Phyllocoptes terniflores, Dong, Yan, Sun, Yan-Mei & Xue, Xiao-Feng, 2016

Dong, Yan, Sun, Yan-Mei & Xue, Xiao-Feng, 2016, Two new eriophyid mite species associated with Clematisternifloravar. mandshurica in China (Acari, Eriophyidae), ZooKeys 621, pp. 1-14 : 5-8

Taxon classification Animalia Prostigmata Eriophyidae

Phyllocoptes terniflores sp. n. Figs 4, 5

Diagnosis.

Body fusiform; prodorsal shield with broad frontal lobe, scapular setae ahead of rear shield margin, projecting upward-centrally, median, admedian and submedian lines formed by granules aligned and making a network; opisthosoma dorsally with three ridges, middorsal ridge fade as long as lateral ridges, with 55 (55-60) dorsal and 100 (92-100) ventral annuli, all standard setae of the Eriophyidae present; legs with standard setae, empodium simple, 5-rayed; coxigenital region with three pairs of setae and many granules, female genital coverflap with 12 (10-12) longitudinal ridges and two transverse lines at the base.

Description.

FEMALE: (n = 10). Body fusiform, 256 (200-304), 73 (68-78) wide, opisthosoma broadest 12-13 annuli posterior of the prodorsal shield, then tapering regularly until its posterior apex; light yellow. Gnathosoma 25 (20-26), projecting obliquely downwards, pedipalp coxal seta (ep) 3 (3-4), dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) simple, 9 (7-9), cheliceral stylets 15 (15-22). Prodorsal shield 50 (50-55), 57 (55-65) wide, semicircular; frontal lobe broad, 7 (6-7). Shield pattern composed of granules aligned and connected by faint lines. Median line: largely broken at centre; anterior part originated on the frontal lobe and ended at about 1/5 of the anterior prodorsal shield, thereafter, connected with admedian lines by a pair of transverse lines; posterior part originated at about 4/5 of prodorsal shield, vanished at rear of prodorsal shield, connected with admedian lines by a pair of transverse line at anterior. Admedian lines complete and sinuous and connected with submedian lines by two pairs of transverse lines at basal 3/4 and center of prodorsal shield. Submedian lines flanking lateral edges of shield branched into two curled lines, forming a large open semicircle at lateral side of prodorsal shield; many aligned granules distributed between submedian lines. Scapular tubercles ahead of rear shield margin, 22 (22-26) apart, scapular seta (sc) 12 (12-14), projecting upward-centrally. Coxigenital region with 13 (11-13) microtuberculated annuli. Coxal plates with granules and irregular lines throughout, anterolateral seta on coxisternal plate I (1b) 15 (13-15), 15 (15-17) apart, proximal seta on coxisternal plate I (1a) 45 (35-45), 12 (11-14) apart, proximal seta on coxisternal plate II (2a) 65 (63-65), 32 (31-35) apart. Prosternal apodeme 6 (6-7). Leg I 36 (36-38), femur 13 (13-15), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 13 (13-14); genu 7 (6-8), antaxial genual seta ( l’’) 38 (35-40); tibia 12 (10-12), paraxial tibial seta ( l’) 7 (5-7), located at 1/3 from dorsal base; tarsus 7 (7-8), paraxial, fastigial, tarsal seta ( ft’) 17 (17-20), antaxial, fastigial, tarsal seta ( ft’’) 25 (25-28), paraxial, unguinal, tarsal seta ( u’) 5 (4-5); empodium (em) 8 (7-8), simple, 5-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 8 (7-8), knobbed. Leg II 35 (33-35), femur 14 (13-15), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 15 (12-15); genu 6 (5-6), antaxial genual seta ( l’’) 9 (6-9); tibia 10 (8-10); tarsus 6 (6-7), paraxial, fastigial, tarsal seta ( ft’) 5 (5-6), antaxial, fastigial, tarsal seta ( ft’’) 24 (24-28), paraxial, unguinal, tarsal seta ( u’) 5 (4-5); empodium (em) 8 (7-8), simple, 5-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 9 (9-10), knobbed. Opisthosoma dorsally with 55 (55-60) semiannuli, with rounded microtubercles on the posterior margin, except last 6th semiannuli with elongated microtubercles; ventrally with 100 (92-100) semiannuli, with nearly rounded microtubercles on central part; moreover, with elongated microtubercles in side area and the ventral semiannulus between seta e and f; last 6 ventral semiannuli with elongated and linear microtubercles. Seta c2 40 (40-43) on ventral semiannulus 21 (20-22), 67 (65-74) apart; seta d 54 (43-45) on ventral semiannulus 43 (39-43), 48 (47-50) apart; seta e 32 (29-32) on ventral semiannulus 69 (63-69), 26 (24-26) apart; seta f 37 (36-37) on 6th ventral semiannulus from rear, 28 (25-28) apart. Seta h1 5 (4-5), seta h2 87 (83-87). Female genitalia 17 (17-20), 24 (24-27) wide, coverflap with 12 (10-12) longitudinal ridges and two transverse lines at the base, seta 3a 27 (23-28), 19 (19-21) apart.

