Giant whiteflies (Sternorrhyncha, Aleyrodidae):a discussion of their taxonomic and evolutionary significance, with the description of a new species of Udamoselis Enderlein from Ecuador

Abstract

In an account of the history of higher systematics in the Aleyrodidae, Russell (2000) stated that five whitefly subfamily names have been used for extant taxa. Of these, Uraleyrodinae Sampson & Drews (1941) was found to be synonymous with Aleyrodinae Westwood (1840), based on a study of adult characters by Russell (1986). Takahashi (1932) had erected the subfamily Siphonaleyrodinae solely for his new species Siphonaleyrodes formosanus, which is clearly a member of the psylloid family Triozidae, and which was placed as a junior synonym of Trioza cinnamomi (Boselli, 1930) by Mound & Halsey (1978), a view with which Russell (2000) concurred. The oldest-established subfamily, Aleyrodinae, is generally accepted and regarded as well defined by adult and nymphal [puparial] characters (Gill 1990). This leaves Udamoselinae Enderlein (1909) and Aleurodicinae Quaintance & Baker (1913) whose controversial relationship is the subject of this paper. The genus Udamoselis, the species U. pigmentaria and the subfamily Udamoselinae were all proposed by Enderlein (1909), based upon his study of a single adult male specimen. Enderlein’s specimen has subsequently never been traced, and is thought to have been lost during the upheavals of the Second World War. As well as being described from a single specimen, no satisfactory collecting locality is known and Enderlein simply gave this as ‘in all probability South America’, indicating that the specimen must have been given to him. Enderlein also included Aleurodicus Douglas (1892) in his new subfamily, without any discussion. Quaintance & Baker (1913) discussed whitefly wing venation in detail, illustrating a range of actual and theoretical patterns (Fig. 33). They proposed another new subfamily, Aleurodicinae, accommodating Aleurodicus, Dialeurodicus Cockerell (1902), their own new genus Leonardius and Paraleyrodes Quaintance (1909), whilst continuing to accept Enderlein’s subfamily Udamoselinae for Udamoselis alone. Their reason for supporting a separate subfamily for Udamoselis was the more complex wing venation described and illustrated by Enderlein (Fig. 7), but the insect’s enormous size (Table 1) may well have also been a factor in their decision. The Giant whiteflies (Sternorrhyncha, Aleyrodidae): a discussion of their taxonomic and evolutionary significance, with the description of a new species of Udamoselis Enderlein from Ecuador