Rudisculptus caudalis Dubey 2021, gen. et sp. nov.

Rudisculptus caudalis Dubey gen. et sp. nov.

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Figs 2–6

Diagnosis

Puparia of the new whitefly are characterised by the following combination of characters: smooth margin, elevated submargin, tuberculate/rugose dorsum, presence of first abdominal setae, demarcated cephalothorax, tracheal pores, caudal furrow, exposed lingula and lacking the submarginal wax glands.

Etymology

The species epithet is a Latin word ‘ caudalis ʼ meaning ‘caudalʼ, attributing to the caudal furrow.

Type material

Holotype INDIA • ♀; puparium, on slide; Andaman and Nicobar Islands, North Andaman, Diglipur, Table Delgarno Island; 13º24.46.88′ N, 93º 05.18.43 ′ E; alt. 9 m; 22 Oct. 2017; A.K. Dubey leg.; on Orophea katschallica; 14690 (1); ANRC-ZSI.

Paratypes INDIA • 8 puparia on 6 slides; same collection data as for holotype; NZC • 3 puparia on 1 slide; same collection data as for preceding; NFIC-FRI • 1 puparium on 1 slide; same collection data as for preceding; NHM • 3 puparia on three slides; same collection data as for preceding; 14690 (2–4); ANRC- ZSI.

Description

PUPARIUM. Black; oval; prominently elevated above from lateral margin (Fig. 5A); without secretion of wax over dorsal disc or margin, small amount of wax at tracheal pore opening areas present (Fig. 2); broadest at first abdominal segment region (Fig. 5B); 680–720 µm long, 580–610 µm wide, including folded submargin; found singly on underside of leaves; 1–2 puparia per leaf.

MARGIN. True margin merging with slightly smaller ventral surface and placed below folded submargin; smooth; thoracic tracheal pore opening areas marked as small pores; loop with microtubercles / granules on submargin prominent at each thoracic tracheal pore opening area (Figs 3C, 4D). Caudal tracheal pore opening cannot be stated with confidence in slide mounts as submargin folds ventrally and posterior end break in middle of caudal furrow, forming pseudo-caudal pore, but clearly visible in SEM image (Fig. 6G). Anterior marginal setae absent. Posterior marginal setae present on true margin, placed ventrally (Fig. 6G).

DORSUM. Entire dorsal surface ornamented with tuberculate cells except submedian area of abdominal segments. Dorsal surface slightly larger than ventral surface, merging with submargin at dorsolateral angle (Fig. 5A), and submargin is connecting with ventral surface through inwardly directed raised submargin (Fig. 6E); raised submargin 67–80 µm wide. Submargin expands outwards in slide mounts thus, loops on submargin, near thoracic tracheal pore, appear inversely oriented (inside-out) and pore opening area at true margin remains obscured (Fig. 4C), and their (pores/loops) orientations were confirmed through dissection of a few puparia (Fig. 4D). Submarginal ridges prominent. Caudal tracheal furrow present. Longitudinal moulting suture reaching margin. Transverse moulting sutures turning anteriorly and usually entirely separating two halves of cephalothorax (Fig. 4G) or terminating opposite to mesothorax on subdorsal area in a few puparia. Cephalothoracic and abdominal segment sutures reaching subdorsum. Median length of cephalothorax and abdomen 345–355 and 345–360 µm long, respectively. Mesothorax 32–38 µm and metathorax 25–28 µm long, medially. Abdominal segment VII not reduced in middle length and almost equal to segment VI. Median length of abdominal segments VI– VIII (A6–A8): A6: 25, A7: 17–20, A8: 30–35 µm long. Median tubercles present on abdominal segment I–VI. Submedian pockets and depressions may be recognized by spacing of microtubercles on segment sutures or inter-segmental spaces. Vasiform orifice inset from posterior apparent margin of pupal case by its own length. Caudal furrow present, 37–40 µm long excluding folded submargin, 50–80 µm long including folded submargin. Geminate pores present in four rows, two rows on submedian area and one row each on subdorsum and submargin; submarginal row of pores placed along true margin, more in number, 29–30 pairs (9–10 pairs on cephalothorax, 19–21 pairs on abdomen); submarginal row of geminate pores appear subdorsal in slide mounted puparia due to folding of submargin. Pore-porette spacing equal to or less than the diameter of large pore itself. Pockets continuous.

VASIFORM ORIFICE. Subcordate; inner margin with row of many digitiform projections; 35–40 µm long, 35–38 µm wide; operculum subcordate, dorsal surface with a few punctures, dorsal apical end with tuft of microtrichia and underside with many microtrichia, 22–28 µm long, 22–25 µm wide; almost entirely covering orifice. Lingula setose, exposed, elongate, tip reaching outside orifice, base with pair of thick setae (Figs 3D, 5F).

VENTER. Smaller than dorsal surface. Prominent shallow submarginal groove /fold differentiating subventral area from ventral submargin. Thoracic tracheal folds present, without stipples (Fig. 6E– F). Caudal tracheal fold present. Paired ventral eighth abdominal setae present (Fig. 6G). Antennae extending through inside prothoracic legs, reaching near base of prothoracic legs (Fig. 4C). Apical pads, adhesive sacs and spiracles visible.

CHAETOTAXY. Cephalic, first, eighth abdominal and caudal setae 22–28, 17–38, 20–28 and 38–65 µm long, respectively. Cephalic and first abdominal setae capitate (Fig. 6D). Caudal setae located on posterolateral submargin merging with dorsal surface.

Host plant

Annonaceae: Orophea katschallica Kurz.

Distribution

India: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, North Andaman.

Remarks

In life, puparia of the new species are seen without secretion of wax around the margin, except tracheal pore openings, but in A. ceanothi the wax threads originate from the true margin located ventrally (Fig. 7A–B). The ventral surface was smaller or equal to the dorsal surface, excluding the submargin. Populations of the puparia of the new taxa were very low on leaves, only one or two puparia were observed per leaf; puparia easily get detached from leaves in transport; hard in nature and break-down during mounting. The type locality of the new species, Table Delgarno Island, is a small island, prone to rain and heavy winds throughout the year, and this could be a reason for smaller populations of the new taxa. No whitefly adults and ants in attendance were observed in the field. The differences in morphological characters from related genera, geographical isolation of type locality and association with an endemic host plant indicate that the new genus may be native to and distributed in the Oriental Region only.