Covidaleyrodes flos, Dubey & Evans, 2025

Covidaleyrodes flos sp. nov.

( Figs 2–7 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 View FIGURE 7 )

Diagnosis. Puparia of the new species are distinguishable in having thoracic and caudal tracheal pores, lobulate margin and in lacking pro, meso, and metathoracic setae.

Body wax shape. The dorsal surface of puparium with thin layer of white wax; body margin with a fringe of white wax threads; wax accumulated near margin, somewhat raised dorsally, forming a small oval pit that is housing the puparium ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ).

Puparium. Black, with secretion of white wax, puparium with wax deposit over dorsal side appears smoky; oval ( Fig. 6A View FIGURE 6 ); dimorphic in size, ♀ 1450–1470 μm long, 1270–1280 μm wide; ♂ 1100–1150 μm long, 750–870 μm wide; found in groups on the underside of leaves, 6–24 puparia in each group per leaf, male and female puparia in separate groups on separate leaves.

Margin. Lobulate, each lobe longer than wide ( Figs 4C, 4D View FIGURE 4 , 6B View FIGURE 6 ), smoothly crenulate in folded margin ( Figs 3A View FIGURE 3 , 4B View FIGURE 4 ); 10–11 crenulations in 0.1 mm. Caudal and thoracic tracheal pores indicated at tracheal pore opening areas with C-shaped invaginations ( Figs 4E View FIGURE 4 , 6C, 6G View FIGURE 6 ). Anterior and posterior marginal setae ♀ 14–19 μm, 29–34 μm; ♂ 12–16 μm, 26–27 μm long, respectively.

Dorsum. Dorsal disc pigmented in bleached puparium ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ), corrugated. Submargin demarcated from dorsal disc by a furrow, slightly raised in live puparia, 122–174 μm wide; submargin with transverse ridges. Thoracic and caudal tracheal furrows absent. Longitudinal moulting suture reaching submarginal crease anteriorly ( Figs 3A View FIGURE 3 , 4F View FIGURE 4 ). Transverse moulting sutures turning anteriorly and reaching parallel to metathoracic legs near submarginal crease. Pro-meso- and meso-metathoracic sutures faint ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ), much clearer in SEM images ( Fig. 6A View FIGURE 6 ). Abdominal intersegmental sutures faintly visible on segments VI–VIII. Median length of abdominal segment VII not reduced, subequal to segment VI. Median length of abdominal segments VI–VIII, 50–55, 45–50, 48–57 μm, respectively. Outer subdorsal area with fine irregular wavy markings ( Fig. 4J View FIGURE 4 ). Paired pores/porettes present, two rows on submedian area, one irregular row on subdorsum (6 pairs on cephalothorax and 10–11 pairs on abdomen) with pore/ porette spacing 5–8 μm, and a row on submargin, 48–49 pairs, with pore/porette spacing 12–13 μm; pore/porette distance 2–3 times of the large pore diameter. Submedian pair of pores/porettes also present on abdominal segment VII. Distance between vasiform orifice and caudal pore opening 267–280 μm in female, 170–157 μm in male. Pockets discontinuous ( Fig. 4G View FIGURE 4 ).

Vasiform orifice. Subcordate ( Fig. 6E View FIGURE 6 ); not elevated posteriorly; ♀ 77–82 μm long, 76–78 μm wide; ♂ 70–87 μm long, 58–65 μm wide; operculum subcordate, completely filling the orifice and concealing the lingula, as long as wide, ♀ 54–59 μm long, 83–89 μm wide, ♂ 42–50 μm long, 45–48 μm wide. Lingula concealed.

Venter. Oval ( Figs 3D View FIGURE 3 , 7A View FIGURE 7 ); pigmented except broad submarginal area ( Fig. 5A View FIGURE 5 ). The oval markings of submedian depressions prominent ( Fig. 5B View FIGURE 5 ). A pair of ventral setae 25–32 μm long, mediolateral to vasiform orifice, 97–107 μm apart in female, 75–80 μm apart in male. Thoracic tracheal folds present, without stipples ( Figs 5C View FIGURE 5 , 7B View FIGURE 7 ). Caudal tracheal fold with a few small tubercles only on the pigmented area ( Figs 5D View FIGURE 5 , 7C View FIGURE 7 ). Antennae extending laterally across prothoracic legs, reaching near base of prothoracic legs, 87–112 μm long in female, 80–85 μm long in male (including keel in both).

Chaetotaxy. Cephalic setae ( Fig. 4H View FIGURE 4 ) and first abdominal setae ( Figs 4I View FIGURE 4 , 6D View FIGURE 6 ) present, eighth abdominal setae located cephalolateral to vasiform orifice ( Figs 4K View FIGURE 4 , 6F View FIGURE 6 ), all lanceolate, 2–4 μm long. Caudal setae absent. Submarginal setae lanceolate, 12 pairs, 4 pairs on cephalothorax and 8 pairs on abdomen, 7–13 μm long.

Host plant. A woody climber, Artabotrys speciosus Kurz ex Hook. f. & Thomson ( Annonaceae ).

Distribution. India: Andaman Islands, Ferargunj forests.

Etymology. The species name is made of the Latin noun in apposition ‘ flos ’ meaning ‘ flower ’, referring to the flower-like appearance of puparia in life.

Holotype. INDIA: puparium, ♀; Andaman and Nicobar Islands, South Andaman, Port Blair, Ferargunj forests ; one puparium on slide, on Artabotrys speciosus ; 24 January 2021; 11º44′11.53′′ N, 92º39′13.90′′ E; A. K. Dubey (Deposited in the ZSI, Headquarter, Kolkata, India). GoogleMaps

Paratypes. Forty puparia (♀ 33, ♂ 7) on 15 slides, data same as for the holotype (14 slides deposited in the ZSI, Kolkata and one slide bearing one puparium in the National Forest Insect Collection, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun), and two female puparia on card used in SEM analysis (same data as holotype, ZSI, Kolkata) GoogleMaps .

Remarks. Some of the male puparia have dark pores, possibly due to less bleaching. The intersegmental sutures and depressions are faint on the cephalothoracic and anterior abdominal segments: on the ventral surface, only the submedian depressions are prominent, and on the dorsal surface, only a few abdominal segment sutures. The minute, lanceolate first abdominal setae are much clearer on the SEM image ( Fig. 6F View FIGURE 6 ) than on slide mounted puparia. Female colonies were more numerous than male colonies. Female puparia are broadly oval whereas male puparia are smaller, narrowly oval in shape, and both male and female puparia groups were found on separate leaves of the host plant. This phenomenon was not reported earlier, and is considered here as the first observation.