Costalimada brasiliensis, Martin, Jon H., 2011

Martin, Jon H., 2011, Description of a new genus and species of whitefly from Lafoensia pacari in Brazil (Hemiptera, Aleyrodidae, Aleurodicinae), Zootaxa 2790, pp. 54-60 : 55-58

Costalimada brasiliensis sp. nov.

( Figs 1–5 )

Puparium ( Figs 1 , 2 ). Habitus. The appearance of colonies is unknown, the received material being in alcohol. Margin. Outline symmetrically oval ( Fig. 2 ), holotype 1.23mm long, 0.80mm wide, widest opposite the transverse moulting sutures. Margin almost completely smooth. Dorsum. Longitudinal moulting suture reaching puparial margin; transverse moulting sutures terminating almost at margin. Abdominal segments VII and VIII similar in length medially, between segment VI/VII division and vasiform orifice, but each is much shorter medially than remaining abdominal segments; abdominal segmental divisions between segments III/IV, IV/V and V/VI graduating into elongate submedian depressions; pro-/meso- and meso-/metathoracic segmental divisions well marked but prothoracic/cephalic division not evident. Vasiform orifice rounded-cordate, about as wide as long (0.115mm in holotype), inset from puparial margin by a little less than its own length; operculum rounded-trapezoidal, surface with fine black punctae, its posterior margin shallowly “m”-shaped and bearing a pair of setae; exposed part of lingula head tongue-shaped, longer than operculum, its apex extending beyond posterior margin of vasiform orifice, densely covered by seta-like spinules, bearing the normal 4 stout setae. A pair of very shallow but distinct circular subdorsal depressions present on abdominal segment III, between large compound pores and extremities of segment II/III division, each depression surrounded by a shallow ridge; a very shallow subcircular submedian depression also present in cephalic region. Chaetotaxy. Anterior and posterior marginal setae present, anterior pair much shorter than posterior pair, the latter similar in length to caudal setae. Pair of eighth abdominal setae present, anterior to operculum, similar to lingular setae; submargin with 13 pairs of setae (including the nominal caudal pair), one pair closely adjacent to extremity of transverse moulting suture; caudal setae 0.08mm long in holotype, slightly longer than remaining submarginal pairs; 3 pairs of submedian thoracic setae present, similar to other dorsal setae, but cephalic pair absent; 2 pairs of long submedian setae present anterially on abdomen, 1 pair on each of segments I and II, similar to submedian thoracic setae. Pores. With cephalic and 6 pairs of abdominal compound pores of 2 distinct types; cephalic and anteriormost abdominal pair large, 0.05mm in diameter, with axial process extending beyond pore rim and blunt apically; remaining 5 pairs of abdominal compound pores much smaller, 0.025mm in diameter, each with a narrow axial process included within the pore pit. Two pairs of small cicatrices present, one pair on mesothorax and the other on metathorax (scars of compound pores in third-instar). Subdorsal zone sparsely provided with simple pores, mostly a mixture of the notched type and slightly smaller “bright” pores (see Martin, 2008b: 8, figure B xii) but with also a few much smaller simple pores; submarginal and median areas devoid of simple pores. Venter. Ventral abdominal setae beneath vasiform orifice, finer but similar in length to many dorsal setae, their bases located beneath mid-length of lingula. Legs and antennae as shown, a fine seta often visible at base of each middle and hind leg. Tracheal folds absent.

Third-instar nymph (n=1) ( Fig. 5 ). Outline symmetrically oval, 0.80mm long, 0.49mm wide, margin irregularly crenulate. With a pair of metathoracic and a pair of mesothoracic compound pores ( Fig. 5 ), 0.02mm diameter, and a pair of small cicatrices present on prothorax and a pair on abdominal segment VIII (scars of compound pores in second-instar). A pair of very shallow but distinct circular subdorsal depressions present on abdominal segment III, as in puparium. Chaetotaxy as in puparium, setae similar. Dorsal disc with even more sparse simple pores than in puparium, a few of them the notched type. Legs ( Fig. 5 ) typical for third-instar Aleurodicinae , triangular, 3-segmented, each with a curved apical claw; antennae vestigial, straight, two-segmented, much smaller than apical segments of legs ( Fig. 5 ). Ventral abdominal setae similar to dorsal setae but much finer; each middle and hind leg bearing a minute seta not longer than its basal width.

Adult female ( Figs 3, 4 ,). No complete adults were available for study. However, two near-emergence females were dissected from their puparia (slide in BMNH) and these allow a few basic observations to be made. Head width 0.40 – 0.45mm; a pair of stout spines present between antennal bases ( Fig. 3 ), 0.04mm long (possibly functioning to assist emergence from puparium); antennae appear to be 7-segmented, 7th segment 0.032mm long and with an apical process. Abdomen with four pairs of wax plates ( Fig. 4 ); posterior two pairs with extremely finely granular texture and scarcely-discernible larger reticulate pattern, their anterior margins lined with stout setae about 0.016mm long and posterior edges with a narrow band of fine micro-spinules; anterior two pairs more elongate, with very finely reticulate texture and a few fine setae at each extremity. Lingula 0.08mm long, apical half tongueshaped, finely spinulose with two fine setae. Operculum 0.084mm wide, 0.06mm long, trapezoidal, finely spinulose.

Material examined. Holotype puparium, Brazil, Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte botanical garden, on Lafoensia pacari (Lythraceae) , 16.vii.2009 (sent by Paula Lima) ( BMNH). Paratypes: 24 puparia, 1 third-instar nymph, 2 dissected pre-emergence adult females, same data as holotype ( BMNH, USNM). Additional material, not studied by the author, was retained in IMA and is excluded from the type series.

Etymology. The species is named for Brazil, the country of collection.

Comments. This sample of whitefly puparia was sent by the Belo Horizonte botanical garden to Paula Lima, who sent it to the author for determination. A request to the botanical garden, for more material to allow emergence of adult whiteflies or parasitoids, did not meet with success. Although it is most likely that this whitefly is a local native, insects collected in botanical gardens sometimes originate elsewhere, and this needs to be considered. Costalimada brasiliensis is certainly a neotropical native, however. The combination of submedian setae present on abdominal segments I and II, presence of anterior marginal setae, 13 pairs of submarginal setae, the cephalic and anteriormost abdominal compound pores being much larger than remainder, and presence of a pair of distinct circular depressions on abdominal segment III, enable recognition of this species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Costalimada brasiliensis sp. nov., puparium, line drawing.

FIGURE 2. Costalimada brasiliensis sp. nov., puparium, dorsum (montage photomicrograph).

FIGURES 3 – 5. Costalimada brasiliensis sp. nov. (3) Adult female, head pre-emergence individual to show pair of stout spines in relation to compound eye. (4) Adult female, abdomen to show positions and shapes of four pairs of wax plates. (5) Third-instar nymph, line drawing to show legs and vestigial antenna (ventral) in relation to thoracic compound pores (dorsal).