Tetra suspensae, 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 : 39-41

Tetra suspensae n. sp. ( Fig. 1 )

Female: (n = 6) Body fusiform, 198 long, 60 wide, 65 thick; light yellow in color. Gnathosoma 20, projecting obliquely down. Prodorsal shield 50 long, 58 wide; prodorsal shield with frontal lobe; median line present 1/3 at base, median and admedian lines connected by transverse line at basal 1/3, admedian and submedian lines connected by transverse line at basal 2/3. Dorsal tubercles on rear shield margin, 30 apart, scapular setae (sc) 7 projecting posteriorly. Sternal line present. Coxal area with granules; anterolateral setae on coxisternum I (1b) 7, proximal setae on coxisternum I (1a) 15, proximal setae on coxisternum II (2a) 28. Legs I 30 long, femur 10, basiventral femoral setae (bv) 10; genu 5 long, antaxial genual setae (l'') 20 long; tibia 6, paraxial tibial setae (l') 4, setae located 1/3 from dorsal base; tarsus 5 long; tarsal empodium simple, 4­rayed, tarsal solenidion knobbed. Legs II 28 long, femur 8, basiventral femoral setae (bv) 10; genu 4 long, antaxial genual setae (l'') 6 long; tibia 6; tarsus 5 long; tarsal empodium simple, 4­rayed, tarsal solenidion knobbed. Dorsal opisthosoma with 22 annuli, with spiny microtubercles on rear annular margins, ventrally with 55 microtuberculate annuli. Setae c2 15 on ventral annulus 12; setae d 35 on ventral annulus 24; setae e 20 on ventral annulus 40; setae f 22 on 5th ventral annulus from rear. Setae h1 3 long. Female genitalia 15 long, 22 wide, coverflap with 10 longitudinal ridges, proximal setae on coxisternum III (3a) 15 long.

Male: (n = 1) 165 long, 45 wide; genitalia 5 long, 18 wide, proximal setae on coxisternum III (3a) 10 long.

Type date: Holotype, female, from Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl (Compositae) , Tianchishan mountain, Song County, Henan Province, P.R. China, 13 July 2004, coll. X.­ F. Xue. Paratypes, 5 females and 1 male, 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, suspensa . Note: This species is similar to Tetra forsythiae Boczek, 1961 , but can be differentiated by the shield design with median and submedian lines, dorsal annuli with spiny microtubercles and coxal area with granules.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Tetra suspensae n. sp. A, dorsal view of female; B, coxae and female genitalia; C, legs I and II; D, lateral microtubercles; E, empodium; F, male genitalia.