Aleurodicus darienpalmae, Martin, 2008

Aleurodicus darienpalmae sp. nov.

(Fig. 57)

PUPARIUM. Habitus. Not noted. Morphology. Most characters are shared with A. talamancensis ( q.v.) and only differences are described below. Outline. 0.92–0.97 mm long, 0.67–0.71 mm wide, generally

widest at abdominal segment I/II (n=26). Dorsum. Mesal boundary of submarginal wide-rimmed pore band conspicuously lobulate, interdigitating with bases of submarginal setae (Fig. 57); division between abdominal segment VI and VII/VIII marked medially by a distinct suture-like fold linking anterior edges of pockets, but only 7 segments discernible on median line anterior to vasiform orifice; cephalic pair and anterior 4 pairs of abdominal compound pores 30–40 µ maximum diameter, their axial processes short; operculum transversely rounded-trapezoidal, its surface with fine punctae and subtly rugose, its posterior edge not conspicuously emarginate, almost straight and without a pair of setae on its posterior margin; clusters of surface spinules on lingula head more subtly defined (Fig. 57 expanded detail); most dorsal disc simple pores similar in size to those in submarginal wide-rimmed pore band, a few a little larger.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Holotype puparium, PANAMÁ, Darién Province, Enseñada del Guayabo, 16– 19 km S.E. of Jaqué , 7º 20´N, 78º 05´W, on unidentified Palmae, 13.i.1983 ( J.H.Martin #3615) ( BMNH). Paratypes: 1 puparium, 1 third-instar nymph, same data as holotype ( BMNH) GoogleMaps .

ETYMOLOGY. The species name is formed from two nouns in aposition, reflecting its type locality ( Darién – Province of Panamá) and its incomplete host plant data ( Palmae —a family name now more usually replaced by Arecaceae ) .

COMMENTS. This species differs from the very similar A. talamancensis principally in the nature of the submarginal pore band, whose mesal boundary interdigitates with the bases of the submarginal setae: this characteristic is also seen in the single third-instar nymph and it is not considered to be a variation of A. talamancensis . Also, the puparial operculum of A. darienpalmae is not posteriorly emarginate as it is in A. talamancensis .