Aleyrodes amnicola Bemis, 1904

Aleyrodes amnicola Bemis, 1904 View in CoL

Fig. 1–4 View Figures 1–6 , 13–16 View Figures 13–16 , 29 View Figures 29–32 , 33 View Figures 33–41 , 42 View Figures 42–45

Aleyrodes amnicola Bemis 1904: 514 View in CoL (description of nymphs and puparium, plate 27, fig. 4, 4a; syntypes from U.S.A., California, Stevens Creek, Santa Clara Valley, on Salix laevigata View in CoL , 4.xi.1901, at USNM) — Penny 1922: 23 (erroneous mention of Washingtonia nuda View in CoL as food plant).

Specimens examined. Slide mounted: 217 puparia, 22 ♂♂, 40 ♀♀ [at CSCA]: U.S.A., California: San Diego County: 2 puparia [with long caudal and posterior setae], 2 ♂♂, San Diego, on Ceanothus sp. , 25.vi.1963, T.K. Palmer coll.; 6 puparia, Vista, 14.xi.1966, Waldrig and Krug coll.; 5 puparia, same data but on Ribes sp. , 5.iv.1973, Anderson and Paddock coll.; 5 puparia, same data but on native gooseberry ( Ribes sp. ), 5.v.1983, H. Metcalf coll.; 13 puparia, 4 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, Escondido, on willow ( Salix sp. ), 22.vii.1975, Gionfrido and Koide coll.; Orange County: 4 puparia, Trabuco Oaks, on Pyrus communis, D.H. Byers and J.L. Johnson coll.; 11 puparia, Stanton, on pussy willow ( Salix sp. ), 26.vi.1979, Bennett and Stolte coll.; Los Angeles County: 13 puparia, Camp Baldy, on Ceanothus sp. , ix.1931, D.D. Penny and G. Pohl coll.; 1 puparia, Hollywood, on gooseberry ( Ribes sp. ), 20.viii.1937, G. Burns coll.; 3 puparia, Pasadena, on Ceanothus sp. , viii.1938, C. Gammon coll.; 3 puparia, 3 ♂♂, Westlake Village, on Salix matsudana [now S. babylonica ], 3.xii.1979, M. Pearson coll.; 5 puparia, 1 ♀, same data but on Ribes sp. , 20.vi.1969, E.L. Paddock coll.; Ventura County: 2 puparia, 949 Main Street, on Ceanothus sp. , 1.iv.1933, D. Fraser coll.; 6 puparia, Rancho Santa Paula and Saticoy, on willow ( Salix sp. ), 7.viii.1941, Gillogly coll.; 3 puparia, Cullignas Creek, on willow ( Salix sp. ), 3.ix.1942, Travis coll.; 5 puparia, Ojai, 9 viii 1967, Dilley and Buettner coll.; Santa Barbara County: 5 puparia, Orcutt, 19.xi.1973, Cupp and Rieneke coll.; 5 puparia, 3 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, Santa Barbara, 27.x.1980, Pedroza and Elfstrom coll.; 16 puparia, 6 ♂♂, 11 ♀♀, Santa Barbara, on Ceanothus sp. , 17.ix.1998, J. Kendall coll.; 3 puparia, Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens, on Ceanothus sp. , 11.viii.1998, J. Kendall and J. Davidson coll.; San Luis Obispo County: 21 puparia, 1 ♂, 6 ♀♀, Arroyo Grande, on Ceanothus thyrsiflorus , 27.x.1993, C. Krause coll.; 2 puparia, Arroyo Grande, in nursery, Salix sp. , 22.x.2008, C.T. and C.K.; Monterey County: 2 puparia, 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, Carmel, 20.ix.1977, on Salix sp. , Oliver and Willey coll.; 5 puparia, Carmel Valley, on Ceanothus sp. , 2.x.1992, B. Oliver coll.; Fresno County: 3 puparia, Washington, on willow ( Salix sp. ), 12.v.1939, Gallion coll.; 4 puparia, 1 ♂, 6 ♀♀, Firebaugh, on willow ( Salix sp. ), 22.vii.1980, N. Smith coll.; Santa Clara County: 20 puparia, Los Gatos, on Salix sp. , 18.vi.1939, W.W. Sampson coll.; 8 puparia [with long caudal setae], 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, Stevens Creek Reservoir, on gooseberry ( Ribes sp. ), 14.v.1978, R. Gill coll.; San Mateo County: 6 puparia, San Mateo, on Salix matsudana [now S. babylonica ], 13.x.1971, P. Crane and H. Struttenegger coll.; Contra Costa County: 4 puparia, Pleasant Hill, on Salix sp. , 26.x.1959, K.E. Danielson coll.; Sacramento County: 16 puparia, Sailor Bar, on willow ( Salix sp. ), 10.vii.1987, R. Dowell coll.; El Dorado County: 7 puparia, Gold Hill Road, 1 mi from Lotus Road, on Ceanothus sp. , 30.v.2016, V. Popescu coll.; Placer County: 3 puparia, Apple Hill, on Ceanothus sp. , 26.x.1987, R. Dowell coll. Dry material: U.S.A., California: Ventura County: 8 puparia, Calleguas Creek, on willow ( Salix sp. ), 2.ix.1947, P.B. Travis coll.; Santa Barbara County: 100 + puparia, Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens, on Ceanothus sp. , 11.viii.1998, J. Kendall and J. Davidson coll.; San Luis Obispo County: 100 + puparia, Arroyo Grande, on Ceanothus thyrsiflorus , 27.x.1993, C. Krause coll.; San Mateo County: 36 puparia, Redwood City, on Salix sp. , x.1968, T.R. Haig coll.; Placer County: 80 puparia, Apple Hill, 26.x.1987, on Ceanothus sp. , R. Dowell coll.

