Filicaleyrodes, Takahashi, 1962

Martin, Jon H. & Camus, Josephine M., 2001, Whiteflies (Sternorrhyncha, Aleyrodidae) colonising ferns (Pteridophyta: Filicopsida), with descriptions of two new Trialeurodes and one new Metabemisia species from south­east Asia, Zootaxa 2, pp. 1-19 : 15

Filicaleyrodes spp.

DISTRIBUTION & HOST PLANTS. Tanzania, on Pteridaceae : Pteris usambarensis ; ex­Mauritius at Kew Gardens, UK, on Dryopteridaceae : Ctenitis sp.; Costa Rica, on Pteridaceae : Adiantum platyphyllum ­group.

COMMENTS. Takahashi (1962) considered that Filicaleyrodes differed from Trialeurodes in possessing apically truncate papillae, “tracheal clefts” (indentations of the margin at the thoracic and caudal tracheal openings), a thickened margin to the vasiform orifice (which he described as a sclerotised ring surrounding the orifice), and transverse striations punctuating the caudal furrow. F. bosseri Takahashi , and F. williamsi (Trehan) , are the only described members of this genus and yet F. williamsi does not possess the last two of the four generic distinguishing characters. Filicaleyrodes is clearly closely related to Trialeurodes and Dialeurolonga (the puparia of both genera with lingula lobulate and usually with submarginal papillae), with F. williamsi having originally been placed in Trialeurodes . The original characters used by Takahashi to distinguish Filicaleyrodes from Trialeurodes do not appear reliable, especially when the three undescribed species listed here are considered. In particular, one of these has papillae with bifid apices ( Mauritius), one has no papillae ( Tanzania) and one has acute papillae but only at the anterior and posterior ends of the puparium ( Costa Rica); none of these three species, nor F. williamsi , has transverse striations punctuating the caudal furrow; the degree of modification of the puparial margin at the tracheal openings is very variable, as is the degree of thickening of the vasiform orifice margin. These undescribed species are represented almost entirely by poor specimens, but Filicaleyrodes evidently requires redefining when better material, and possibly additional taxa, are available for study. At present, these three species appear more referrable to Filicalyrodes than to Trialeurodes or Dialeurolonga .