Aleyrodidae, Westwood, 1840

Martin, Jon H. & Lau, Clive S. K., 2011, The Hemiptera-Sternorrhyncha (Insecta) of Hong Kong, China-an annotated inventory citing voucher specimens and published records, Zootaxa 2847, pp. 1-122 : 9-13

Aleyrodidae — Aleyrodinae

Acanthaleyrodes styraci Takahashi (1942)

Collected several times in HK, always on Rubus reflexus , a plant with densely tomentose lower surfaces of its leaves. Young (1944) reported A. callicarpae Takahashi from Rubus in Szechwan, China, but his descriptive account does not match the HK vouchers in BMNH and PPRD, which better answer the description of A. styraci .

Aleurocanthus citriperdus Quaintance & Baker (1916)

Very common in HK, with BMNH and PPRD vouchers from Citrus spp , Litsea cubeba , L. glutinosa , Macaranga tanarius & Psidium guajava . Also in Macau, on Citrus spp and Psidium guajava .

Aleurocanthus gordoniae Takahashi (1941)

Described from HK by Takahashi (1941b) with syntypes in TARI (Shu-Pei Chen, pers. comm.). Vouchers in BMNH and PPRD of several samples from Gordonia axillaris and one sample from Tutcheria spectabilis .

Aleurocanthus husaini Corbett (1939)

Three samples in BMNH, two from Citrus reticulata and the other from Aporusa dioica , all from Sai Kung Peninsula (NT). Puparia extremely small, only 0.7 mm long, with some dorsal spines exceptionally long. This species was erroneously placed as a junior synonym of A. woglumi Ashby (1915) by Martin (1985: 316) but this was corrected by Martin (2005: 8).

Aleurocanthus inceratus Silvestri (1927)

Vouchers in BMNH and USNM from Michelia champaca in HK, and in BMNH from Areca catechu in Hainan.

Aleurocanthus longispinus Quaintance & Baker (1917)

Single sample in BMNH, from Hatton Road path, HK Island, on a small-leaved bamboo.

Aleurocanthus rugosa Singh (1931)

Vouchers in BMNH and PPRD, from Aporusa dioica , Aquilaria sinensis , Gnetum luofuense and Plumeria rubra . This is one of only a few Aleurocanthus species with pale or brownish puparial cuticle.

Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Quaintance, 1903)

Aleurocanthus cheni Young (1942) syn. nov.

Voucher material in BMNH and PPRD, from Citrus sp. , C. grandis and an undetermined host. A common crop pest occurring pan-tropically except in the neotropics ( Martin, 1987). Single Takahashi slide from HK, determined as this species, present in TARI (Shu-Pei Chen, pers. comm.) but was not discussed in either of Takahashi’s two 1941 papers dealing with HK whiteflies. A. cheni was described from citrus plants in Szechwan Province, China ( Young, 1942): the illustration and description lead to the conclusion that it is synonymous with A. spiniferus despite several small variations mentioned as having been observed in just some of Young’s study specimens.

Aleurocanthus woglumi Ashby (1915)

Reported from HK by Hill et al. (1982) but no known vouchers. No HK vouchers in BMNH exactly match typical A. woglumi Ashby (1915) , the third posteriormost pair of submarginal spines not being doubled in the HK material, but one sample from Symplocos ? confusa on East Ping Chau I. (also a slide in PPRD) has tentatively been identified as A. woglumi . Two slides in USNM, intercepted on Citrus sp. from HK (18.v.1976 and 17.iv.1979) appear to match the atypical HK specimens in BMNH (Greg Evans, pers. comm.).

Aleurocanthus undetermined sp. 1, woglumi -group

Specimens from HK ( Ficus microcarpa , and Litsea glutinosa ) and Hainan ( Areca catechu and Streblus asper ) in BMNH represent a species that belongs to the woglumi-husaini species-group. The puparia have unusually large subcircular pale eyespots.

Aleurocanthus undetermined sp. 2, woglumi -group

Single sample from Cansjera rheedii on East Ping Chau I. represents a member of the woglumi speciesgroup with 10 pairs of submarginal spines, none of them doubled, and tiny eyespots.

