Aleuroclava canangae ( Corbett, 1935 )

Josephrajkumar, Arulappan, Evans, Gregory, Babu, Merin, Anes, Kakkanattu Meerasahib, Sajan, Jilu V. & Hegde, Vinayaka, 2024, Discovery of Aleuroclava canangae (Corbett) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on Coleus in India and the establishment and review of the Aleuroclava canangae species group, Journal of Natural History 58 (17 - 20), pp. 603-623 : 617-619

Aleuroclava canangae ( Corbett, 1935)

Diagnosis

Aleuroclava canangae can be distinguished from other species in the canangae species group by the following combination of characteristics: lateral margin differentiated at the opening of the thoracic tracheal furrow as a cleft; submedian area of the dorsum of the cephalothorax with three pairs of enlarged tubercles; and the entire dorsum with microtubercles. It is most similar to A. macarangae (Corbett) and A. papillata Sundararaj and Dubey , but can be distinguished from those species which lack the three pairs of enlarged tubercles on the submedian area of cephalothorax and have microtubercles on the subdorsum only.

Puparium

Colouration. Colouration is variable, some specimens entirely pale while other specimens pale with a faint dark brown streak down the centre of the body, covering the area above the mouthparts, the medial region of the first to third abdominal segments and the area above the vasiform orifice.

Dorsum. Mean length and width 590.65 and 403.41 μm, respectively; body elliptical with entire dorsum covered with microtubercles and granules ( Figure 4A, F ); lateral margin crenulated, tracheal furrow terminating in a cup-shaped sunken cleft ( Figure 4C, G ) along the lateral margin; submarginal region with row of conical papillae around the entire body, except within the caudal furrow, and separated from each other by about the width of their base; submarginal fold wavy with conspicuous stipples and with short setae along the fold. Cephalothorax: base of cephalic setae with long, slender U-shaped sclerotisation; submedian area with three pairs of enlarged tubercles; transverse moulting suture extends to submedial region. Abdomen: eight-segmented, medial region with transverse rows of rounded microtubercles along the abdominal sutures; caudal furrow smooth, about as long as the vasiform orifice with well-defined sclerotised sides. Vasiform orifice (vo): orifice subcordate, slightly wider (41.21 μm) than long (32.53 μm) and with a wide notch/cleft located medially along the posterior margin, operculum filling nearly the entire orifice obscuring the lingula ( Figure 4D, E, I ). Chaetotaxy: lateral margin with one pair of very short (20.33 μm) anterior marginal setae (ams) and posterior marginal setae (pms) similar in length ( Figure 4H ); cephalic pair of setae (Cs1) (421.41 μm) separated from each other by 75.05 μm ( Figure 4B ); first abdominal segment setae (As1) extremely long (433.50 μm) slightly shorter than the width of the body, tuberculate, set on elevated long tubercles ( Figure 4A ) and separated from each other by 165.39 μm; eighth abdominal setae (As8) very short (15.56 μm) ( Figure 4J ), rod-like and located just above the lateral margin of each side of the orifice; caudal setae prominent (100.45 μm), about 2× as long as the length of the vasiform orifice (34.53 μm) and set on tubercles ( Figure 4I ).

Adult female ( Figure 5A–C )

Colouration. body pale yellow; forewing and hindwings entirely white. Antennae ( Figure 5A ): seven-segmented consisting of a short basal segment (scape), pedicel, and a long five-segmented flagellum (F3–F7); pedicel about as long as wide; F3 9.3× as long as wide with two annulated-round, flat sensoria at its distal end, aligned one under the other and a long sensorium arising from the mid position and extending up to the first round sensorium (pores not seen); F4 2.5× as long as wide and without sensoria; F5 3.2× as long as wide with a small, annulated-round, flat sensorium; F6 3.3× as long as wide with a long sensoria; F7 (terminal segment) very long, 6.0× as long as wide, tapering distally and terminating with a seta at the tapering end, with a very long sensorial cone arising at about the basal third of the segment and extending past the round flat sensorium located towards the tip of the segment ( Figure 5A ). Eyes: Upper to the lower eye connected by 3–4 ommatidia ( Figure 5B ). Legs: Hind tibia with a conspicuous tibial comb consisting of 17 setae in a row, tibial brush with two setae ( Figure 5D ).

Abdomen. With two pairs of wax plates, v asiform orifice: Cordate to triangular in shape, operculum trapezoidal, lingula included, concealed by the operculum; cement gland 63.2 ± 2.8 μm long which has a cup-shaped unipolar head and a long and wavy shaft bulbous medially ( Figure 5C ).

Adult male ( Figure 5D, E )

Similar to female in colouration and shape, but has four pairs of wax plates on the abdomen which is the typical number of wax plates for the males and females in species in the Aleyrodinae subfamily. Genitalia: Claspers stout 66.7 ± 6.4 μm long with swollen pads terminating with a terminal spine and one spine on the lateral side. Aedeagus 47.3 ± 3.5 μm long, has a characteristic constriction before bulging at the terminal end with a few prominent horns ( Figure 5E ).

Figures

Figure 4. Aleuroclava canangae puparium. (A–E) USNM specimen (intercepted on Psidium guajava from the Philippines) – (A) habitus, with cephalic setae (Cs1), first abdominal segment setae (As1), caudal setae (Cas); (B) As1 two-jointed seta; (C) tracheal cleft; (D) vasiform orifice (vo) with operculum (op) and eighth abdominal segment setae (As8); (E) caudal furrow with vasiform orifice cleft (vc); (F–J) Indian specimen – (F) habitus; (G) thoracic cleft; (H) crenulate lateral margin with submarginal papillae; (I) vasiform orifice with caudal furrow (cf) and posterior marginal setae (pms); (J) vo showing position of As8 setae.

Figure 5. Aleuroclava canangae adults. (A) Antenna (female), inset – closer view of terminal antennal segment with long sensorial cone; (B) upper and lower eye (female); (C) female genitalia with cement gland; (D) tibia of leg II with one row of comb and brush with two setae (male); (E) male genitalia.