Tetra japonicae, Xue, Xiao-Feng & Hong, Xiao-Yue, 2005

Xue, Xiao-Feng & Hong, Xiao-Yue, 2005, Five new species of the genus Te t r a Keifer (Acari: Eriophyoidea) from China, Zootaxa 1067, pp. 37-48 : 43-44

Tetra japonicae n. sp. (Fig. 3)

Tetra japonicae n. sp. A, dorsal view of female; B, coxae and female genitalia; C, legs

I and II; D, lateral microtubercles; E, empodium.

Female: (n = 7) Body fusiform, 175 long, 58 wide, 40 thick; light yellow in color. Gnathosoma 20, projecting obliquely down. Prodorsal shield 32 long, 40 wide; prodorsal shield with frontal lobe; median, admedian and submedian lines present, design forms network. Dorsal tubercles on rear shield margin, 22 apart, scapular setae (sc) 50 projecting posteriorly. Sternal line present. Coxal area with short lines; anterolateral setae on coxisternum I (1b) 8, proximal setae on coxisternum I (1a) 10, proximal setae on coxisternum II (2a) 30. Legs I 29 long, femur 8, basiventral femoral setae (bv) 10; genu 5 long, antaxial genual setae (l'') 20 long; tibia 7, paraxial tibial setae (l') 6, setae located 1/3 from dorsal base; tarsus 6 long; tarsal empodium simple, 7­rayed, tarsal solenidion tapered. Legs II 25 long, femur 8, basiventral femoral setae (bv) 7; genu 4 long, antaxial genual setae (l'') 7 long; tibia 5; tarsus 5 long; tarsal empodium simple, 7­rayed, tarsal solenidion tapered. Dorsal opisthosoma with 27 annuli, with elliptical microtubercles ahead of rear annular margins, ventrally with 55 microtuberculate annuli. Setae c2 25 on ventral annulus 11; setae d 35 on ventral annulus 20; setae e 20 on ventral annulus 35; setae f 20 on 5th ventral annulus from rear. Setae h1 4 long. Female genitalia 13 long, 20 wide, coverflap with 8 to 12 longitudinal ridges, proximal setae on coxisternum III (3a) 18 long.

Male: Not seen.

Type data: Holotype, female, from Sophora japonica L. (Leguminosae), Longyuwan, Luanchuan County, Henan Province, P.R. China, 19 July 2004, coll. X.­F. Xue. Paratypes, 6 females, with the same data as holotype.

Relation to host: Vagrant on leaf surface. No damage to the host was observed.

Etymology: Derived from the specific epithet of the type host plant, japonica .

Note: This species is similar to Tetra concava ( Keifer), 1939 , but can be differentiated by the empodium 7­rayed, solenidion tapered, female coverflap with 8 to 12 longitudinal ridges and prodorsal shield with median line.