Leonardi, 1910 : 320
Quaintance & Baker , 1913 : 28
Sampson & Drews, 1941 : 152
Whiteflies of Belize (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Part 1 — introduction and account of the subfamily Aleurodicinae Quaintance & Baker
John H. Martin
Zootaxa
2004
681
1
86
6D2L9
Leonardi
Leonardi
[264,686,1484,1510]
Insecta
Aleyrodidae
Dialeurodicus
Animalia
Hemiptera
42
43
Arthropoda
species
silvestrii
Aleurodicus silvestrii Leonardi, 1910: 320–322. Syntypes, Mexico. Dialeurodicus silvestrii(Leonardi) Quaintance & Baker, 1913: 28–30. Dialeurodicus tracheiferus Sampson & Drews, 1941: 152–153. Syntypes, Mexico[examined]. Syn. nov.
DISTRIBUTION. Neotropical Region — Belize, Mexico.
COMMENTS. This species is remarkable for the secretion, by each puparium, of three pairs of very long white ribbons of waxy material (Fig. 132). This material is produced from large fields of crowded simple pores, which define the subdorsal zone ( Figs 23, 60– 61). The sole colony from Belizecomprised small groups under the midribs of individual leaves widely scattered on their small myrtaceous tree host, probably a species of Eugenia, but collectively they amounted to a substantial sample. Emergent adults of this species rested with their wings held at right angles to the body when undisturbed, a characteristic possibly of generic significance (see description of D. bondariae, above). Sampson & Drews (1941)were aware of the existence of Leonardi’s (1910) description of D. silvestrii, but considered that their new species, D. tracheiferus, differed from it. They described D. tracheiferusas having thoracic tracheal folds, which is a character not revealed by examination of syntypic material, nor seen in Belizean material. However, syntypesof D. tracheiferusfrom Mexico(UCD), and most puparia from Belize, do each have a small dorsalpatch of cuticular roughening opposite the position of the middle legs, seen in relief on the margin as irregular tiny “teeth” (Fig. 90). No typematerial of Aleurodicus silvestriihas been traced, but it is considered that Leonardi simply omitted to mention this minor character. Leonardi provided an otherwise accurate illustration of the microscopical puparial detail, and also an excellent habitusdrawing of the six highly characteristic and enormously long white waxy ribbons that issue from each puparium: in contrast, Sampson & Drews made no mention of habitusappearance of D. tracheiferus, and the boundary of the dense field of waxsecreting simple pores is inaccurate in their drawing. D. tracheiferusis considered here to be a junior synonym of D. silvestrii syn. nov.