Shevtchenkella denticulata, Lotfollahi, Parisa, de Lillo, Enrico & Irani-Nejad, Karim Haddad, 2014

Lotfollahi, Parisa, de Lillo, Enrico & Irani-Nejad, Karim Haddad, 2014, Three new species from the subfamily Phyllocoptinae (Acari, Trombidiformes, Eriophyidae) in Iran, ZooKeys 426, pp. 17-27 : 18-20

Taxon classification Animalia ORDO FAMILIA

Shevtchenkella denticulata sp. n. Fig. 1

Description.

FEMALE. Body dorso-ventrally depressed, 205 (186-226, n = 10), 38 thick, 71 (68-77) wide. Gnathosoma 35 (31-38) projecting obliquely downwards, chelicerae 23 (23-32), setae d 6 (5-7) and unbranched. Prodorsal shield 44 (44-52) included the frontal lobe, 73 (68-77) wide, semicircular in anterior shape with a broad, semicircular frontal lobe, 13 (12-16), over gnathosomal base provided with a spine on the lateral view. Shield pattern distinct and including 26 depressed cells; tubercles of setae sc on the rear shield margin 32 (32-37) apart, setae sc 8 (7-9), projecting posteriorly. Leg I 35 (32-37), femur 10, genu 4 (4-5), tibia 9 (8-10), tarsus 8 (7-8), ω 7 (6-7) and knobbed, empodium simple, 4 (4-4.5), 4-rayed; setae bv 10 (9-11), setae l" 17 (15-20), setae l' 4 (4-5), setae ft' 17 (15-20), setae ft" 20 (18-22). Leg II 32 (30-34), femur 10 (9-10), genu 4 (4-5), tibia 7 (6-7), tarsus 7 (7-8), ω 6 (6-7) and knobbed, empodium simple, 4, 4-rayed; setae bv 10 (8-12), setae l" 5 (5-7), setae ft' 5 (4-5), setae ft" 17 (17-20). Coxae with microgranules sometimes lined; setae 1b 8 (7-10), tubercles 1b 12 (11-19) apart, setae 1a 27 (26-31), tubercles 1a 8 (8-9) apart, setae 2a 45 (44-53), tubercles 2a 26 (23-26) apart. Prosternal apodeme 9 (8-10). Opisthosoma dorsally flat, with a large furrow and small lobes, 21 (21-24) broad and smooth dorsal semiannuli with the exception of the last two provided with spiny microtubercles protruding from the posterior margin of the annuli; 67 (67-81) narrow microtuberculated ventral semiannuli (counted since the first annulus after the coxae II); 9 (9-13) semiannuli between coxae and genital area plus 4-5 transversal rows of lined granules at the base of the genital coverflap. Small and circular microtubercles, closer to the posterior part of ventral semiannuli. Setae c2 25 (20-26) on ventral semiannulus 13 (12-17), setae d 59 (59-70) on ventral semiannulus 27 (27-35); setae e 15 (14-16) on ventral semiannulus 44 (44-57); setae f 28 (26-30) on ventral semiannulus 63 (63-77). Last 4 ventral semiannuli with elongated linear microtubercles protruding from the posterior margin of the annuli. Setae h2 62 (62-78) very thin at the apex, h1 1-2. Genital coverflap 15 (13-18), 23 (23-27) wide, with 14 (13-15) striae and denticulate margin; setae 3a 20 (15-20) apart, 15 (14-17).

MALE. Similar in shape and prodorsal shield arrangement to female, 192 (n = 1). Prodorsal shield 48; setae sc 9, 34 apart; opisthosoma with 21 dorsal semiannuli and 68 ventral semiannuli; male genitalia 20 wide.

Type host plant.

Eryngium thyrsoideum Boiss. ( Apiaceae ), Eringo or Sea Holly.

Relation to the host plant.

Vagrant on leaves; no apparent damage was observed.

Type locality.

Amir dizaj village, Azarshahr, Iran (37°40'17"N, 46°01'58"E), 1,950 m above sea level; late July 2011, coll. P. Lotfollahi.

Type material.

Holotype: single female on a microscope slide (ET-IEA-AJ11L-1) (deposited at the Acarology Laboratory, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran). Paratypes: 12 females, 1 male and 2 nymphs mounted on separate microscope slides.

Other material.

Mites preserved in Oudemans’ fluid and extracted from the sample collected in the same locality on the same date above mentioned.

Etymology.

This species is named based on the denticulate shape of the female genital coverflap.

Remarks.

This is the first record of a species belonging to the genus Shevtchenkella collected on a plant of the family Apiaceae and the first record of an eriophyoid mite on Eryngium thyrsoideum .

Differential diagnosis.

The new species herein described does not show any similarity with any known Shevtchenkella spp. whereas shows some similarities with Aculus pimpinellae (Liro, 1941) collected from Pimpinella saxifraga L. ( Apiaceae ) in Hollola, Hatsina, Tavastia australis Natural Province, Finland. Differences between these two species, other than those related to the fact they belong to two different genera, are: the ratio between the prodorsal shield length and the length of sc setae (5.5 in Iranian species versus 2 in Liro’s species); number of dorsal annuli (21-24 in Iranian species versus 28 in Liro’s species); size and shape of the female genital coverflap (15 × 23 with denticulate rear margin in Iranian species versus 15 × 16 with smooth margin in Liro’s species).