Erythraeus (Erythraeus) aphidivorous, Sundic & Haitlinger & Michaud & Colares, 2015

Sundic, M., Haitlinger, R., Michaud, JP. & Colares, F., 2015, A new species of Erythraeus (Erythraeus) (Acari: Prostigmata: Erythraeidae) from central Kansas, Acarologia 55 (1), pp. 41-48 : 43-46

Erythraeus (Erythraeus) aphidivorous n. sp.

( Figures 1-3 )

Diagnosis — Bfn 2-2-2, ASE 57 – 67, AL 93 – 96, TaI 169 – 172, ISD 77 – 80, DS 53 – 62, fD 38 – 40.

Material examined — Holotype (larva). Idosoma rounded, dorsal surface with 40 setulose setae (38 in paratype). Setae on posterior part of idiosoma slightly shorter than others. Two pairs of eyes, unequal in diameter anterolaterally, in platelets, anterior 19 µm and posterior 17 µm (Figure lA) in diameter (same in paratype). Dorsal scutum pentagonal, 1.4 times wider than long, with two setae AL, distally setulose for one half their length; setae PL shorter, setulose. Anterior border of scutum slightly convex in the middle, posterior border straight ( Figure 1B ). Sensillary setae ASE distally with very fine setules for one third their length. Sensillary setae ASE short, distally setulose for one quarter their length, located in line between setae AL. ASE <PSE ( Figure 1B ). Ventral surface of idiosoma with two weakly barbed sternalae 1a (between coxae I), two weakly barbed sternalae 3a (between coxae III) and 16 slightly barbed setae (fV) posterior to coxae III ( Figure 2A ). Sternalae la pointed, 3a bifid at the end, both setulose. Coxalae 1b -3b all barbed ( Figure 2A ); coxala 1b distinctly longer than coxala 2b and 3b, 2b <3b. Coxala 1b and 3b pointed, coxala 2b with distal bifid end ( Figure 2A ). NDV = 40+16 = 56 (in holotype), NDV = 38+16 = 54 (in paratype).

Gnathosoma with smooth galealae (cs), short anterior hypostomalae (as1) 10 µm, relatively long (33 µm) and smooth posterior hypostomalae (as2) ( Figure 2B ).

Palpfemur and palpgenu with one barbed seta each. Palptibia with 3 setae, 2 setae nude and 1 seta weakly barbed ( Figure 2B ). Palptarsus with 8 setae (eupathidium and solenidion included), 4 setae nude and 2 setae slightly barbed distally ( Figure 2C ). Metric data are given in Table 1.

Leg setal formula:

Leg I: Ta 1 ω, 2 ξ, 25B; Ti 2 ’, 1 κ, 14B; Ge 1 κ, 1 σ, 8B; Tf 5B; Bf 2B; Tr 1B; Cx 1B ( Figures 3 A-B).

Leg II: Ta 1 ω, 2 ξ, 24B; Ti 2 ’, 15B; Ge 1 κ, 8B; Tf 5B; Bf 2B; Tr 1B; Cx 1B ( Figures 3 C-D).

Leg III: Ta 1 ξ, 24B; Ti 1 ’, 15B; Ge 8B; Tf 5B; Bf 2B; Tr 1B; Cx 1B ( Figures 3 E-F).

Etymology — The species was named for its habit of feeding on aphids.

Type material — The holotype and one paratype were collected by J.P. Michaud and Felipe Colares on Melanaphis sacchari (on sorghum), 30 June, 2014, at the Agricultural Research Center-Hays , in Hays, KS (38°51’ N lat, 99°20’ W long), USA . The holotype and one paratype are deposited in the Museum of Natural History , Podgorica, Montenegro .

