. Not noted. Morphology. Most characters are shared with A. talamancensis (q.v.) and only differences are described below. Outline. 0.92–0.97 mm long, 0.67–0.71 mm wide, generally

widest at abdominal segment I/II (n=26). Dorsum. Mesal boundary of submarginal wide-rimmed pore band conspicuously lobulate, interdigitating with bases of submarginal setae (Fig. 57); division between abdominal segment VI and VII/VIII marked medially by a distinct suture-like fold linking anterior edges of pockets, but only 7 segments discernible on median line anterior to vasiform orifice; cephalic pair and anterior 4 pairs of abdominal compound pores 30–40 µ maximum diameter, their axial processes short; operculum transversely rounded-trapezoidal, its surface with fine punctae and subtly rugose, its posterior edge not conspicuously emarginate, almost straight and without a pair of setae on its posterior margin; clusters of surface spinules on lingula head more subtly defined (Fig. 57 expanded detail); most dorsal disc simple pores similar in size to those in submarginal wide-rimmed pore band, a few a little larger.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Holotype puparium, PANAMÁ, Darién Province, Enseñada del Guayabo, 16– 19 km S.E. of Jaqué , 7º 20´N, 78º 05´W, on unidentified Palmae, 13.i.1983 (J.H.Martin #3615) ( BMNH). Paratypes: 1 puparium, 1 third-instar nymph, same data as holotype ( BMNH) .

ETYMOLOGY. The species name is formed from two nouns in aposition, reflecting its type locality (Darién – Province of Panamá) and its incomplete host plant data (Palmae —a family name now more usually replaced by Arecaceae ) .

COMMENTS. This species differs from the very similar A. talamancensis principally in the nature of the submarginal pore band, whose mesal boundary interdigitates with the bases of the submarginal setae: this characteristic is also seen in the single third-instar nymph and it is not considered to be a variation of A. talamancensis . Also, the puparial operculum of A. darienpalmae is not posteriorly emarginate as it is in A. talamancensis .