Phytoptus alchemillae, Jočić, Ivona, Petanović, Radmila & Vidović, Biljana, 2011

Jočić, Ivona, Petanović, Radmila & Vidović, Biljana, 2011, Three new species of eriophyoid mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Eriophyoidea) from Montenegro, Zootaxa 2828, pp. 38-50 : 39-40

Phytoptus alchemillae n. sp.

( Fig. 1 )

Female: (n=7). Body elongate, vermiform 224 (204–255), 71 (67–73) wide, light yellow. Gnathosoma 26 (24–25) downcurved, chelicerae16 (16–20), coxal setae (ep) 4, dorsal genual setae (d) 5 (2–5), v setae 3 (2–3). Prodorsal shield 40 (35–40), 30 (30–35) wide, triangular without frontal lobe. Median line extending from anterior margin to 2/3 of the shield, and after a break ending in a dart-shaped mark; admedian lines entire, from anterior margin diverging to rear margin; submedian lines subparallel to admedian and ending in the middle part of shield; two longitudinal lines are present between admedian and submedian lines in the anterior middle part, two transversal and four oblique lines are present in the posterior part of the shield. Shield laterally mostly granular; the granule lines extending over anterior tubercles. Prodorsal shield tubercules ahead of rear shield margin, 16 (15–17) apart, scapular setae (sc), 6 (4–6), converging; anterior shield setae (ve) 9 (7–9), 25 (22–25) apart. Legs with all segments and setae present apart from tibial setae of legs II. Leg I 35 (33–35); femur 12 (10–12), femoral setae (bv) 10 (7–10); genu 5 (5–6), genual setae (l'') 35 (25–35); tibia 7 (6–7), tibial setae (l') 5 (4–6); tarsus 7 (5–7), with setae ft' 13 (10–18), setae ft'' 16 (16–26), unguinal (u') 4 (4–5); solenidion (ω) 10 (9–10); empodium 10 (8–10), 5–rayed. Leg II 35 (30–36) femur 11 (9–12), femoral setae (bv) 7 (6–10); genu 6 (5–6), genual setae (l'') 25 (15–26); tibia 6 (5– 7); tarsus 6 (6–7), with setae ft' 5 (7–10), setae (ft'') 25 (22–26), unguinal setae (u') 4 (4–5); solenidion (ω) 10 (9– 10); empodium 9 (8–9), 5–rayed. Coxigenital area with 6 (5–6) microtuberculated annuli, sternal line 17 (11–17), distinct. Coxae ornamented with short lines, coxal setae 1b 7 (5–9), 8 (7–9) apart; coxal setae 1a 11 (10–20), 7 (4– 8) apart; coxal setae 2a 40 (30–40), 21 (19–22) apart. Genitalia 20 (18–22) long, 26 (23–26) wide, genital coverflap with 9 (8–9) longitudinal ridges in a single row, coxal setae 3a 10 (7–13), 19 (19–20) apart. Opisthosoma with 65 (61–65) dorsal annuli, 64 (62–67) ventral annuli; annuli narrow and subequal dorsoventrally. Annuli with microtubercles; dorsal microtubercles pointed located on the margins of annuli, dorsally, larger than ventrally; ventral microtubercles, oval. Subdorsal setae (c1) 40 (32–40), 32 (32–36) apart, on annulus 12 (12–13); setae c2 40 (35–40), 57 (55–60) apart, on annulus 13 (12–13); setae d 40 (30–40), 40 (38–42) apart, on annulus 25 (23–26); setae e 20 (15–20), 21 (19–23) apart, on annulus 41 (36–42); setae f 30 (19–30), 27 (24–28) apart, on annulus 60 (58–63), 5th annulus from rear; setae h2 7 (5–7), 8 (8–10) apart; setae h1 40 (40–70), 13 (10–14) apart.

Male: (n=1). Body 184, 64 wide. Gnathosoma 23; coxal setae (ep) 4, cheliceral stylets 18. Prodorsal shield 35, 42 wide, scapular setae (sc) 6, 15 apart, anterior shield setae (ve) 5, 23 apart. Legs with all usual segments and setae apart from tibial setae (l') of legs II. Leg I 31, femur 10, femoral setae (bv) 6; genu 5, genual setae (l'') 15; tibia 6, tibial setae (l') 5; tarsus 6, with setae ft' 15, setae ft'' 23, unguinal setae (u') 5; solenidion (ω) 9; empodium 8, 5 rayed. Leg II 30, femur 10, femoral setae (bv) 6; genu 5, genual setae (l'') 25; tibia 5; tarsus 7, with setae ft' 4, setae ft'' 25, unguinal setae (u') 5; solenidion (ω) 10; empodium 7, 5 rayed. Coxigenital area with 8 microtuberculated annuli, sternal line 15, distinct, coxal seta 1b 6, 7 apart; coxal setae 1a 11, 6 apart; coxal setae 2a 37, 20 apart. Genitalia 13, 25 wide, coxal setae 3a 7, 15 apart. Opisthosoma with 64 dorsal annuli, 65 ventral annuli. Annuli with pointed microtubercles, dorsally larger than ventrally. Subdorsal setae c 1 32, 31 apart, on annulus 12; setae c2 35, 52 apart, on annulus 13; setae d 30, 37 apart, on annulus 23; setae e 18, 19 apart, on annulus 38; setae f 22, 23 apart, on annulus 61; setae h2 5, 8 apart; setae h 1 60, 15 apart.