Remarks — E. (E.) aphidivorous n. sp. belongs to the species group with basifemoral formula 2- 2-2 (2-2-1). This group includes: E. (E.) adrastus ( Southcott, 1961) from Denmark, E. (E.) tinnae Haitlinger, 1997 from Canary Islands, E. (E.) picaforticus Haitlinger, 2002 from Balearic Islands, E. (E.) kacperi Haitlinger, 2004 from Cambodia, E. (E.) yangshounicus Haitlinger, 2006 from China, E. (E.) walii Kamran, Afzal, Raza, Bashir, Ahmad, 2011 from Pakistan and E. (E.) etnaensis Haitlinger, 2011 from Sicily, Italy ( Southcott, 1961; Haitlinger, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2011, Kamran et al., 2011). It differs from E. (E.) adrastus in the shorter AW (51 – 54 vs. 63 – 77), in the longer TaI (169 – 172 vs. 95), TiI (278 vs. 131), in the number of fV (8 vs. 12), leg I (1056 – 1076 vs. 575), leg II (978 – 984 vs. 550) and leg III (1261 – 1267 vs. 680); from E. (E.) tinnae in the longer ASE (57 – 67 vs. 36), in the shorter AW (51 – 54 vs. 80), PW (105 – 108 vs. 144), AL (93 – 96 vs. 140), PL (69 – 71 vs. 104), TaI (169 – 172 vs. 196) and TiIII (401 – 405 vs. 440); from E. (E.) picaforticus in the shorter W (157 – 163 vs. 190), AW (51 – 54 vs. 84), PW (105 – 108 vs. 136), longer TiIII (401 – 405 vs. 362), ISD (77 – 80 vs. 56), and TaI (169 – 172 vs. 156); from E. (E.) kacperi in the longer AL (93 – 96 vs. 74), W (157 – 163 vs. 110), L (117 – 125 vs. 90), GL (162 vs. 140), TaI (169 – 170 vs. 134), TiIII (401 – 405 vs. 280), ISD (77 – 80 vs. 68), fD (38 – 40 vs. 29) and fV (16 vs. 8); from E. (E.) yangshounicus in the shorter DS (53 – 62 vs. 82 – 130), 1a (46 – 53 vs. 62), PsFd (54 – 58 vs. 66 – 74), TaI (169 – 172 vs. 192), TiIII (401 – 405 vs. 496), in longer L (117 – 125 vs. 104), W (157 – 163 vs. 140), and fD (38 – 40 vs. 56), from E. (E.) etnaensis in longer ASE (57 – 67 vs. 38), ISD (77 – 80 vs. 54), L (117 – 125 vs. 108), in shorter AL (93 – 96 vs. 108), DS (53 – 62 vs. 80 – 100), 1a (46 – 53 vs. 80), and 1b (92 – 101 vs. 118), in different NDV (54 – 56 vs. 84), and TaI (1 ω, 2 ξ, 25B vs. Ta 1 ω, 2 ξ, 18B) and from E. (E.) walii in the longer L (117 – 125 vs. 77 – 83), W (157 – 163 vs. 112 – 120), PW (105 – 108 vs. 50 – 53), ISD (77 – 80 vs. 58 – 63), AP (51 – 56 vs. 45 – 47), AL (93 – 96 vs. 73 – 78) and ASE (57 – 67 vs. 26 – 28).

Tables (2-3) display differences E. (E.) aphidivorous sp. nov. in measurements and numbers of setae from all other species of this group.

Figures

FIGURE 1: Erythraeus (Erythraeus) aphidivorous n. sp.: A – Idiosoma dorsal view; B – Scutum.

FIGURE 2: Erythraeus (Erythraeus) aphidivorous n. sp.: A – Idiosoma; ventral view; B – Ventral view (left) and dorsal view of gnathosoma (right); C – Palptarsus.

FIGURE 3: Erythraeus (Erythraeus) aphidivorous n. sp.: A – Leg I, tarsus-tibia; B – Leg I, trochanter-genu; C – Leg II, tarsus-tibia; D – Leg II, trochanter-genu; E – Leg III, tarsus-tibia; F – Leg III, trochanter-genu.