Aleurocanthus undetermined sp. 3 (Fig. 10)

Large sample on single leaf of Gnetum luofuense in BMNH, with exceptionally perfect puparia. Puparia bear 13–14 pairs of submarginal spines, resembling A. citriperdus Q. & B. except for the slightly reduced spine complement and the abdominal submarginal spines being more even in length.

Aleuroclava aucubae (Kuwana, 1911)

This species was described from Japan and is now of high quarantine interest. Colonies have been found in mainland China, Italy, Korea and California, and it has been intercepted in the Netherlands from several sources. No HK material in BMNH. However, a single US quarantine interception record on Citrus from HK is in USNM (Greg Evans, pers. comm.), but the material could be of transhipment nature because AFCD has recorded no citrus exports in recent years, and this record for HK should therefore be regarded with caution.

Aleuroclava gordoniae ( Takahashi, 1932)

Reported from HK by Takahashi (1941a) but no known voucher material. Very common in HK with vouchers in BMNH from Adinandra millettii , Cinnamomum parthenoxylon , Elaeocarpus dubius , Ficus variolosa , Gordonia axillaris , Ilex cinerea , I. pubescens , Pentaphylax euryoides , Rhaphiolepis indica and Schefflera heptaphylla [= S. octophylla ].

Aleuroclava guyavae ( Takahashi, 1932)

Reported from HK by Takahashi (1941a), his voucher material from Cinnamomum sp. in TARI (Shu-Pei Chen, pers. comm.). Very small numbers of HK vouchers in BMNH, from Leptospermum petersenii , Litsea rotundifolia var. oblongifolia ,? Machilus sp. and M. chinensis .

Aleuroclava indicus (Singh, 1931)

Reported from HK by Takahashi (1941a) but no known voucher material. HK vouchers in BMNH from Ficus hispida at The Peak and Litsea monopetala (also a slide in PPRD) at Fung Yuen village (NT). Also from Hainan on Persea americana .

Aleuroclava jasmini ( Takahashi, 1932)

The earliest HK sample of this species in BMNH is from an undetermined host in Kowloon in 1979 (coll. Martin). More recent vouchers from Aporusa dioica , Diplospora dubia and Maesa perlarius . Interception material in USNM from HK, on Citrus spp and Jasminum sp. (Greg Evans, pers. comm.). Also material in BMNH from Macau on Murraya sp.

Aleuroclava lanceolata (Takahashi, 1949)

see Dialeurodes mirabilis Takahashi (1942)

Aleuroclava meliosmae ( Takahashi, 1932)

Single sample in BMNH, from undetermined woody host at Tai Po Kau forest (NT).

Aleuroclava psidii (Singh, 1931)

Reported from HK by Takahashi (1941a), his voucher material located in TARI (Shu-Pei Chen, pers. comm.). Very few HK vouchers in BMNH, from Acronychia pedunculata , Ficus superba japonica , Litsea glutinosa and L. rotundifolia var. oblongifolia . Material in USNM from HK, intercepted on Michelia sp. and Magnolia sp. , and field-collected from “ Momordica umbellata ” (now Solena amplexicaulis ) in NT (Greg Evans, pers. comm.).

Aleuroclava rhododendri (Takahashi, 1935)

Vouchers in BMNH and PPRD, from Rhododendron pulchrum at several localities.

Aleuroclava subindica Martin & Mound (2007)

This is a replacement name for preoccupied A. papillata Dubey & Sundararaj (2005) . A single HK specimen in BMNH, from Citrus sp. at Fung Yuen village (NT), was determined in comparison with a paratype from India; there are also small HK samples, more tentatively determined, from Gordonia axillaris and? Rubiaceae .

Aleuroclava , undetermined sp. 1

Three samples in BMNH, comprising pale and brown-pigmented puparia, resemble A. lithocarpi (Takahashi, 1934) , and were collected from Cyclobalanopsis myrsinifolia , C. neglecta , and undetermined Fagaceae on HK Island.

Aleuroclava , undetermined sp. 2

Large sample of pale puparia in BMNH, from Syzygium hancei at Tai Po Kau forest (NT), possibly having affinities with A. eugeniae (Corbett, 1935) . A further sample, from the same host, was later received at BMNH.

Aleuroclava , undetermined sp. 3

Single sample of pale puparia in BMNH, from Ficus hispida at TLF.