Nymph: (n=1). Body 163, 64 wide. Gnathosoma 21, coxal setae (ep) 3, dorsal genual setae (d) 3, cheliceral stylets 15. Prodorsal shield 3l, 30 wide, scapular setae (sc) 5, 15 apart, anterior shield setae (ve) 6, 24 apart. Legs with all usual segments and setae apart from tibial setae (l') of legs II. Leg I 25, femur 5, femoral setae bv 5; genu 4, genual setae l'' 21; tibia 6, tibial setae l' 4; tarsus 5, with setae ft' 14, setae ft'' 22, unguinal setae (u') 5; solenidion (ω) 7; empodium 7, 5 rayed. Leg II 27, femur 8, femoral setae (bv) 4; genu 5, genual setae (l'') 19; tibia 4; tarsus 5, with setae ft' 5, setae ft'' 20, unguinal setae (u') 5; solenidion (ω) 7; empodium 7, 5 rayed. Coxigenital area without annuli, sternal line invisible, coxal seta (1b) 4, 7 apart; coxal setae (1a) 10, 6 apart; coxal setae (2a) 25, 17 apart; coxal setae (3a) 5, 9 apart. Opisthosoma with 73 annuli, subdorsal setae (c1) 23, 27 apart, on annulus 14; setae c 2 25, 48 apart, on annulus 20; setae d 20, 33 apart, on annulus 32; setae e 10, 19 apart, on annulus 46; setae f 20, 22 apart, on annulus 68; setae h2 5, 7 apart; setae h1>50, 12 apart.

Larva: (n=1). Body 122, 50, wide. Gnathosoma 20; cheliceral stylets 12. Prodorsal shield 27, 20 wide, scapular setae (sc) 4, 14 apart, anterior shield setae (ve) 7, 18 apart. Leg I 28, femur 9, femoral setae bv 5; genu 5, genual setae l'' 22; tibia 5, tibial setae l' 2; tarsus 5, with setae ft' 11, setae ft'' 20; solenidion (ω) 7, empodium 6, 5 rayed. Leg II 25, femur 8, femoral setae (bv) 3; genu 4, genual setae (l'') 15; tibia 4; tarsus 5, with setae ft' 7, setae ft'' 16, unguinal setae (u') 2; solenidion (ω) 6, empodium 6, 5 rayed. Coxigenital area without annuli, sternal line invisible, coxal seta 1b 2, 14 apart; coxal setae 1a 4, 6 apart; coxal setae 2a 10, 16 apart. Opisthosoma with 60 annuli, subdorsal setae (c1) 15, 17 apart, on annulus 16; setae c 2 15, 32 apart, on annulus 13; setae d 13, 22 apart, on annulus 20; setae e 5, 11 apart, on annulus 28; setae f 13, 17 apart, on annulus 51; setae (h2) 4, 6 apart; setae (h1) 20, setae 10 apart.

Type material. Holotype female on slide ELB31/18, as well as 20 paratypes. Specimens collected from Alchemilla hoppeana (Rchb.) D. Torre , aggr. ( Rosaceae ); Montenegro, Mt. Bjelasica near Bijelo Polje, by the first author on 2 August 2004.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the generic name of the host plant on which the new mite species was found.

Host plant. Alchemilla hoppeana (Rchb.) D. Torre , aggr. ( Rosaceae )

Relation to the host. Vagrants in the basic rosettes of leaves.

Discussion. The genus Phytoptus Dujardin, 1851 includes about 40 eriophyoid species that are arranged into two groups: caricis (from monocots) and avellanae (from dicots) ( Smith 1977, Amrine et al. 2003). To date, two Phytoptus species have been described from the plant family Rosaceae , namely, Phytopus lineatus ( Keifer 1952) and Phytopus chamaebatiae ( Keifer 1975) . Both species were placed within the genus Anchiphytopus Keifer, 1952 which was recently proposed to be a junior synonym of Phytopus ( Chetverikov et al. 2009) .

Differential diagnosis. Phytoptus alchemillae n. sp. is close to Phytopus chamaebatiae (K), but it differs in the ornamentation of the prodorsal shield, lengths of the anterior shield setae ve, opisthosomal setae c1, c2, d, and e, as well as the host plant species. In Ph. chamaebatiae , the prodorsal shield ornamentation is centrally made up of broken lines: the median line is only discernable on the rear ¼, ending in a dart-shaped mark; the admedian lines are substantially complete but broken in at least two places with each section arching outwards; the submedian lines also consist mostly of lines arching outwards on the front half. In Ph. chamaebatiae , ve setae 5–6, c1 setae 28, c2 setae 22, d setae 21 and e setae 6. The mites are uncommon inhabitants under the lower bracts of the current seasons growth of the native American host plant, Chamaebatia foliosa Bentham (Rosaceae) which is endemic to California. The prodorsal shield design of the new species is made of the median line extending from the anterior margin to 2/3 of the entire shield, and after a break, ending in a dart-shaped mark; the admedian lines are entire from the anterior margin diverging to the rear margin; the submedian lines are sub parallel to the admedian lines and ending in the middle part of shield; two longitudinal lines are present between the admedian and submedian lines in the anterior middle part; two transversal and four oblique lines are also present on the posterior part of the shield. In Ph. alchemillae n. sp., ve setae 9 (7–9), c1 setae 40 (32–40), c2 setae 40 (35–40), d setae 40 (30–40) and e setae 20 (15–20). The new species is a vagrant in the basic rosettes of leaves of the host plant, Alchemilla hoppeana (Rchb.) D. Torre , aggr. ( Rosaceae ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Semi-schematic line drawings of Phytoptus alchemillae n. sp.: CG. coxigenital region of female; CS. lateral view of the caudal opisthosoma; D. dorsal aspect of female, em-empodium (enlarged); GM. genital region of male; IG. internal female genitalia.