Aleurocanthus maculatus, 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 : 23-25

Aleurocanthus maculatus sp. n. (Figs 43, 48–49)

Puparium. black in life, requiring bleaching for observation (Fig. 43); Peripuparial wax present as a uniform ring of white rays, dorsum sometimes covered with white wax whilst marginal glandular spines have distinctive blobs of white wax on their tips (Fig. 43); Puparium oval shaped, sexually dimorphic: female 900–970 μm long, 620–660 μm wide, male 740–780 μm long, 500–540 μm wide, Margin dorso-ventrally deep, regularly to irregularly crenulate (5–6 teeth per 0.1mm) rarely smooth, marginal glands subtending marginal crenulations, with associated small dorsal simple pore, one or a pair every two to three crenulations, these often hard to discern except under high magnification, caudal and thoracic tracheal openings not modified at margins.

Dorsum ( Figs 48–49 ). Distinctive dorsal medial patterning present as rounded, pale, glandular papillate to tuberculate spots each usually with a simple or rarely a geminate pore at its centre, abdomen somewhat rhachisiform with lateral margins of rhachis somewhat obscured by papillae, rhachis of abdomen VII extended posterolaterally and apparent only under magnification, longitudinal moulting sutures reaching margin, transverse moulting sutures reaching outer submargin, straight to wavy (amplitude <=20% length of suture), tiny simple pores present on dorsum, Vasiform orifice rounded rectangular to sub circular, situated close to margin (within one vasiform orifice length from margin), elevated, operculum rounded, completely filling vasiform orifice, lingula included within vasiform orifice and completely obscured by operculum, Abdominal segment VII medial width essentially same as other segments, small egg shaped eye spots present.

Chaetotaxy ( Fig. 49 ). Anterior marginal setae absent, cephalic setae short (length less than or equal to 20% of puparial width), acuminate, first abdominal setae short, acuminate, set apart (distance between setal bases greater than seta length), same thickness as other setae, eighth abdominal setae between 50% and 100% vasiform orifice length, acuminate, situated anteriorly to and laterally within vasiform orifice lateral margins, caudal setae as long as or longer than vasiform orifice length, acuminate, situated on or close to margin (within 4 setal base widths of margin), posterior margin setae present, glandular spines with 15 (14–16) pairs evenly distributed in submargin but lacking from dorsum-subdorsum, with 8 thoracic and 7 (6–8) abdominal pairs of marginal-submarginal glandular spines, narrowed distally with expanded laciniate apices, basal pore absent.

Venter ( Fig. 49 ): Antenna hard to see, short (up to base of fore leg), unsegmented, legs with terminal 'tarsal' segment present as adhesion pad, setae at base of leg not visible, caudal and thoracic tracheal folds absent folds absent.

Etymology. Named to reflect the spotted pattern derived from the conspicuous rounded pale papillae on the dorsum of this species when slide mounted.

Distribution. WA.

Hosts. RHAMNACEAE : Spyridium globulosum (Basket Bush) .

Material Examined. Holotype puparium slide: ex Spyridium globulosum, Eagle Bay, W.A. , - 33.560191o S 115.067347o E, 8.x.2010, P.S. Gillespie ( ASCT 00025031)( ASCU). Paratypes: same data as holotype, 3 x puparium slides ( ASCT 00025032-34)( ASCU), 19 puparia on 15 leaves ( ASCT 00047628)( ASCU); Spyridium globulosum , WA, Eagle Bay, 22.i.1997, P.J. De Barro #357, 16 x puparia on 3 slides (AN20.10692)( BMNH), 3 x puparia on a slide (AN20.10692)( ANIC); 6 x puparium on one slide, 16.xi.1999, Eagle Bay, Australia, WA, 32o 01’S 115o 27’E, S. & O. Schmidt ( ANIC).

Comments. This distinctive species is characterised by the dorsum having many elevated pale rounded papillae some bearing spines others pores. The rhachisform nature of the abdomen is far less pronounced in this species although the abdominal segments can show a degree of arching with IV and V being higher than preceding and following segments. The only known host is a plant found in high salt-tolerant coastal beach-side communities south of Perth in WA. Examination of this host in several sites shows that this species prefers hosts in less exposed areas and quite unusually the puparia were found singly and occasionally in twos. This distinctive species was previously known as ‘undescribed species 6’ Martin (1999).

Figures

FIGURES 48 – 51. A. maculatus sp. nov. puparia 48 – 49: 48, slide; 49, illustration; A. mcneili sp. nov. puparia 50 - 51: 50, slide; 51, illustration (500 µm).