Aleuroclava , undetermined sp. 4

Solitary pale puparium in BMNH, from Melastoma sanguineum at Tai Tam Country Park, HK Island.

Aleurolobus marlatti (Quaintance, 1903)

Reported from HK by Hill et al. (1982) but no known vouchers. Several HK samples of Aleurolobus present in BMNH, from Aporusa dioica , Bauhinia sp. or spp (on which it is particularly common), Celtis biondii , Citrus sp. , Desmos chinensis , Litsea glutinosa , Murraya paniculata and Phyllanthus emblica : these match with A. marlatti to varying degrees but the variability of this species is not well understood. Two samples of US quarantine interception material in USNM, on Citrus spp from HK (Greg Evans, pers. comm.).

Aleurolobus osmanthi Young (1944)

Two samples in BMNH, both from Osmanthus fragrans (Oleaceae) . This whitefly species has clear affinities with the European species, A. olivinus Silvestri (1911) .

Aleurolobus rhododendri Takahashi (1934)

Several vouchers in BMNH and PPRD, all from Rhododendron pulchrum .

Aleurolobus setigerus Quaintance & Baker (1917)

Reported from HK by Takahashi (1941a), the two specimens located in TARI (Shu-Pei Chen, pers. comm.) . Quarantine interception material from HK in USNM , on Psidium guajava (Greg Evans, pers. comm.). This species is not represented in BMNH .

Aleurolobus subrotundus Silvestri (1927)

Vouchers in BMNH, PPRD and USNM, from Aglaia odorata , Citrus spp , C. grandis , Glycosmis citrifolia , Ligustrum sinense , Murraya sp. and M. paniculata . This is not a typical Aleurolobus —the puparia have little evident secretion, bear 10 pairs of extremely long and fine submarginal setae, are almost perfectly circular in outline, are markedly dimorphic (puparia of males are much smaller than those of females) and require significant bleaching for examination on slides.

Aleuroplatus liquidambaris Takahashi (1941)

Described from Liquidambar sp. in HK ( Takahashi, 1941b) but no type depository was given in Mound & Halsey’s (1978) world whitefly catalogue. However, a series of syntype slides has been located in TARI (Shu-Pei Chen, pers. comm.). Species not represented in BMNH.

Aleuroplatus pectiniferus Quaintance & Baker (1917)

Vouchers in BMNH, from Aquilaria sinensis , Myrica rubra , Syzygium hancei and undetermined Dilleniaceae . This is a somewhat variable species with six junior synonyms ( Martin, 1999). All BMNH samples are very small and this species does not appear to be common in HK.

Aleuroplatus spina (Singh, 1931)

This species has not been recorded in HK at the time of writing. However, it is extremely common on municipal Ficus rumphii trees throughout nearby Macau (BMNH vouchers), and this tree species is present in HK ( Thrower, 1988).

Aleuroplatus translucidus Quaintance & Baker (1917)

Described from Pakistan on Citrus , a single voucher sample is in BMNH from an undetermined shrub on The Peak, HK Island.

Aleuroplatus , undetermined sp. 1

A distinctive species, developing dense colonies of orange-coloured nymphal stages that become embedded in copious secreted gelatinous material that becomes glassy when dried out. Cuticle is evenly slightly dusky when slide-mounted. It is very common across HK on Maesa perlarius (many vouchers in BMNH). A. alcocki (Peal, 1903) , described from Ficus indica and F. religiosa in India, is similar but has smaller puparia, a patch of brownish pigmentation, and its marginal tracheal comb teeth are more exaggerated. This HK species, and A. alcocki , are certainly members of the same group as A. pectiniferus (q.v., above) whose puparia are shining black.

Aleurotrachelus camelliae (Kuwana, 1911)

Single sample in BMNH, from Camellia sinensis at Tai Mo Shan (NT). Also in Hainan on Camellia japonica .

Aleurotrachelus fissistigmae Takahashi (1931)

Vouchers in BMNH from small groups of slightly brownish puparia collected amongst other taxa under leaves of Desmos chinensis in Sai Kung Peninsula (NT).

Aleurotrachelus maesae Takahashi (1935)

Reported from HK on Maesa sp. by Takahashi (1941b) but no known voucher material. Species not represented in BMNH.

