Acaricalus souzae, Navia, Denise & Flechtmann, Carlos H. W., 2007

Navia, Denise & Flechtmann, Carlos H. W., 2007, Three new species of Phyllocoptinae mites (Prostigmata: Eriophyidae) associated with ornamental plants in Brazil, Zootaxa 1386, pp. 39-46 : 39-41

Acaricalus souzae n. sp. ( Fig. 1 )

( Eriophyidae , Phyllocoptinae , Acaricalini )

Diagnosis — Acaricalus souzae is distinctive in the richness of the prodorsal shield ornamentation: median line on posterior half of shield, admedian lines delimiting cells and a row of cells extending along the anterior and lateral margin of shield; scapular setae implanted on fleshy tubercles, and the long seta on tibia I (more than three times longer than the segment).

Female (Measurements of holotype and range of 5 paratypes) — Body elongate, slightly fusiform, 235 (202–253) long, 71 (58–72) wide. Gnathosoma projecting downwards, 20 (20–25) long; basal seta (ep) 3 (3– 5) long; antapical seta 4 (3–4) long. Chelicerae 14 (14–16) long; oral stylets 10 (9–10) long. Prodorsal shield 44 (37–46) long, 68 (51–68) wide, subpentagonal. Scapular seta (sc) 14 (14–18) long, directed backwards, on fleshy tubercles, placed ahead of rear shield margin, 26 (24–30) apart. Prodorsal shield design of median line on posterior half of shield, admedian lines delimiting cells and a row of cells extending along the anterior and lateral margin of shield. Frontal lobe rounded, broad–based, 4 (3–4) long. Legs with all setae present. Legs I 29 (28–32) long; femur 9 (9–10) long, femoral seta (bv) 9 (8–10) long; genu 5 (5–6) long, genual seta (l’’) 29 (27–31) long; tibia 4 (4–6) long, tibial seta (l’) 18 (16–20) long; tarsus 5 (5–8) long, lateral seta (ft’’) 23 (20– 23) long, dorsal seta (ft’) 16 (15–16) long, unguinal seta (u’) bifurcate with the proximal segment 2 long and, the longer distal one 3 long and the shorter one minute, solenidion apically well expanded, 5 (5–6) long; empodium divided, 5 (5–6) long, each branch 5–rayed. Legs II 28 (25–28) long; femur 7 (7–10) long, bv 8 (8– 10) long; genu 5 long, l’’ 14 (13–16) long; tibia 4 (4–5) long; tarsus 5 (5–6) long, ft’’ 22 (20–23) long, ft’ 7 (5– 6) long, u’ as in leg I with the proximal segment 2 long, the longer distal one 3 long and the shorter one minute, solenidion 6 (6–7) long; empodium as in leg I 5 (5–6) long, each branch 5–rayed. Coxae smooth. Sternal line conspicuous, 8 (8–9) long. Coxal seta I (1b) 8 (6–8) long, 13 (11–16) apart; coxal seta II (1a) 18 (18–23) long, 6 (5–8) apart; coxal seta III (2a) 32 (32–41) long, 23 (20–27) apart; 6 (6–8) coxigenital semi annuli microtuberculated. Genitalia 22 (21–25) wide, 17 (15–18) long; epigynum with two rows of lines; on the proximal (basal) 1/3 lines are oblique and transversal and on the distal 1/3 with 9 (8–10) radial lines; genital seta (3a) 12 (12–16) long. Opisthosoma with 68 (63–75) dorsal annuli, smooth; ventrally with 74 (64–78) annuli, with slightly elongate microtubercles, placed on rear margin of annulus. Dorsal opisthosoma with three faint ridges ­ a central extending on ¾ anterior opisthosoma and the lateral extending on anterior half of opisthosoma, except on the first two or three annuli, that are evenly arched. Lateral seta (c2) 27 (27–30) long, in line with 5–6 (5–7) ventral annulus. Ventral seta I (d) 53 (53–67) long, 40 (39–40) apart, 15 (15–20) microtubercles apart, on annulus 22–23 (19–27); ventral seta II (e) 10 (10–13) long, 25 (22–25) apart, 11 (10–12) microtubercles apart, on annulus 44 (39–49); ventral seta III (f) 22 (20–23) long, 22 (20–22) apart, 12 (12–17) microtubercles apart, on annulus 68 (59–72). Caudal seta (h2) 48 (47–60) long; accessory seta (h1) absent.

Male — Not seen.

Type material — Female holotype and 8 female paratypes, from Ipomoea purpurea (L.) Roth. ( Convolvulaceae ), Gonçalves, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, 22º39’31”S and 45º51’16”W, 7th August 2005, collected by M. Francisco de Souza Filho, on 4 slides, in the collection of Laboratório de Quarentena Vegetal, Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasilia, Distrito Federal and of Instituto Biológico, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.

Relation to host — Mites are vagrants, causing no apparent damage.

Etymology — We take pleasure in naming this species after Miguel Francisco de Souza Filho, Entomologist at Centro Experimental do Instituto Biológico (IB­APTA), Campinas, State of São Paulo, Brazil, for his most valuable support in the process of collecting this material.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Acaricalus souzae n. sp. D — Dorsal habitus of female. V — Ventral habitus of female. L — Lateral habitus of female. L 1 — Leg I. L 2 — Leg II. E — Empodium (enlarged). Sol — Solenidion.