Aleurocanthus laurenae, Gillespie, Peter S., 2012

Gillespie, Peter S., 2012, A review of the whitefly genus Aleurocanthus Quaintance & Baker (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Australia, Zootaxa 3252, pp. 1-42 : 20-23

Aleurocanthus laurenae sp. n. ( Figs 44–45 )

Puparium. Puparia black in life, requiring bleaching for observation, oval shape, sexually dimorphic: female 770- 810 μm length, 480–495 μm width, male 670–690 μm length, 390–410 μm width, margin usually regularly crenulate (7–8 crenulations per 0.1mm) rarely smooth, caudal and thoracic tracheal openings absent.

Dorsum. Dorsal disc small tubercles present medially and submedially on abdomen and cephalothorax, Abdomen rhachisiform and lacking lateral arms, with abdominal VII extended posterolaterly towards submargin, Longitudinal moulting sutures reaching margin, Transverse moulting sutures reaching outer submargin, straight to wavy (amplitude <=20% length of suture), tiny simple and geminate (minute, paired) pores present on dorsum, vasiform orifice sub circular with posterior margin elevated, situated closer to margin (<= 1.5 x vasiform orifice length from margin), operculum rounded to oval, completely filling vasiform orifice, lingula included within vasiform orifice and completely obscured by operculum, caudal ridge present but hard to discern due it being short and almost vertical because of the proximity of the vasiform orifice to the margin, Abdominal segment VII medial width essentially same as other segments, eye spots present.

FIGURES 39–43. A. hirsutus puparia 39–41: 39, habitus (1000 µm); 40, slide (500 µm); 41, illustration (A) 3rd instar (from Dumbleton 1956); A. luteus puparium: 42, habitus (1000 µm); A. maculatus sp. nov. puparium: 43, habitus (500 µm).

Chaetotaxy. Anterior marginal setae absent, cephalic setae short, acuminate, first abdominal setae short, set apart, thicker than other setae, tapered with blunt apex from swollen base, eighth abdominal setae between 50% and 100% vasiform orifice length, acuminate, situated lateral to vasiform orifice, caudal setae as long as or longer than vasiform orifice length, acuminate, situated on or close to margin, posterior margin setae present, glandular spines absent from dorsum/subdorsum, 13(16) pairs glandular spines regularly spaced around margin/submargin, with usually 6 cephalothoracic and 7(10) abdominal pairs of glandular spines, glandular spines about 100 μm long (72–130 μm), tapered with laciniate tips arising from swollen bases, not regularly paired in abdomen IV and V, dorsum lacking setae.

Venter. Antenna short (up to base of fore leg), Legs lacking setae at base of leg, margin concentric fold present in submargin, Caudal and thoracic tracheal folds absent, few stiples (spinules) sparsely distributed near tracheal opening and rarely medially, all of more or less uniform size. Ventral abdominal setae short (less than or equal to half vasiform orifice width) but maybe difficult to discern

Etymology. Named in honour of my daughter, Lauren.

Distribution. WA.

Hosts. PROTEACEAE : Banksia (= Dryandra ) sp, B (= D.) sessilis.

Material Examined. Holotype puparium slide: [marked], Australia, WA, Perth, Forrestfield, 31o 59’ S, 116o 05’E, Dryandra sp. ( Proteaceae ), 23.xi.1997, P.J. Gullan, BM1998-51 ( BMNH). Paratypes: same data as holotype, 7 x puparium on same slide as holotype ( BMNH). Non type material: 10 x puparium slides, W. Australia, Perth, Kings Park, 26.ix.1967, LAM 214. ( ANIC, ASCU, BMNH (x8 )).

Comments. The material mentioned here is distinctive enough to warrant separation from the other taxa of the ’ gullanae ’ group but may potentially represent more than one species. This taxon differs from other members of this group by the placement of the vasiform orifice very near the margin, and the presence of a (hard to see) caudal ridge. The (non-type) Kings Park series differs from the nominate description by having all the submarginal spines shorter and the submarginal glandular spines doubled in abdomen III–IV.

Figures

FIGURES 44 – 47. A. laurenae sp. nov. puparia 44 – 45: 44, slide (100 µm); 45, illustration (cutaway venter); A. luteus puparia 46 – 47: 46, slide (500 µm); 47, illustration (from Martin 1985).