Aleurotrachelus tuberculatus Singh (1933)

Reported from HK by Takahashi (1941b) but no known voucher material. Vouchers in BMNH, from Bridelia tomentosa , Litsea ? monopetala and an undetermined host. Also in Macau on Bridelia tomentosa and in Hainan on Psidium guajava .

Aleyrodes lonicerae Walker (1852)

Reported from HK by Hill et al. (1982), who described and illustrated a very severe infestation on Oxalis corymbosa , but no vouchers are known to exist. Lee & Winney (1981) also reported this species from HK, presumably referring to the same infestation. No Oriental Region material of A. lonicerae is present in BMNH and the record is unsafe in the absence of study material (see Introduction, p. 7).

Asialeyrodes , undetermined sp. 1

Single sample in BMNH, collected by the authors from Acronychia pedunculata in Tai Tam Country Park, HK Island. This is the only record of Asialeyrodes Corbett (1935) occurring in HK.

Bemisia afer (Priesner & Hosny, 1934)

B. afer is thought to be part of a species-complex, with numerous puparial variants (BMNH vouchers) whose significance is poorly understood. HK specimens in BMNH from Bridelia tomentosa (also PPRD) have been determined as Bemisia afer with some confidence: however, other samples from Bauhinia sp. , Celtis sp. and Erythrina speciosa are assigned only to the broad afer -group. Also recorded from Macau on Bridelia tomentosa .

Bemisia ?berbericola (Cockerell, 1896)

Solitary puparium in BMNH, from euphorbiaceous shrub at the old Tung Chung village (Lantau Island), very tentatively determined as a result of a study of many variants of the Bemisia afer -group discussed above (Raymond Gill, pers. comm.).

Bemisia emiliae (Chen & Ko, 2006)

Described from material from both Taiwan and HK, as Lipaleyrodes emiliae , this species is common in HK on Emilia sonchifolia with vouchers from several samples in BMNH. Lipaleyrodes was placed as a junior synonym of Bemisia by Dubey et al. (2009).

Bemisia giffardi (Kotinsky, 1907)

Single specimen in BMNH, from Citrus sp. at Shek Kong (NT). Interception material in USNM from HK, on Citrus sp. and Fortunella sp. (Greg Evans, pers. comm.).

Bemisia phyllanthi (Takahashi, 1962)

Single sample in BMNH, from Blumea sp. at Tai Tam Intermediate Reservoir, HK Island. This is the type species of Lipaleyrodes Takahashi , placed as a junior synonym of Bemisia by Dubey et al. (2009).

Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius, 1889) (Figs 44–47)

Reported from HK by Hill et al. (1982) but no known vouchers. HK voucher material in BMNH from Codiaeum variegatum , Ipomoea batatas (also in PPRD), Lantana camara , Scaevola ? sericea, Solanum melongena and undetermined Asteraceae . Interception material in USNM from HK, from several hosts (Greg Evans, pers. comm.). Also material in BMNH from Cucurbita moschata in Hainan.

Variously known under the common names tobacco, cotton or sweet potato whitefly, this is the world’s most investigated whitefly species, by far, because of the many problems it causes for worldwide agriculture. B. tabaci is regarded by most workers as a morphologically variable single species, with an exceptionally wide range of host plants, following demonstration of the phenomenon of puparial plasticity by Mound (1963). Several population biotypes have been recognised for some years but “biotype B” was eventually given its own species name, B. argentifolii , by Bellows & Perring (in Bellows et al., 1994), along with its own common name, “silverleaf whitefly”. However, B. argentifolii has now been placed as a junior synonym of B. tabaci by De Barro et al. (2005) although much controversy remains.

The HK material from Codiaeum , listed above and in Appendix 3, and shown in figs 44–47, was from a very large colony in the grounds of the second author’s office complex in 2010. The density was such that the lower surfaces of most leaves were completely covered by the immature stages, suggesting an invasion by one of the more virulent biotypes. Eradication measures were taken.

Bemisia , undetermined sp. 1

A single sample in BMNH from Phyllanthus cochinchinensis at Middle Gap Road, HK Island, resembles B. tabaci but differs in aspects of chaetotaxy and in characters of the vasiform orifice and caudal region (where B. tabaci shows little variation).

