Ceraleurodicus varus ( Bondar, 1928 ), 2000

Canty, Roy J., Martini, Biancamaria & Wanke, Dominic, 2023, Three new species of Neotropical Ceraleurodicus Hempel (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) found in the Natural History Museum (London) collection, with notes and a puparial key to species, Zootaxa 5277 (2), pp. 313-338 : 331-333

Ceraleurodicus varus ( Bondar, 1928)

NOMENCLATURE:

Radialeurodicus varus Bondar, 1928: 1–3 .

Ceraleurodicus varus ( Bondar, 1928) , according to Costa Lima (1928: 137), by inference.

Ceraleurodicus kesselyaki ( Visnya, 1941: 5–12) . Synonymised by Martin et al. (2000: 442).

Distribution. Neotropical region— Belize, Brazil; Palaearctic region— Hungary ( Dooley, 2022; Ouvrard & Martin, 2022).

Host. Musaceae : Musa sp. ; Myrtaceae : Psidium araca ; Orchidaceae : Coelogyne cristata , Cymbidium lowianum , Encyclia alata , Phragmipedium caricinum , Paphiopedilum insigne ( Dooley, 2022; Ouvrard & Martin, 2022).

Material examined. 1 adult male on 1 slide, syntype (as P. kesselyaki ), HUNGARY, Budapest, Horticultural Botanical University , from orchids in glasshouse, v.1940, A. Visnya, (B.M. 1962-643) ( NHMUK 010162455 ) ( NHMUK) ; 8 puparia and 3 adult females on 6 slides, BELIZE, Cayo, Chiquibul FR., Las Cuevas—Millionario , from Protium copal , 21.vi.2002, J. H. Martin, (J H Martin 7695) ( NHMUK 010162456 [2 puparia]; NHMUK 010162457 [1 puparium]; NHMUK 010162458 [2 puparia]; NHMUK 010162462 [1 puparium and 1 adult female]; NHMUK 010162463 [1 puparium and 1 adult female]; NHMUK 010162464 [1 puparium and 1 adult female]) ( NHMUK) ; 3 puparia on 1 slide, BELIZE, Cayo, Chiquibul FR., Las Cuevas—Millionario , from Protium copal , 26.iii.2003, J. H. Martin, (J H Martin 7808) ( NHMUK 010162460 ) ( NHMUK) ; 1 adult female on 1 slide, BELIZE, Cayo, Chiquibul Forest, San Pastor track, from woody compositae, 14.ii.1996, J. H. Martin, (J H Martin 6662) ( NHMUK 010162461 ) ( NHMUK) .

Redescription

Puparium: Body ( Fig. 10a ) asymmetrical and banana-shaped (3.45–3.90 mm long). 9 pairs of lateral rays running mesad from the puparial margin. Submarginal combs are found at the apices of the 5th and 9th pairs of rays ( Fig. 10f ).

6 very small sets of compound pores on the sub-mesial plane of the dorsum: 1 slightly larger cephalothoracic pore ( Fig. 10b ) on the well-developed side, near the anterior edge of the 2nd ray; 4 slightly smaller compound pores subequal in size ( Fig. 10c ) on the well-developed side on abdominal segments III, IV, V, and VI; and 1 even smaller pore ( Fig. 10d ) on the less developed side, on abdominal segment VII, behind and to the side of the VO, and positioned on the 9th ray from the anterior.

The puparial margin ( Fig. 10e ) is planar but with submarginal folds producing a crenulated submarginal layer with well-defined teeth, and an additional layer of folds of less well-defined teeth, appearing as collars for the dentate folds. The puparial margin has distinct combs ( Fig. 10e ) at the apices of the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th pairs of rays. The puparial margin indents slightly at the apex of ray 9, on the less developed side ( Fig. 10f ).

VO ( Fig. 10g ) is subcordate, and approximately 1.3 times longer than wide; operculum is widely oblong; lingula is subcordate. On the lingula are two pairs of subapical setae.

ADULT: The fore wing ( Fig. 13c ) is transparent with 5 longitudinal rows of spots which are greenish in life, but appear yellowish in death ( Bondar 1928), and arranged thusly: (1) made up of 3 spots, and located approximately 1/5 of the distance along from the base to the apex of the wing; (2) made up of 4 spots, and located approximately 2/5 of the distance along from the base to the apex of the wing; (3) made up of 3 spots, and located approximately 3/5 of the distance along from the base to apex of the wing; (4) made up of 4 spots, and located approximately 3/4 of the distance along from the base to apex of the wing; and (5) made up of 3 spots, and located approximately 9/10 of the distance along from the base to apex of the wing. The points where 4 apical most rows of spots meet the anterior and posterior margins of the wings are considerably darkened.

The forewing clearly contains a radial vein (R) (which splits into veins R 1 and Rs), a medial vein (M), and a cubitus vein (CU). The split in R occurs just on the apical edge of the third row of spots from the wing base. R 1 terminates at the apical edge of the fifth strip of spots from the wing base, while Rs continues to the furthest apical edge of the wing. M is long, splitting, and curving down away from R near the wing base. Just before reaching the first strip of spots from the wing base, M levels out into a more latitudinal direction. At the apical edge of the third row of spots from the wing base, M starts to curve towards the posterior margin of the wing, before levelling off slightly at the apical edge of the fourth row of spots from the wing base to terminate at the wing margin. Cu originating at or near the wing base, running on a gentle curve to the posterior margin of the wing, where it terminates apically to the second strip of spots from the wing base.

Comments. When Visnya (1941) described specimens of C. varus as P. kesselyaki , they were recorded from Hungarian glasshouse orchid colonies, identified as “ Phragmidium carichium Rolf ”, hailing from Bolivia and Peru. There has since been confusion, therefore, in the succeeding literature as to the identity of the orchid species. A search of Kew Gardens’ Plants of the World ( POWO, 2019) shows that “ Phragmidium carichium ” does not exist as a valid name. Additionally, Phragmidium is actually a genus of fungi. The most similar available name is Phragmipedium caricinum with an authority label of “(Lindl. & Paxton) Rolfe”, while Mound & Halsey (1978) noted the orchid species as Phragmipedium carichium , using the correct genus. The similarity in the spelling of the species epithets, the similarity in the authority labels (“Rolf” for “ Phragmidium carichium ”; “(Lindl. & Paxton) Rolfe” for P. caricinum ), and the native origins of the plants ( Bolivia and Peru for “ Phragmidium carichium ”; the recorded native range of Bolivia to Brazil for P. caricinum [ POWO, 2019]), all suggest that Visnya made an error in spelling and authority citation in his work and that the correct host would be Phragmipedium caricinum .

Figures

FIGURE 13. Line drawings showing adult wings of: (a) Ceraleurodicus assymmetrus (Bondar), (b) C. duckei Penny & Arias, and (c) C. varus (Bondar).

FIGURE 10. Ceraleurodicus varus (Bondar) photographs showing: (a) dorsal habitus, (b) cephalic compound pore, (c) abdominal compound pore, (d) reduced posterior abdominal compound pore, (e) puparial margin showing submarginal combs at ray 5, (f) puparial margin showing indentation and submarginal combs at ray 9 and, (g) vasiform orifice.