Aleuropleurocelus Drews & Sampson

ALEUROPLEUROCELUS Drews & Sampson

Aleuropleurocelus Drews & Sampson, 1956: 282. Type species Aleuropleurocelus laingi by original designation.

DIAGNOSIS AND COMMENTS. As interpreted here, Aleuropleurocelus comprises species with the following combination of characters: venter smaller than dorsum, resulting in deflexion of dorsum (Fig 133–134), with morphological margin being ventrally located and usually crenulate [this character is also seen in species of Aleurovitreus gen. nov., figures 22–23, q.v.]; puparia black; vasiform orifice slightly elevated (sometimes appears to be surrounded by a sclerotised ring) and variously shaped, but smooth internally and fully occupied by operculum; lingula concealed by operculum; transverse moulting sutures usually reach beyond apparent margin, onto deflexed part of morphological dorsum; cephalic setae present or absent, but first abdominal setae always absent.

Drews & Sampson (1956, 1958) considered that their new genus, Aleuropleurocelus, should accommodate New World species which have black puparia with the dorsal surface deflexed to meet a smaller venter. They stated that this genus differed from the Old World genus Tetralicia Harrison (1917) through the latter having its true (ventrally located) margin smooth or irregular, its operculum not fully occupying the vasiform orifice and the vasiform orifice being toothed internally. However, Tetralicia then only included the type species, T. ericae Harrison and, as more species have become available for study in both hemispheres, this suite of separation characters has become unreliable. However, Old and New World assemblages of whitefly species have often proved to be generically separate (see comments on Aleurocybotus, p. 10), and therefore Aleuropleurocelus and Tetralicia are both retained pending further clarification of their respective diagnostic characters.

Puparia of Aleurotrachelus cecropiae Bondar (1923) in BMNH, (probably syntypes, see Martin, 2004:56), have their morphological margin substantially deflexed and are characteristically tiny, and the opportunity is therefore taken here to transfer this species to Aleuropleurocelus (comb. nov.).

Slides of Aleurodes abnormis Quaintance (1900) in BMNH (ex­USNM) had been labelled as “ Tetralicia ” abnormis, but Quaintance & Baker (1914) had transferred this species to Tetraleurodes. As far as the author is aware, the combination Tetralicia abnormis has never been published. However, examination of these puparia reveals the morphological true margin to be significantly deflexed, and this species is here transferred to Aleuropleurocelus comb. nov.. The uncertain relationship between Aleuropleurocelus and Tetralicia is discussed two paragraphs above.

There are presently ten described species included in Aleuropleurocelus but, in Belize, ten undescribed species are considered to belong to this genus (see Appendix 1). Each of the Belize Aleuropleurocelus species is represented only by a small numbers of specimens, and none warrants description here, although two are illustrated to show generic characters (Figs 133–134).