J. Ent. Acar. Res.
Ser. II, 43 (1): 1-6

30 April 2011

F. M. IAccArIno - r. JeSu - r. GIAcoMettI 

Paraleyrodes minei Iaccarino 1990 (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), 
new specie for Italy, on Citrus aurantium L., 1758 

Abstract - the nesting whitefly Paraleyrodes minei Iaccarino 1990 (Homoptera: 
Aleyrodidae) was found on leaves of sour orange tree Citrus aurantium L., 1758, 
in the Gussone Park of the Faculty of Agriculture, of the university of naples 
“Federico II”, at Portici, Italy.

Riassunto - Paraleyrodes minei Iaccarino 1990 (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), una 
nuova specie per l’Italia, su citrus aurantium Linneo 1758, in Italia.
Paraleyrodes minei Iaccarino 1990 (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) è stato ritrovato su 
foglie di arancio amaro, Citrus aurantium L., 1758, nel Parco Gussone della Facoltà 
di Agraria, dell’università di napoli, in Portici, Italia. 

Key Words: aedeagus, Aleurodicinae, antenna, pores, western Palaearctic.  

IntroDuctIon

the nesting whitefly Paraleyrodes minei Iaccarino 1990 belongs to the subfamily 
Aleurodicinae Quaintance et Baker, characterized by adults with forewings displaying a 
median and a forked radial vein and the legs with a tarsal paronychium like a spine. the 
immature stages present compound-style pores in addition to simple ones, legs with a 
terminal claw and the lingula extended beyond the posterior margin of the vasiform orifice 
and with 2 apical setae pairs (Quaintance et Baker, 1913; Bondar, 1923; evans et al., 
2006; evans, 2008). the operculum partially covers the lingula and the vasiform orifice.

the genus Paraleyrodes Quaintance 1909 is distinguished from other genera of the 
subfamily, to have the unforked radial sector and 4 antennal articles in the female and 
3 in the male (Quaintance, 1909; Quaintance et Baker, 1913; Bondar, 1923; Iaccarino, 
1990; Martin, 1999, 2004; evans et al., 2006, evans, 2008).

the P. minei has been reported, for the Western Palaearctic region, in Iran, Israel, 
Lebanon, Madeira, Malaga, Morocco, Spain, Syria(1) and turkey (Iaccarino, 1990; Garcia 

(1) russell L.M. (personal correspondence, 1989) told that the species was certainly already present in 
the uSA, but it was not reported because confused with other species of Paraleyrodes genus; in fact Belows 



Journal of entomological and Acarological research, Ser. II, 43 (1), 20112

Garcia et al., 1992; Llorens climent et Garrido Vivas, 1992; Argov, 1994; Aguiar et Pita, 
1996; Martin et al., 2000, Martin, 2004; Ghahani et al., 2009). 

MAterIAL AnD MetHoDS

the specimens, including several life stages, (some eggs and 2nd larval instars, two 
3rd larval instars, 8 pupal cases, 1 male and 5 females,) were collected from leaves of 
sour orange tree in the Gussone Park of the Faculty of Agriculture of the university of 
naples “Federico II” at Portici, Italy at the end of 2010. this host plant was also infested 
by Aleurothrixus floccosus (Maskell 1895) and the different type and form of wax 
secreted by the 2 whiteflies has facilitated its recognition. the samples were placed in a 
10% potassium hydroxide solution for the maceration of the internal organs and then in 
glacial acetic acid to neutralize KoH and remove any fat substances. the dehydration 
was performed with a first step in 50% phenol and a second in 100% phenol. the canada 
Balsam-phenol solution was used for slides mounting. the dissection of the adults was 
carried out during the transfer in pure phenol.

reSuLtS

Adult

Female: pale yellow in colour with some white powdery wax covering the body, 
especially the wings; 4 antennal articles (Fig. 1 A); sub-pyriform abdomen with 4 pairs 
of ventral wax plates.

Male: similar to female; 3 antennal articles (Fig. 1 B); abdomen with three pairs 
of ventral wax plates; stumpy claspers ending in a sharp nail; aedeagus with the “cock 
head” shaped apex, with 3 short appendixes located on upper and posterior surface, 2 
long and thin appendixes below an anterior short appendix(2) (Fig. 1 c) (Iaccarino, 1990; 
Martin, 1996; evans et al, 2006). 
Immature stages

egg: suboval, covered with powdery white waxy secretion, attached to leaf by long 
pedicel, which gradually bending to set down the egg on the leaf surface.

neanid I (crawler): subelliptic with a hyaline wax fringe along the marginal area, 
where, as in all other stages, there are numerous simple pores, and a thin band of white 
flocculent wax on the dorsum, from the thorax to the abdomen.

neanid II: suboval, with a fringe of short hyaline wax rods along the margin and 

et al., 1998 reported that Paraleyrodes minei was first noted in 1984 in San Diego and the california Plant 
Pest and Disease report, 1991 and 1992, that it was first collected in San Diego county in 1985 as reported 
in cPPDr , 1985 it was recorded as Paraleyrodes sp. undescribed.

(2) the reduced number of antennal articles, in both sexes, and the unforked radial sector of the wings are 
two fundamental characters to separate this genus from the others; the typical shape of the aedeagus allows 
for easy separation of this species from others.



