Vasates caritus, Flechtmann, Carlos H. W. & Etienne, Jean, 2005

Flechtmann, Carlos H. W. & Etienne, Jean, 2005, On plant mites from Guadeloupe, with descriptions of four new species of Eriophyidae, Zootaxa 1046, pp. 55-68 : 65-67

Vasates caritus n.sp. Fig. 5

Diagnosis — V. c a r i t u s n.sp. is unique in presenting the following combination of morphological characters: prodorsal shield with a pattern of a short median line on posterior one fourth of shield and one pair of admedian lines extending over entire shield length; empodium 6­rayed; coxae smooth; dorso­opisthosomal annuli smooth; scapular setae directed upwards Fig. 5 AL);in a dorsoventral mounting they tend to lay backwards ( Fig. 5 D).

Female (n = 6)­Body fusiform, 142 (131–154), 57 (53–62) wide. Gnathosoma: antapical seta 7 (4–7); basal seta 3 (3); chelicerae 18 (15–19). Prodorsal shield 36 (32–38) long including frontal lobe, 46 (44–46) wide; shield design made of short median line on posterior one fourth of shield, and one pair of admedian lines, extending over entire shield length proper, not present on frontal lobe. Dorsal shield tubercles 29 (26–31) apart, directing scapular setae upwards, slightly divergently; seta (sc) 18 (16–20), extending over 5 (5–6) dorso­opisthosomal annuli. Legs: leg I 24 (23–24); femur 8 (7–9), femoral seta (bv) 10 (9–11); genu 3 (3), genual seta (l") 18 (18–19); tibia 4 (3–4), tibial seta (l') 4 (4–5), basal; tarsus 4 (4–5), dorsal seta (ft') 16 (15–16), lateral seta (ft") 17 (17–19), unguinal seta (u') 3 (3–4), solenidion 5 (5–7), empodium 4 (4–5), 6­rayed. Leg II 22 (19–22); femur 6 (6–7), bv 8 (7–11); genu 3 (3), l" 5 (5–7); tibia 3 (3–4); tarsus 4 (4), ft' 4 (4–5), ft" 17 (17– 20), u' 4 (3–4), solenidion 7 (7), empodium 6(6), 6­rayed. Coxigenital area: coxae smooth, sternal line weak, 5 (4–5). Coxal seta I (1b) 9 (7–9), 11 (8–11) apart; coxal seta II (1a) 16 (15–17), 7 (6–9) apart; coxal seta III (2a) 25 (22–30), 19 (17–21) apart. Coxisternal annuli 3 (3), smooth, barely discernible. Genitalia: 18 (18–19) wide, 11 (10–12) long; genital seta (3a) 11 (11–23). Epigynum with 12 (10–12) longitudinal ribs. Opisthosoma evenly arched in cross section. Lateral seta (c2) 11 (10–13), on annulus 3 (3–4) from genitalia rear margin. Ventral seta I (d) 31 (31–51), 30 (26–32) apart, on annulus 15 (15–16); ventral seta II (e) 7 (6–11), 17 (14–18) apart, on annulus 27 (27–28); ventral seta III (f) 15 (15–18), 21 Male (n = 3)­Smaller than female, 109–119, 43–48 wide. Gnathosoma: antapical seta 4; chelicera 14–15. Prodorsal shield 30–33 long including frontal lobe; sc 13–18, 22–26 apart. Legs: leg I 19–22; femur 5–6, bv 8; genu 3–4, l" 17–18; tibia 3, l' 3–4; tarsus 4, ft' 13, ft" 14–16, u' 4, solenidion 6, empodium 5, 6 rayed. Leg II 18­20; femur 6–7, bv 8; genu 3, l" 6–7; tibia 3–4; tarsus 4, ft' 4, ft" 14–16, u' 3, solenidion 6–7, empodium 5, 6 rayed. Coxigenital area: sternal line 3–5, thin; 1b 5–6, 7–9 apart; 1a 11–14, 6 apart; 2a 19–23, 17–18 apart. Coxisternal area with 3 faint annuli, smooth. Genitalia 12–13 wide, 8–11 long; 3a 14–20. Opisthosoma: c 2 9–11, on annulus 2–3; d 31–46, 22–24 apart, on annulus 11; e 5–6, 11–13 apart, on annulus 21–22; f 14–16, 16–18 apart, on 5th annulus from rear. Total dorsal annuli 27, smooth; h2 40–51; h1 3.

Type material — female holotype, 9 female, 9 male paratypes, from Haematoxylon campechianum L., Caesalpiniaceae, Anse Bertrand , Guadeloupe, 23 Oct. 2003, coll. J. Etienne, on 7 microscopic preparations.

Relation to host — vagrant on leaves.

Etymology — The specific designation caritis, from the Latin careo, ­itus, meaning be without, be deprived of, refers to the reduced prodorsal shield ornamentation.

Remarks — V. c a r i t u s n.sp. was taken from the same leaves with galls formed by Aceria doliolum n. sp., which is also described in this paper.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Vasates caritus n. sp. AL, anterior lateral aspect of female; CGF, coxigenital area of female; D, dorsal aspect of female; GM, genitalia of male; L 1, leg I (enlarged); L 2, leg II (enlarged).