MALE: (n = 1). Body fusiform, 233, 72 wide; white. Gnathosoma 20, projecting obliquely downwards, pedipalp coxal seta (ep) 3, dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) simple, 7, cheliceral stylets 15. Prodorsal shield 50, included the frontal lobe, 55 wide, with a broad based frontal lobe broad, 8, shield design similar to that of female. Scapular tubercles ahead of rear shield margin, 22 apart, scapular seta (sc) 11, projecting centrad. Coxigenital region with 14 microtuberculated annuli. Coxal plates with irregular lines, anterolateral seta on coxisternal plate I (1b) 9, 14 apart, proximal seta on coxisternal plate I (1a) 33, 10 apart, proximal seta on coxisternal plate II (2a) 50, 28 apart. Prosternal apodeme 10. Leg I 34, femur 12, basiventral femoral seta (bv) 9; genu 5, antaxial genual seta ( l’’) 27; tibia 10, paraxial tibial seta ( l’) 6, located at 1/3 from dorsal base; tarsus 7, paraxial, fastigial, tarsal seta ( ft’) 16, antaxial, fastigial, tarsal seta ( ft’’) 24, paraxial, unguinal, tarsal seta ( u’) 4; empodium (em) 7, simple, 5-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 8, knobbed. Leg II 27, femur 11, basiventral femoral seta (bv) 10; genu 10, antaxial genual seta ( l’’) 6; tibia 9; tarsus 6, paraxial, fastigial, tarsal seta ( ft’) 5, antaxial, fastigial, tarsal seta ( ft’’) 24, paraxial, unguinal, tarsal seta ( u’) 5; empodium (em) 6, simple, 5-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 8, knobbed. Opisthosoma dorsally with 45 semiannuli, with rounded microtubercles on the posterior margin, last 5th semiannuli with elongated microtubercles; ventrally with 82 semiannuli, with nearly rounded microtubercles on central part; moreover, with elongated microtubercles in side area and the ventral semiannulus between seta e and f; last six ventral semiannuli with elon gated and linear microtubercles. Seta c2 30 on ventral semiannulus 18, 62 apart; seta d 30 on ventral semiannulus 30, 40 apart; seta e 20 on ventral semiannulus 50, 23 apart; seta f 26 on 6th ventral semiannulus from rear, 23 apart. Seta h1 5, seta h2 60. Male genitalia 19 wide, seta 3a 14.

Type material.

Holotype female (slide number NJAUAcariEriJ8B.1; marked Holotype), from Clematis terniflora var. mandshurica ( Ranunculaceae ), Jilin Agricultural Science and Technology University, Jilin City, Jilin Province, China, 43°57'16"N, 126°28'58"E, elevation 221m, 19 July 2015, coll. Yan-Mei Sun. Paratypes 9 females and 1 male on ten microscope slides (slide number NJAUAcariEriJ8B.2-8B.11), same collection data and repository as holotype.

Relationship to host.

Infesting the tender upper leaves and making leaves severely curled and blistered (Figure 1A); hiding inside the curled surfaces (Figure 1B).

Etymology.

The specific designation terniflores is derived from the species name of the host plant, terniflora .

Remarks.

The new species was compared with others in the genus Phyllocoptes infesting Clematis sp. This species is similar to Phyllocoptes atragenes [from Clematis alpina , infesting host plant as curled leaves], but can be differentiated from the latter by its shield pattern: the median and admedian lines are discontinuous (median and admedian lines continuous in Phyllocoptes atragenes ), dorsal opisthosoma with 55 (55-60) annuli (dorsal opisthosoma with 48 annuli in Phyllocoptes atragenes ) and dorsal annuli with rounded microtubercles (dorsal annuli smooth in Phyllocoptes atragenes ). This species is also similar to Phyllocoptes heterogaster (Nalepa, 1891) [from Clematis recta , infesting host plant as abnormal hair], but can be differentiated from the latter by having its coxal plates with granules and short lines (coxal plates smooth in Phyllocoptes heterogaster ), empodium 5-rayed (empodium 4-rayed in Phyllocoptes heterogaster ), median line present on anterior of prodorsal shield (median line absent from anterior of prodorsal shield in Phyllocoptes heterogaster ).

Besides species from Clematis sp., the new species is also similar to Phyllocoptes calirubi Keifer, 1938 [from Rubus ursinus Cham. & Schltdl. ( Rosaceae )], Phyllocoptes exochordae Keifer, 1972 [from Exochorda racemosa (Lindl.) Rehder ( Rosaceae )] and Phyllocoptes neenachensis Keifer, 1966a [from Oenothera deltoides Torr. & Frém. ( Onagraceae )] by dorsal and ventral annuli with rounded microtubercles, female genital coverflap with longitudinal ridges and especially prodorsal shield design formed by granules aligned (besides with the generic characters of Phyllocoptes ). The new species can be differentiated from the later three species by large size of body, 256 (200-304) (140-155 in Phyllocoptes calirubi , 200-215 in Phyllocoptes exochordae and 145-195 in Phyllocoptes neenachensis ), median line present at anterior of dorsal shield (median lines absent from anterior of dorsal shield in all three species), coxal area with many granules and short lines (coxal area with few short lines in Phyllocoptes calirubi ; coxal area I with short lines, coxal area II smooth in Phyllocoptes exochordae ; coxal area with granules and short lines in Phyllocoptes neenachensis ), solenidion knobbed (solenidion unknobbed in all three species), empodium 5-rayed (empodium 5-rayed in Phyllocoptes calirubi , empodium 6-rayed in Phyllocoptes exochordae and empodium 4-rayed in Phyllocoptes neenachensis ) and short scapular seta 7 (6-7) (scapular seta 11 in Phyllocoptes calirubi and Phyllocoptes exochordae , scapular seta 10 in Phyllocoptes neenachensis ).