Himalayaleyrodes Dubey

Dubey, Anil Kumar & Singh, Sudhir, 2017, A new whitefly genus and species, Himalayaleyrodes sarcococcae Dubey (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) infesting Christmas box (Buxaceae) in Western Himalaya, India, Zootaxa 4269 (4), pp. 531-544 : 532-533

Himalayaleyrodes Dubey gen. nov.

Type species: Himalayaleyrodes sarcococcae Dubey sp. nov.

Diagnosis. In life, puparium thick; white; raised on lateral margin by wax palisade; with wax secretions, wax filaments forming dome-shaped structure around puparium; infesting lower surface of leaves and soft green stems; infested area with chlorotic spots. Margin crenulate, with a row of simple setae. Anterior and posterior marginal setae present. Cephalic, eighth abdominal and caudal setae present. First abdominal setae absent. Longitudinal moulting suture reaching margin and transverse moulting suture reaching outer submedian/subdorsal area. Submargin not differentiated from the dorsal disc by a furrow or fold. Submedian area with a band of wax secreting glands. Caudal and thoracic tracheal pore opening area slightly modified into a comb. Cephalothoracic and abdominal segment sutures prominent. Median length of abdominal segment VII shorter than VI. Vasiform orifice triangular, not elevated; operculum subrectangular, covering about half the length of orifice; lingula elongate, exposed, not reaching beyond posterior margin of the orifice, with a pair of fine setae subapically. Thoracic and caudal tracheal furrows absent. Geminate pores present. Simple pores may be present in a band on submedian/ subdorsal area. Ventrally, antennae reaching middle of prothoracic legs. Caudal and thoracic tracheal folds with stipples. Paired ventral setae, microsetae and rostral setae present. Adhesive sacs and spiracles visible. Adults white, with mottling on wings.

Etymology. The genus is named after the Himalaya, from where the specimens were collected from areas that receive winter snow.

Remarks. Puparia of the new genus resemble that of Bemisia Quaintance & Baker in shape and in having crenulate margin and roughly triangular vasiform orifice, but differs from it in that (characters in parenthesis are that of Bemisia ): in life, puparium with copious amount of long wax filaments (such long wax filaments absent), puparium raised on its lateral margin (puparium not raised on its lateral margin), and in having a row of marginal setae (marginal setae absent), a band of simple pores on outer subdorsal area (such band of simple pores absent), a band of wax secreting glands on subdorsum (wax glands likely on submarginal area only), medial length of abdominal segment VII half the length of segment VI (median length of abdominal segment VII much reduced, almost immeasurable), protuberances absent from dorsum (variable degree of protuberances present), and by the absence of the first abdominal and submarginal setae (first abdominal and submarginal setae present); adult males and females of the new genus have mottling on wings (mottling absent on wings), aedeagus constricted in middle (not constricted in middle), in adult male and female the upper and lower compound eyes are connected by three and four ommatidia, respectively (upper and lower compound eye are connected by a single ommatidium, Dubey et al., 2009), sensorial cone on segment VII placed ahead of primary sensoria ( Figs 37, 42 ) (sensorial cone placed posterior or equal to the primary sensoria). Puparia of the new genus and species differing in above-mentioned characteristics from the afer complex also differ in the same characteristics from the tabaci complex.

Puparia of the new genus also resemble that of Aleurochiton Tullgren (1907) in having a waxy palisade around margin but differ from it in that (characters in parenthesis are that of Aleurochiton ): in life, puparia with long wax filaments forming dome-shaped periphery around margin (such long wax filaments absent around margin but dorsum may be plated with wax), first abdominal setae absent (first abdominal setae present), vasiform orifice triangular in shape (vasiform orifice sub-rectangular), abdominal segment I with two pairs of geminate pores (abdominal segment I with one pair of geminate pores), transverse moulting suture not curved anteriorly and reaching outer submedian/subdorsal area (transverse moulting suture usually curved anteriorly and reaching margin), a band of simple minute pore present on submedian/subdorsal area (such band of simple pores absent on submedian/subdorsal area) and a band of wax secreting plates present on submedian/subdorsal area (such a band of wax plates absent), and ventrally, a submarginal fold present (submarginal ventral fold absent). Himalayaleyrodes gen. n. also differs in puparial characteristics from Asterobemisia Trehan (1940) in that: the transverse moulting suture does not turn anteriorly and reach submedian/subdorsal area whereas in the latter genus the transverse moulting suture turns anteriorly and joins the longitudinal moulting suture, this conjuncture forms a heart-shaped window for adult emergence.

Figures

FIGURES 37 – 46. Himalayaleyrodes sarcococcae Dubey sp. nov., Photomicrographs, immatures, 37, third instar, dorsal view; 38, second instar; 39, first instar; 40, vasiform orifice, third instar; 41, second instar, subdorsal wax glands; 42, second instar, submarginal pores; 43, first instar, posterior abdominal area, vasiform orifice; 44, vasiform orifice, second instar; 45, thoracic legs, second instar; 46, thoracic legs, first instar.