Aleuroclava Singh, 1931

Manzari, Shahab & Quicke, Donald L. J., 2006, A cladistic analysis of whiteflies, subfamily Aleyrodinae (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae), Journal of Natural History 40 (44 - 46), pp. 2423-2554 : 2470

Aleuroclava Singh, 1931

Type-species: Aleuroclava complex Singh, 1931 . Aleurotuberculatus Takahashi, 1932 . Type-species: Aleurotuberculatus gordoniae Takahashi, 1932 [synonymized by Martin 1999]. Martiniella Jesudasan & David, 1990 . Type-species: Aleurotuberculatus canangae Corbett, 1935 [synonymized by Martin 1999]. Taiwanaleyrodes Takahashi, 1932 . Type-species: Taiwanaleyrodes meliosmae Takahashi, 1932 . Syn. n.

Comments: Takahashi (1932) erected Aleurotuberculatus mentioning that it was closely allied to Aleuroclava and may be a synonym of it. In the same article, he erected Taiwanaleyrodes and stated ‘‘allied to Aleurotuberculatus Takah. , but differs from it in lacking dorsal tubercles and thoracic tracheal clefts, but in possessing a distinct marginal rim on the venter, and also distinguishable from …’’ ( Takahashi 1932). Takahashi (1939) in the original description of Taiwanaleyrodes carpini Takahashi stated ‘‘cephalothorax with a pair of large rounded tubercle-like markings on the pronotum, and also on the mesonotum, and 2 pairs of similar ones on the metanotum, …, thoracic tracheal folds very short, the clefts indistinct, very shallow, wide, without teeth’’. In this article, the author transferred Aleurotuberculatus pyracanthae Takahashi to Taiwanaleyrodes (apparently Mound and Halsey (1978) did not noticed this transformation and listed the latter species under Aleurotuberculatus and/or did not accept it, but mentioned nothing), although in the original description of A. pyracanthae stated ‘‘venter with no rim’’ ( Takahashi 1933). It is clear that the two species of Taiwanaleyrodes , which placed in this genus by the author of the genus, are not quite agree with the type-species, T. meliosmae Takahashi , in having the three diagnostic characters. Examination of many specimens of Aleuroclava , in addition to those included in this analysis, indicated that the dorsal tubercles and thoracic tracheal clefts definition is so variable and these characters should not be used for the separation of these genera. In the current study the type-species of Taiwanaleyrodes , as well as its one other included species were recovered within Aleuroclava ( Figure 17 ). Taiwanaleyrodes is, therefore, here regarded as a junior synonym of Aleuroclava syn. n.

Jesudasan and David (1990) proposed Minutaleyrodes for four species formerly included within Aleurotuberculatus . The genus was provisionally retained for its included species by Martin (1999), who synonymized Aleurotuberculatus and Martiniella with Aleuroclava . Aleuroclava similis (Takahashi) formed a sister group to Minutaleyrodes in this study ( Figure 17 ). Of the characters specified for Minutaleyrodes by Jesudasan and David (1990), demarcation of the submargin on the ventral surface, can be seen in some species of Taiwanaleyrodes (discussed above). The shape of transverse moulting suture is the same that of in A. similis , but the size of this species is not similar to Minutaleyrodes and submargin not ventrally demarcated in A. similis . Unlike Aleuroclava , the first abdominal setae in Minutaleyrodes are absent (not mentioned by the authors) but some species of the former genus, e.g. A. similis and A. nigeriae (Mound) , also lack these setae. In the latter species, these setae are sometimes present ( Bink-Moenen 1983). Therefore, Minutaleyrodes seems to be congeneric with Aleuroclava , but because of the three species of Dialeurodes recovered between these two genera (see Figure 17 ), it is not synonymized. These three species currently accommodated in Dialeurodes , are not quite typical for their current genus nor for Aleuroclava , and it appears they have much in common with Aleuroclava , especially D. mirabilis Takahashi , rather than Dialeurodes .

Figures

Figure 17. One of the clades of the strict consensus tree of UW-MPTs. Figures above branches show bootstrap and Jacknife (underlined figures) values. Figures with an asterisk indicate the same value for both bootstrap and Jacknife. Black rectangles and the figure below indicate the Bremer support.