Tetralicia acaudata
Creators: name: Ellenrieder, Natalia Von
name: Gill, Raymond J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Aleyrodidae
Tetralicia
Tetralicia acaudata

description: Tetralicia acaudata (Drews & Sampson, 1958)
Figs 2, 3, 37–42
Aleuropleurocelus acaudatus Drews & Sampson, 1958: 125; Mound & Halsey 1978: 58; Evans 2007: 170; Carapia-Ruiz & Sánchez-Flores 2018: 618.
Tetralicia acaudata: Valencia & Evans 2024: 214.
Material examined. 86 puparia: U.S.A., California; 85 slide mounted: San Diego County: 1, San Felipe, Junction of Highways 52 and 522, on manzanita, 18.iii.1986, R.J. Gill coll. [CSCA]; Riverside County: 5, Twin Pine Ranch Road, Banning-Idyllwild Highway, on manzanita, 15.iii.1986, R.J. Gill coll. [CSCA]; 4, Tin Canyon, on manzanita [ex W.W. Sampson Collection, CSCA]; San Bernardino County: Neotype (here designated; puparium circled with red on slide), Mountain Home Village, Mill Creek Canyon, 1,220 m a.s.l., on manzanita, 21.iii.1986, R.J. Gill coll. [CSCA]; 24, same data as neotype [CSCA]; Kern County: 8, Measles Spring, Kelso Valley, on manzanita, 3.iv.1986, G. Buxton coll. [CSCA]; Fresno County: 3, 1 mi W of Dunlap, on Arctostaphylos sp., 5.iv.1960, Allen Keifer coll. [USNM]; Contra Costa County: 1, Russelman Park, Mount Diablo, on Arctostaphylos sp., 11.v.1968, R.F. Wilkey coll. [CSCA]; Marin County: 1, Bolinas Ridge, on Arctostaphylos nummularia, 14–16.vi.1892, E. Palmer coll. [USNM]; El Dorado County: 4, Shingle Springs, on Arctostaphylos manzanita, 16.vi.1955, Keifer & Russell coll. [USNM]; Lake County: 3, Kelseyville, on Arctostaphylos stanfordiana, 1.iv.1907, H.P. Chandler coll. [USNM]; Mendocino County: 1, Ukiah, on Arctostaphylos stanfordiana, 13.vi.1913, A. Eastwood coll. [USNM]; Colusa County: 6, Colusa, 9.ii.1973, on manzanita [CSCA]; Nevada County: 22, Grass Valley, on manzanita, 5.iii.1931 [CSCA]; Butte County, [USNM]; 1, Humbold Grade, 12 miles from Chico, 24.vi.1932, H.F. Copeland coll. [USNM]; 1 dry mounted: Riverside County, Tin Canyon, on manzanita [ex Sampson coll., CSCA].
Hosts. Ericaceae: Manzanita (Arctostaphylos manzanita, A. nummularia, A. stanfordiana, Arctostaphylos sp.).
Characterization.
Field characteristics. Pupal case oval with posterior end truncate, shiny black, surrounded by a fringe of amorphous white wax extending out from true margin up to or slightly beyond apparent margin (Figs 2, 3).
Slide-mounted characters. TMS reaching submargin but not extending over it, not reaching apparent margin, not lined with tubercles (Figs 36, 38); longitudinal molting suture lined with tubercles from T2/T3 suture to head submargin; eyespots absent; Ce setae absent; T2 and T3 setae present, T3 setae arising at anterior margin of metanotum; medial area with depressions lacking granulations on each side of head (two), T2 (three) and T3 (one), and abdominal segments (one) (Figs 36, 37); with pores and porettes on each side of submedial area of head (2–4), T2 (1–2), T3 (0–1), A1 (0–1), A2 (0–1), A3 (0–2), A4 (0–2), A5 (1–3), A6 (1–4 single pores), A7 (1), and A8 (1–2); dorsal disc smooth, with anterior margin of A1–A7 sclerotized (Fig. 36); with pairs of pores and porettes along sides of dorsal disc (Figs 37, 38); dorsal submargin lacking imbrications or granulations (Fig. 38); deflexed submargin with a row of pores and transverse rows of small granulations usually arranged in 1–3 compact clusters across about half to two thirds of its width (Fig. 40); marginal glandular teeth subquadrangular with tips bidentate; VO cordate, inset from posterior margin by about its own length; operculum cordate, its dorsal surface with a few longitudinal ridges and with microspinulae across distal third to fourth; lingula concealed by operculum; VO ring very narrow around lateral and posterior sections of VO, with anterior portion wide and rectangular, separated from remainder of ring, and with longitudinal crests (Fig. 41), with dorsal setae of A8 arising from sides anterior to anterior margin of operculum (Fig. 41); bases of caudal setae close together, within level of operculum lateral margins (Fig. 42); with two membranous ventral sacs medially to bases of mesothoracic legs (Fig. 39); tegument of venter smooth except for groups of strong spines medially to legs (Fig. 39).
