Ceraleurodicus boteh Canty, 2023

Canty, Roy J., Martini, Biancamaria & Wanke, Dominic, 2023, Three new species of Neotropical Ceraleurodicus Hempel (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) found in the Natural History Museum (London) collection, with notes and a puparial key to species, Zootaxa 5277 (2), pp. 313-338 : 318

Ceraleurodicus boteh Canty sp. nov.

Distribution. Guyana.

Host. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype:1 puparium of 4, on the left, marked as HT on the slide, on 1 slide, GUYANA, Essequibo, Potaro River gorge, below Kaieteur Falls, approximately 100m altitude, from indeterminate sampling, 22.x.1991, J. H. Martin, (J H Martin 6019) ( BM 1991-182 ) ( NHMUK010162415 ) ( NHMUK) . Paratypes: 19 puparia on 5 slides, marked as PT on their slides, GUYANA, Essequibo, Potaro river gorge, below Kaieteur Falls, approximately 100m altitude, from indeterminate sampling, 22.x.1991, J. H. Martin, (J H Martin 6019) ( BM 1991-182 ) ( NHMUK010162412 [4 specimens]; NHMUK010162413 [3 specimens]; NHMUK010162415 [3 of 4 specimens]; NHMUK010162416 [5 specimens]; NHMUK010162417 [4 specimens]) ( NHMUK) .

Description

Puparium: Body ( Figs 2a , 3a ) an asymmetrical shape that is subpaisley-ovoid (2.59–2.99 mm long, 1.82–2.12 mm wide, generally widest at abdominal segments IV and V), with one side more enlarged than the other, and the posterior end of the less well-developed side being more quadrate than the more-developed side, which is more rounded. Dorsum with 9 pairs of lateral rays, running mesad from the puparial margin.

On the sub-mesial plane of the dorsum are 4 sets of unpaired compound pores, subequal in size (diameter approximately 33 µm), appearing only on the more-developed side, each with a short, stout, rod-like central process ( Figs 2b , 3c ). These 4 sets of pores are located thusly: 1 on the cephalothoracic region between rays 1 and 2, and the last 3 pairs on abdominal segments III (on ridge 5), IV (on ridge 6), and V (on ridge 7). Frequently, on the enlarged side only, there may also be a 5th smaller compound pore ( Fig. 2c ) present (diameter approximately 17 µm), located on abdominal segment VI, on ridge 8, at approximately the same latitude as the anterior margin of the VO.

The margin is planar, but with submarginal folds producing a crenulated submarginal layer with well-defined teeth, and an additional layer of folds of less well-defined teeth, appearing as collars for the dentate folds ( Figs 2d , 3b ). The submargins of rays 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, however, have combs of 7 teeth that are finer than the teeth along the rest of the margin, with the middle 5 teeth being finer than the 2 outer teeth ( Figs 2d , 3b ).

VO ( Figs 2e , 3d ) broadly and roundly subcordate (0.12–0.13 mm long, approximately 1.1 times wider than long). Inset from caudal margin by approximately 4–5 times its own length. Operculum broadly oblong and smooth, approximately 1.5 times wider than long, and covering over half of the lingula. Lingula inserted and broadly subdeltoid in shape, with the posterior tip at an obtuse angle; and taking up almost the entire area of the VO.

Adults. Unknown. No adults that could be linked to these specimens were available for study.

Etymology. The species epithet boteh , a noun in apposition, is the Persian word for the paisley design and relates to the subpaisley-ovoid shape of the puparia of this species.

Comments. Jon Martin (formerly NHMUK) identified these specimens to genus level, and then within the C. varus group or near C. varus , as this species most closely resembles C. varus . Comparisons with C. varus specimens, however, uncover the following areas of differences that separate C. boteh sp. nov. from C. varus . The most obvious difference is in the body shape, with C. varus being more elongate and banana-shaped than C. boteh , which is shorter and stouter. Ceraleurodicus boteh only has 4–5 compound pores: 1 cephalothoracic pore and 3 abdominal pores (segments III–V), which are subequal in size; sometimes a 5th, smaller pore is present on abdominal segment VI. Conversely, C. varus consistently has 6 compound pores that are smaller than the compound pores of C. boteh , with the abdominal pores appearing on abdominal segments III–VI and VIII.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Ceraleurodicus boteh Canty sp. nov. photographs showing: (a) dorsal habitus, (b) large abdominal compound pore, (c) small abdominal compound pore, (d) puparial margin showing submarginal combs at ray 6, and (e) vasiform orifice with posterior ventral claws.

FIGURE 3. Ceraleurodicus boteh Canty sp. nov. line drawings showing: (a) dorsal habitus, (b) puparial margin showing submarginal combs at ray 6, (c) large compound pore, and (d) vasiform orifice.