Paraleyrodes ancora, John H. Martin, 2004

John H. Martin, 2004, Whiteflies of Belize (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Part 1 — introduction and account of the subfamily Aleurodicinae Quaintance & Baker, Zootaxa 681, pp. 1-86 : 63-64

Paraleyrodes ancora sp. nov.

( Figs 41–44, 104–105)

PUPARIUM. Habitus. Rather cryptic when feeding, but presence of puparia indicated by patches of broken white wax filaments secreted by the compound pores. Apparently never developing in crowded colonies. Margin. Puparial outline ovoid, 0.70–0.80 mm long, 0.40–0.50 mm wide, widest at about metathorax (n=20). Margin smooth to slightly irregular, not modified at thoracic tracheal openings. Dorsum. Longitudinal moulting suture reaching puparial margin; transverse moulting sutures only distinct submedially in preemergence specimens, but reaching outer edges of hind legs in post­emergence individuals. Dorsal disc surface generally smooth, but fine spinules and distinct mottling visible in many specimens (Fig. 105), possibly developing with increasing maturity. Abdominal segmentation distinct as far laterad as compound pores; meso­metathoracic division distinct submedially; abdominal segment VII only slightly shorter than segment VI medially. Abdominal segments I–IV/V submedially sclerotic, often pigmented brownish, this cuticle usually staining more darkly than remainder of puparium ( Figs 41–42, 104). Vasiform orifice ( Figs 41–42) straight anteriorly, remainder rounded­cordate, smooth; operculum transversely trapezoidal, its posterior margin slightly sinuate and bearing a pair of setae; lingula head finely spinulose and quadrisetose, smoothly tongue­shaped, extending beyond vasiform orifice and reaching almost to puparial margin. Chaetotaxy. Posterior marginal setae long and stout, similar to caudal setae, but anterior marginal pair very much shorter and finer; the remaining 13 pairs of submarginal setae, the cephalic and eighth abdominal setae all a little shorter and finer than posterior marginal setae and caudal pair (chaetotaxy exactly as shown for P. pseudonaranjae , fig. 119). Eighth abdominal setae situated anterior to basal corners of vasiform orifice. Pores. Cephalic and posteriormost four abdominal pairs of compound pores subequal in size and structure ( Figs 41–42), each 30–40 µ m in overall outer diameter; the central lumen plain; inner ring of spline­bearing spinneret cells [terminology of Quaintance & Baker, 1913, adapted by Martin, 1996] usually with splines intact and vertical to puparial surface; outer ring with cells only faintly marked as radial "spokes". Anteriormost two pairs of abdominal compound pores much smaller than remainder, each 10–13 µ m in outer diameter. Two pairs of thoracic cicatrices (scars of third­instar larval compound pores) present submedially. Abdominal segments II–V/VI each with 2–5 submedian bright simple pores (Fig. 104), distributed asymmetrically, often especially visible against the sclerotic cuticle; similar pores also present subdorsally on thorax and abdomen, usually a single pair situated on each thoracic segment and abdominal segments V–VII, and with 1 or 2 on each side of abdominal segments III and IV; abdominal segment VIII normally without a pair of such bright pores. Immediately inside puparial margin is a single row of crater­like pores, usually viewed laterally because of down­curving of puparial margin (as figured for P. perplexus , fig. 121), about 3 pores per pair of submarginal setae. Ven t er. Cuticle very smooth, delicate. Ventral abdominal setae finer than dorsal setae, underlying vasiform orifice and operculum. Legs typical for genus, each with an apical claw. Antennal bases situated anterior to fore legs, each antenna describing an arc lateral to the legs, terminating opposite basal bulge of hind leg in female puparia ( Fig. 42), and reaching to between the small abdominal compound pores in male puparia ( Fig. 41).

