Whiteflies of Belize (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Part 1 — introduction and account of the subfamily Aleurodicinae Quaintance & Baker
Author
John H. Martin
text
Zootaxa
2004
681
1
86
journal article
38784
10.5281/zenodo.158856
043bf680-1af7-40d8-962a-0ac828dbdcb1
1175-5334
158856
Dialeurodicus silvestrii
(Leonardi)
(
Figs 23
, 60–61, 90, 132)
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
Belize
comprised 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. tracheiferus
as having thoracic tracheal folds, which is a character not revealed by examination of syntypic material, nor seen in Belizean material. However,
syntypes
of
D. tracheiferus
from
Mexico
(UCD), and most puparia from
Belize
, do each have a small
dorsal
patch of cuticular roughening opposite the position of the middle legs, seen in relief on the margin as irregular tiny “teeth” (Fig. 90). No
type
material of
Aleurodicus silvestrii
has 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
habitus
drawing of the six highly characteristic and enormously long white waxy ribbons that issue from each puparium: in contrast, Sampson & Drews made no mention of
habitus
appearance of
D. tracheiferus
, and the boundary of the dense field of waxsecreting simple pores is inaccurate in their drawing.
D. tracheiferus
is considered here to be a junior synonym of
D. silvestrii
syn. nov
.