Aculops haloxylonum, Xue & Sadeghi & Hong, 2012

Xue, Xiao-Feng, Sadeghi, Hussein & Hong, Xiao-Yue, 2012, Four new eriophyoid mite species (Acari: Eriophyoidea: Eriophyidae) from Iran, Zootaxa 3544, pp. 28-40 : 32-33

Aculops haloxylonum sp. nov.

( Figs. 5, 6 & 7)

Description. FEMALE: (n=24, dorsal view). Body fusiform, 176 (171–176), 70 (65–70) wide; light yellow. Gnathosoma 35 (35–36), projecting obliquely downwards, pedipalp coxal seta (ep) 2 (2–3), dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) 5 (5–6), cheliceral stylets 32 (32–33). Prodorsal shield 39 (35–39), 52 (52–55) wide, median, admedian and submedian lines incomplete, connected by a transverse line at center; anterior shield lobe acuminate. Scapular tubercles on rear shield margin, 28 (28–32) apart, scapular setae (sc) 24 (23–24), projecting posteriorly. Coxal plates with large granules, anterolateral setae on coxisternum І (1b) 10 (10–11), 17 (16–17) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum І (1a) 23 (22–25), 15 (13–15) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum ІІ (2a) 52 (52–54), 30 (30–32) apart. Prosternal apodeme 5 (5–6). Legs with usual series of setae. Leg І 38 (38–41), femur 11 (10–11), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 11 (11–12); genu 5 (5–6), antaxial genual seta (l'') 22 (22–23); tibia 6 (5–6), paraxial tibial seta (l') 6 (5–6), located at 1/4 from dorsal base; tarsus 8 (7–8), seta ft' 18 (18–20), seta ft'' 27 (26–30), seta u' 6 (6–7); tarsal empodium (em) 6 (6–7), simple, 4-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 8 (7–8), rod-like. Leg І 31 (31–33), femur 9 (9–10), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 10 (10–11); genu 3 (3–4), antaxial genual seta (l'') 13 (11–13); tibia 6 (6–7); tarsus 7 (6–7), seta ft' 5 (5–6), seta ft'' 23 (23–24), seta u' 5 (5–6); tarsal empodium (em) 5 (5–6), simple, 4- rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 8 (7–8), rod-like. Opisthosoma dorsally with 30 (30–33) broad annuli, each annuli with a narrow band except posterior four annuli, with elliptical microtubercles projecting ahead of rear annular margin, ventrally with 47 (45–48) annuli, with spiny microtubercles (at center) and elliptical microtubercles (at lateral) projecting ahead of rear annular margin. Setae c2 55 (55–58) on ventral annulus 12 (12–13), 65 (51–65) apart; setae d 57 (55–58) on ventral annulus 21 (21–23), 41 (35–41) apart; setae e 40 (40–42) on ventral annulus 34 (34–35), 20 (18–20) apart, setae f 33 (33–35) on 7th ventral annulus from rear, 21 (21–25) apart. Setae h1 4 (4–5), h2 50 (50–53). Female genitalia 18 (16–18), 23 (22–23) wide, coverflap with two transverse lines at base and 10 longitudinal ridges, setae 3a 22 (22–25), 19 (19–20) apart.

MALE: (n=6, dorsal view). Body fusiform, 148–159, 55–57 wide; light yellow. Gnathosoma 27–28, projecting obliquely down, pedipalp coxal seta (ep) 2–3, dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) 5–6, cheliceral stylets 21–23. Prodorsal shield 33–34, 47–48 wide, median, admedian and submedian lines connected by a transverse line at center; anterior shield lobe acuminate. Scapular tubercles on rear shield margin, 30 apart, scapular setae (sc) 21–23, projecting posteriorly. Coxal plates with large granules, anterolateral setae on coxisternum І (1b) 10–11, 12–12 apart, proximal setae on coxisternum І (1a) 28–32, 10–10 apart, proximal setae on coxisternum ІІ (2a) 37–41, 23–24 apart. Prosternal apodeme 5–5. Legs with usual series of setae. Leg І 35–36, femur 8–8, basiventral femoral seta (bv) 10–11; genu 4–4, antaxial genual seta (l'') 21–22; tibia 6–6, paraxial tibial seta (l') 5–6, located at 1/4 from dorsal base; tarsus 7–8, seta ft' 18–19, seta ft'' 20–23, seta u' 5–5; tarsal empodium (em) 6–7, simple, 4- rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 7–7, rod-like. Leg І 29–30, femur 8–8, basiventral femoral seta (bv) 8–9; genu 3–4, antaxial genual seta (l'') 7–7; tibia 5–5; tarsus 6–6, seta ft' 5–6, seta ft'' 20–23, seta u' 5–5; tarsal empodium (em) 5–6, simple, 4-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 7–7, rod-like. Opisthosoma dorsally with 28–29 broad annuli, ventrally with 52–55 annuli. Setae c2 37–41 on ventral annulus 10–10, 45–46 apart; setae d 56–62 on ventral annulus 19–21, 30–32 apart; setae e 30–36 on ventral annulus 30–33, 18–19 apart, setae f 27–28 on 7th ventral annulus from rear, 20–20 apart. Setae h1 4–4, h2 42–48. Male genitalia 20–20 wide, setae 3a 18–20, 13–13 apart.

Type material. Holotype female (slide number Iran 60.1, marked holotype), from Haloxylon persicum Bunge ex Boiss. et Buhse (Chenopodiaceae) , Kashmar, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran, 1 June 2010, coll. Hussein Sadeghi, deposited as a slide mounted specimen in the Arthropod/Mite Collection of the Department of Entomology, NJAU, Jiangsu Province, China. Paratypes: 2 females and 1 male (slide number Iran 60.1, on the same slide with holotype), 1 female (slide number Iran 60.2), from Haloxylon persicum Bunge ex Boiss. et Buhse (Chenopodiaceae) , Kashmar, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran, 1 June 2010, coll. Hussein Sadeghi, deposited in the Arthropod/Mite Collection of the Department of Entomology, NJAU, Jiangsu Province, China; 20 females and 5 males on 18 slides (slide number Iran 60.3–60.20) from Haloxylon persicum Bunge ex Boiss. et Buhse (Chenopodiaceae) , Kashmar, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran, 1 June 2010, coll. Hussein Sadeghi, deposited in the Department of Plant Protection, FUM, Iran.

Host plant. Haloxylon persicum Bunge ex Boiss. et Buhse (Chenopodiaceae) .

Relation to host. This species was found feeding inside deformed buds. Infested tissues were deformed into green masses which remained on the foliage throughout the growing season.

Etymology. The specific designation haloxylonum is from the generic name of host plant, Haloxylon .

Differential diagnosis. This species is similar to Aculops wenxianensis Song, Xue and Hong 2006 [from Melia azedarach L. ( Meliaceae )], but can be differentiated from the latter by having a prodorsal shield with a median line (absent in A. wenxianensis ), dorsal annuli with elliptical microtubercles (only with elliptical microtubercles at lateral areas in A. wenxianensis ), empodia 4-rayed (5-rayed in A. wenxianensis ).