Septemaleurodes Dubey

Dubey, Anil Kumar, 2013, Dialeurolonga re-defined (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae): with a new genus and species from India, two new genera from Australia, and discussion of host-correlated puparial variation, Zootaxa 3616 (6), pp. 548-562 : 560

Septemaleurodes Dubey gen. n.

Type species: Dialeurolonga swainei Martin, 1999: 70 . Holotype puparium. Australia: Queenland, Broadbeach, viii-ix.1970, G. Swaine, on Ficus sp., in Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra [Not examined].

Diagnosis: Puparium jet black, pit-forming, broadly oval; sexually dimorphic; thoracic tracheal pores opening deeply invaginated. Dorsum not separated from dorsal disc, submedian and subdorsum variably pigmented. Longitudinal and transverse moulting sutures reaching margin; pro-mesothoracic division much exaggerated but not suture-like; median length of abdominal segment VII much reduced than VI; pockets reaching border of segments VI/VII. Anterior and posterior marginal setae present. Cephalic and eighth abdominal setae present. First abdominal setae absent. Eye spots present. Caudal and thoracic tracheal furrows absent. Vasiform orifice cordate; operculum elliptical, covering basal two-thirds of orifice. Ventrally tracheal folds stippled.

Etymology: The genus name is coined from a Latin word ‘ septem’ meaning ‘seven’, in reference to the reduced seventh abdominal segment, and a suffix – aleurodes.

Remarks: This new genus differs from Dialeurolonga in the puparial outline, and by the presence of deeply invaginated tracheal pore openings, eye spots, subcordate vasiform orifice, medially reduced abdominal segment VII, a pronounced meso-metathoracic suture, and by the absence of caudal furrow and first abdominal setae, punctured dorsum, and median pore on abdominal segment VIII. It also differs from Dialeurodes by the absence of caudal furrow, deeply invaginated tracheal pores, presence of eye spots and the much reduced median length of abdominal segment VII. Martin (1999) indicated similarity of S. swainei with D. rhamni Takahashi and D. trialeuroides Takahashi. However , both of these differ from the above generic diagnosis and are not assignable to Septemaleurodes.