Measurements (values of neotype in square brackets). Puparium length: 880 ± 92 [929]; maximum width (at level of A1): 641 ± 67 [669]; length/maximum width: 1.4 ± 0.05 [1.4]; width at level of anterior margin of operculum: 377 ± 60 [393]; maximum width/width at anterior margin of operculum: 1.7 ± 0.1 [1.7]; deflexed submargin/body radius: 0.4 ± 0.03 [0.4]; Ce setae: absent; T2 setae: 16 ± 4 [11]; T3 setae: 11 [11]; dorsal A8 setae: 15 ± 2 [16]; caudal setae 14 ± 1 [missing]; anterior marginal setae [not visible]: 9; posterior marginal setae: 18 ± 7 [not visible]; ventral A8 setae: 15 ± 1 [missing]; VO ring length: 67 ± 6 [70]; VO ring width: 63 ± 7 [63]; VO ring length/width: 1.1 ± 0.1 [1.1]; caudal seta/VO ring length: 0.2 ± 0.004 [NA]; caudal seta/operculum length: 0.4 ± 0.1 [NA]; VO length: 40 ± 4 [39]; VO width: 41 ± 6 [38]; VO length/width: 1 ± 0.1 [1]; operculum length: 33 ± 3 [30]; operculum/VO length: 0.8 ± 0.1 [0.8] (see Table 1 for ranges).
Similar species. It shares the combination of marked abdominal depressions, absence of pores along lateral margin of dorsal disc, submedian area of thorax smooth, and deflexed submargin with compact groups of small granulations arranged in transverse rows with Tetralicia nigrans, which is polyphagous and can also be found on Arctostaphylos.
Diagnosis. Puparium shape with posterior end truncate (Figs 36, 41, 42) is unique among species of this genus in California; it further differs from T. nigrans (characters for T. nigrans in square brackets) by: narrow lateral ring of amorphous wax visible dorsally (Figs 2, 3) [not visible dorsally; Fig. 21]; lateral area of dorsal disc smooth (Figs 36–38) [with small tubercles; Figs 161, 165]; dorsal submargin smooth (Fig. 38) [with small tubercles; Fig. 162]; deflexed submargin with 1–3 compact clusters of small granulations arranged in transverse rows across about half to two thirds of its width (Fig. 40) [with 7–9 compact clusters of small granulations arranged in transverse rows extending for about three quarters of its width; Fig. 164]; VO cordate (Figs 36, 41) [subcordate; Figs 166, 167]; subcordate VO ring closed anteriorly and with anterior portion separated from remainder of ring and sculpted with crests (Figs 36, 41) [cordate, open anteriorly, not separated, lacking crests; Figs 166, 167]; venter with groups of strong spines medially to legs (Fig. 39) [with groups of spinulae medially to legs; Fig. 163]; and dorsal setae short and hairlike [dorsal setae longer and ribbon-like; see table 1]
Remarks. The original description of T. acaudata (Drews & Sampson 1958) did not include a type designation, number of type specimens and type depository were not indicated, and only a 'Type locality' ('Mill Creek Canyon Road (400 feet), San Bernardino County, California. Collected on December 21, 1953 by E.A. Drews.') was given. No specimens matching these data were located in any major California collection nor among the portion of W.W. Sampson's collection that was donated to CSCA; therefore, we believe that its type specimen (s) is (are) lost. To ensure the nomenclatorial stability of the name we consider it necessary to designate a neotype, selected from specimens collected at its type locality with the following data: San Bernardino County, Mountain Home Village, Mill Creek Canyon, 1,220 m a.s.l., on manzanita, 21.iii.1986, R.J. Gill coll. [CSCA], which is here illustrated (Figs 36–41) and measured (see under Measurements).
Drews & Sampson (1958) characterized this species as having 'the lateral margin with a narrow translucent band behind the marginal teeth.' However, this 'band' is most likely merely an artifact in their photographed specimen caused by the contrast between the folded deflexed margin (darker) and the thinner (lighter) adjacent medial area comprising only ventral and dorsal tegument.
Biology. Drews & Sampson (1958) found population density to be very low, but the species was found again in higher numbers at its type locality in 1986.
Distribution. Apparently occurs throughout California on manzanita; we have records from Butte, Contra Costa, Colusa, El Dorado, Fresno, Kern, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Nevada, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. Carapia-Ruiz & Sánchez-Flores (2018) listed this species from Mexico without providing locality or host, perhaps referring to the records of Aleuropleurocelus aff acaudatus by Sánchez-Flores et al. (2015, 2016) on Persea americana. Since no images or descriptions were provided in those studies, we are unable to confirm their identifications and possible presence in Mexico.
description: Published as part of Ellenrieder, Natalia Von & Gill, Raymond J., 2024, The genus Tetralicia Harrison (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae) in California, U. S. A., with the description of five new species and a redescription of Tetralicia granulata Sampson & Drews, 1941, pp. 1-129 in Zootaxa 5527 (1) on pages 11-14, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5527.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14021823