3F.M. Iaccarino et al.: Paraleyrodes minei on Citrus aurantium new species for Italy

with white wax rods arising from 2 pairs of compound pores, posterior one and the 
anterior others.

neanid III: subelliptic, with marginal fringe and with 2 wax rods, produced by 2 
pairs of compound pores located on the thorax (Fig. 2 B).

Pupal case (Fig. 2 A): subelliptic, marginally fringed with 5 compound pores pairs: 
a single pair of cephalic and 4 pairs of abdominal pores, from 5th to 8th segment (Fig. 2 
D.i), each of them secreting single white wax rods upward that, then, break, falling all 
around the pupal case, and, as for the other stages, with a crown shaped appearance(3). 
two pairs of compound pores smaller are present on 3rd and 4th abdominal segments (Fig. 
2 D.ii). thorax with two pairs of “cicatrices” scars of compound pores found in the 3rd 
instar (Fig. 2 D.iii). A pair of hairs is located on anterior and another one on posterior 
margin; a single cephalic pair of setae, and other two pairs, the former on 1st and the 
latter on 8th abdominal segment on side of the vasiform depression. Finally 14 setae, on 
every side, alternate, irregularly, to the numerous simple wax pores are located on the 
margin. the lingula, spatulate-globose, exserted, and its tip presents two pairs of long 
setae (Fig. 2 c) (Iaccarino, 1990; Martin, 1996; Martin et al., 2000). 

(3) For separating the P. minei pupal case from those ones of the major species that commonly infest 
citrus in Italy, it is useful to consider the presence and type of wax: long cylindrical rods in P. minei, abundant 
and flocculent in Aleurothrixus floccosus (Maskell 1895), hyaline marginal band in Parabemisia myricae 
(Kuwana 1927) (It can also be found on the upper leaves surface), without wax in Bemisia afer (Priesner et 
Honsy 1934) and in Dialeurodes citri (Asmead 1885) (It is often larger than pupal case of previous species).

Fig. 1 - Paraleyrodes minei, adulto: A, female antenna; B, male antenna; C, aedeagus. Scale bar 
represents 63 _m in A, 79 _m in B and 45 _m in C.



Journal of entomological and Acarological research, Ser. II, 43 (1), 20114

DIScuSSIon

the adult females lay eggs pale yellow usually surrounded , especially in heavy 
infestation, by annular fluffy wax secreted by the adults and so they appear to be in a 
white “nest” of woolly wax. the crawlers can remain in the nests, so the neanides of the 
following stages will add the flocculent wax rods, or emerge from the nests and have 
only the characteristic rods in a circular pattern (Iaccarino, 1990). 

In Spain, in laboratory trials at room temperature, on lemon leaves, P. minei has 
developed three generations per year (Garcia Garcia et al., 1992), while in california, in 
field trials, on orange leaves, the generations were four per year. Population development 

Fig. 2 - Paraleyrodes minei, Immature stages: A, pupal case; B, neanide III; c, vasiform orifice; 
D,i large compound pore, ii small compound pore, iii cicatrice. Scale bar represents 59 _m in A, 
45 _m in B, 45 _m in c, 50 _m in D.i, 29 _m in D.ii and 32 _m in D.iii.



5F.M. Iaccarino et al.: Paraleyrodes minei on Citrus aurantium new species for Italy

is continuous throughout the year, albeit it has lower trophic activity in adverse time 
(Bellows et al., 1998).

In the Mediterranean basin the host plants belong to the genus Citrus L. 1758 
(Iaccarino, 1990; Martin, 1996; evans, 2007b; evans, 2008). In other areas (Belize, 
Benin, Bermuda, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Mexico, Puerto rico and uSA) 
P. minei is polyphagous and is found on Anonaceae, Apocynaceae, Araceae, Arecaceae, 
Asteraceae, compositae, ericaceae, euphorbiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae, Piperaceae, 
Poligonaceae, rhizophoraceae, rubiaceae and rutaceae ( Martin et al., 2000; evans, 
2008). the natural enemies reported are the predatories Clitostetus arcuatus (rossi 1794) 
and Serangium parcesetosum Sicari 1929 (coccinellidae), and the parasitoids Encarsia 
dominicana evans et Serra 2002, E. parvella Silvestri 1929, E. variegata Howard 1908 
and E. sp., (Aphenidae) (evans, 2007a, evans, 2008).

reFerenceS

AguiAr A.M.F., PitA M.t., 1966 - contribution the knowledge of the whiteflies (Hom.:Aleyr.)
from Madeira island.- Boletim do Museu Municipal do Funchal, Supl. 4: 285-309.

Argov Y., 1994 - the woolly, a new pest in Israel. - Alon Hanotea, 48: 290-292.
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118. http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/ppd/publications/cPPDr.html
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BondAr g., 1923 - Aleyrodideos do Brasil. - official State Publisher. Bahia, pp. 182.
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unpublished, pp. 51.

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FABio M. iAccArino - Dipartimento di entomologia e Zoologia Agraria “F.Silvestri, università 
degli Studi di napoli “Federico II”, Facoltà di Agraria, via università 100 - 80055 Portici 
(napoli), Italy. e-mail fiaccari@unina.it. 

riccArdo jesu, rosa giAcoMetti - Dipartimento di entomologia e Zoologia Agraria “F. Silvestri, 
università degli Studi di napoli ”Federico II”, Facoltà di Agraria, via università, 100 - 80055 
Portici (napoli), Italy.

Accepted 30 March 2011