ADULT MALE. Body 1.10–1.30 mm long, including parameres (n=16). Apex of aedeagus with a pair of laterally directed apically acute processes, their bases opposite each other and arising almost at right­angles to the shaft ( Fig. 44), very slightly curved; the lateral profile ( Fig. 43) reveals the shaft to be almost straight for most of its length, with an apical, dorsally­recurved hook that almost reaches the height of the median section, overall aedeagal length 0.12–0.13 mm. On slides, the length of the lateral aedeagal processes results in a rather differing appearance depending on the degree of compression by the coverslip, but they are never recurved anteriad (see COMMENTS, below). Abdomen bearing three pairs of ventro­lateral wax­secreting glands, as is common in the Aleurodicinae . Last abdominal segment ( Fig. 43) rather short, typically 0.14–0.15 mm long, claspers (parameres) 0.17–0.18 mm long ( Figs 43–44). Single antennal flagellar segment (fused segments III–VII) measures 0.65–0.73 mm and is densely sensoriate, typical for male Paraleyrodes (see Fig. 1 of Iaccarino, 1990). Ultimate rostral segment 0.105–0.115 mm long.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Holotype adult male, BELIZE, CFR, Monkey Tail track, on Asteraceae , possibly Lasianthaea sp., 22.vi.2002 (J.H.Martin #7701) ( BMNH). Paratypes, BELIZE (all CFR, Martin coll.): 2 adult males, 3 puparia, 1 mid­emergence male/puparium (males all associated with pupal cases), same data as holotype and on same slide ( BMNH); 1 puparium, San Pastor track, on Tetracera sp.( Dilleniaceae ), 18.xi.1994; 1 male & associated pupal case, Las Cuevas, on Brosimum sp. ( Moraceae ), 03.vi.2002; 1 puparium, Monkey Tail track, on? Trophis sp. ( Moraceae ), 17.ii.1996; 1 mid­emergence male/puparium, Las Cuevas, on Arecaceae , 01.iii.1996; 1 male & associated pupal case, 1 pupal case, Las Cuevas, on Coccoloba belizensis (Polygonaceae) , 06.vi.2002; 1 male, Monkey Tail track, on C. belizensis , 13.ii.1996 (all BMNH); 17 males, 14 females, 15 mid­emergence adult/puparia, 38 puparia, Las Cuevas, on Persea americana (Lauraceae) , 02.xii.1994, 10 & 20.ii.1996, 11.vi.2002 (all from the same tree) ( BMNH, CDFA, USNM, BZ). Paratypes, NICARAGUA: 3 puparia, Rio San Juan Province, Rio San Juan / Rio Bartola confluence, on Persea americana , 23.vi.2004 (Martin) ( BMNH).

ETYMOLOGY. The specific name is the Latin word ancora (meaning an anchor — possibly the best description of the shape of the aedeagal apex of the male).

COMMENTS. The author had provisionally identified this species as P. c i t r i Bondar (1931), on the basis of size and form of the puparial compound pores, combined with two very elongate and spine­like lateral processes on the male aedeagus. However, the opportunity to examine syntypic males of P. c i t r i (courtesy of MZUSP) revealed the paired aedeagal processes in P. citri to be distinctly posteroventrally directed, at an acute angle to the aedeagal shaft (as illustrated effectively by Bondar, 1931), whereas in P. a n c o r a these processes arise almost at right­angles to the shaft ( Fig. 44) and are even more slender than in P. citri . The aedeagal apex of P. ancora is also somewhat reminiscent of the drawing by Quaintance (1909), reproduced again by Quaintance & Baker (1913), accompanying a revised description of P. perseae ( Quaintance, 1900) . However, only one such male (stated on the label to be P. perseae , from Florida, BMNH) is available to the author, and the aedeagus differs from P. ancora in the bases of the two prongs not arising opposite each other as they do in P. ancora , and the dorsally­directed hook being vestigial in comparison with that seen in P. ancora . Despite the similarity of the puparia of P. a n c o r a and P. c i t r i, those of P. a n c o r a have distinctive submedian sclerotisation on abdominal segments I–IV/V, often slightly pigmented ( Figs 41–42, 104) and thus rendering the encompassed simple pores more visible against the dusky cuticle; also, the dorsal cuticle is distinctly spinulose and mottled in many puparia of P. ancora (Fig. 105). Both of these characters are unusual in puparia of Paraleyrodes species, although the poor state of the mountant on Bondar’s slide precluded seeing whether these characters are present on the puparial surface of the syntypes of P. c i t r i.