Diagnostic characters. Pupal case translucent yellow to green with a broad dorsal dark brown stripe of variable width ( Fig. 1, 2 View Figures 1–6 ) to mostly yellow or mostly brown ( Fig. 3, 4 View Figures 1–6 ). Puparium usually with pebble-like ornamentation and numerous simple pores (eight to 16 per segment on each side at least on mesothorax) on medial area of cephalothorax and abdomen ( Fig. 13–16 View Figures 13–16 , 29 View Figures 29–32 ). Associated adult males with paramere narrowing preapically, with a wide subapical flange, as wide as about 0.45 of its length, and carina along medial margin of paramere contiguous to tip; aedeagus curved gradually at less than a 45-degree angle ( Fig. 42 View Figures 42–45 ).

Remarks. The pebble-like ornamentation is found only in this species in California. In a few specimens (on Salix and Ribes ) there are few to no pebble-like ornamentations but there are numerous simple pores as described above. Male paramere ( Fig. 42 View Figures 42–45 ) narrowing preapically and with wider subapical flange, as wide as about 0.45 of its length, differs from paramere of A. proletella , A. pruinosus , and A. spiraeoides ( Fig. 43–45 View Figures 42–45 ), in which paramere narrows apically and subapical flange is narrower, as wide as 0.25–0.35 of its length. The darkening of the dorsal median area of puparium is usually distinctive for this species ( Fig. 1 View Figures 1–6 , 14, 15 View Figures 13–16 ), but puparia can exhibit considerable variability in their color pattern, sometimes with brown areas extensive with only the marginal areas yellow ( Fig. 2 View Figures 1–6 , 16 View Figures 13–16 ), sometimes with a paler brownish yellow stripe bordered by brown on both sides along medial area of abdomen ( Fig. 13 View Figures 13–16 ), to having extensive yellow areas with a restricted medial brown stripe or being entirely yellow ( Fig. 3, 4 View Figures 1–6 ). These puparia present the same pebble-like ornamentation and high number of simple pores, and available corresponding adult males share paramere shape with specimens associated with puparia displaying typical color pattern and are therefore considered conspecific.

Hosts. This species occurs in large numbers on Salix L. ( Salicaceae ), Ceanothus L. ( Rhamnaceae ), and Ribes L. ( Grossulariaceae ), with one record on Pyrus communis L. ( Rosaceae ). The mention by Penny (1922), repeated by Evans (2007), of Washingtonia nuda (Torr.) A. Heller as a food plant for this species was based on Bemis’ (1904: 515) remark that ‘adults were issuing from the pupa-cases’ [found on the underside of leaves of Salix laevigata ], ‘and many had settled upon the undersides of leaves of Washingtonia nuda , which was growing under the hosts plants’. Since the adults were simply landing on the leaves and the species was never recorded feeding or developing on this plant, this plant should be removed from its host plant list.

Distribution. Probably throughout California, although it seems to be more common along coastal areas south of the San Francisco Bay area. Evans (2007) mentioned this species from the Virgin Islands without further data, but the source of this record could not be found, and it is considered to be erroneous (G. Evans pers. comm.).