Cockerelliella bladhiae (Takahashi, 1931)

Reported from HK on Eurya sp. by Takahashi (1941a) but no known voucher material. HK vouchers in BMNH, from Michelia figo and Elaeocarpus dubius .

Cockerelliella psidii (Corbett, 1935)

Single sample in BMNH, from Glochidion zeylanicum at Pak Sha O (NT). This species is extremely common through the tropical Austro-oriental Region—see Martin (1985: 326).

Crenidorsum caerulescens (Singh, 1931)

Vouchers in BMNH, from Aporusa dioica and Schefflera heptaphylla [= S. octophylla ].

Crenidorsum micheliae ( Takahashi, 1932)

Vouchers in BMNH, from Daphniphyllum calycinum and Embelia laeta . Another small sample, on Ilex pubescens from Sai Kung Peninsula, is also provisionally assigned to this species.

Crenidorsum , undetermined sp. 1

Solitary puparium in BMNH, from Ilex asprella at Quarry Bay Country Park, HK Island.

Dialeurodes agalmae Takahashi (1935)

Common on Schefflera spp in HK, with vouchers of several samples in BMNH and material also in PPRD. Puparia rather variable, probably according to the nature of the host-plant leaf surfaces, and the species is clearly closely related to D. citri (Ashmead) q.v., below.

Dialeurodes citri (Ashmead, 1885)

Vouchers in BMNH and PPRD of several samples of D. citri sens . lat. from Citrus sp. , Daphniphyllum calycinum , Diplospora dubia , Embelia laeta , Murraya paniculata , Strophanthus divaricatus , undetermined Apocynaceae and undetermined woody host. Interception material in USNM from HK, on Citrus spp (Greg Evans, pers. comm.). Also one sample in BMNH from Murraya sp. in Macau. It is uncertain whether D. citri in Asia comprises one variable species, or a suite of similar species. It is interesting to note that some HK samples of D. citri from Rutaceae are marked with the same pigmented longitudinal median line as is often regarded as diagnostic for D. kirkaldyi (q.v., below).

Dialeurodes citrifolii (Morgan, 1893)

see Singhiella citrifolii (Morgan, 1893)

Dialeurodes hongkongensis Takahashi (1941) (Fig. 12)

Described from HK by Takahashi (1941a), syntypes from undetermined host in TARI (Shu-Pei Chen pers. comm.). Several samples in BMNH (one slide in USNM), from Dendrotrophe frutescens and D. varians , on which hosts puparia form shallow pits in the lower surfaces of leaves and are thus easily seen as raised bumps on the upper surfaces. Puparia characteristically pigmented with dark blotches.

Dialeurodes kirkaldyi (Kotinsky, 1907)

Single colony in BMNH, on Achronychia pedunculata at Ma On Shan Country Park (NT). This species is most often associated with Jasminum sambac , on which there are vouchers in BMNH from Hainan. Puparia of D. kirkaldyi usually display a darkly pigmented median longitudinal line, often used as a diagnostic feature: however, some HK samples with this character have been determined as D. citri —see above.

Dialeurodes mirabilis Takahashi (1942)

A few individuals from several collections from Aporusa dioica are in BMNH. The nature of the vasiform orifice appears to indicate that this species could be better placed in Singhius Takahashi , but specimens from Sulawesi ( Dialeurodes -group, unidentified Sulawesi sp. 12 in BMNH, see Martin, 1988) are intermediate and a new combination is not proposed here. Interception material in USNM from HK in 1957, on Melastoma sanguineum (Greg Evans, pers. comm.), seems best placed as D. mirabilis despite having originally been determined as D. lanceolata Takahashi (now placed in Aleuroclava ).

Dialeurodes sens . str. undetermined sp. 1

Single sample in BMNH, from? Rubiaceae (woody host) in gallery forest on Lantau Island, is a member of the citri - kirkaldyi -ixorae group.

Dialeurodes sens . lat. undetermined sp. 2

Single sample in BMNH, from an undetermined shrub at Magazine Gap Road, HK Island. This species has its dorsal disc extremely smooth, devoid of the numerous tubercles seen in some other Dialeurodes -group species.