Aceria geniculatus, Flechtmann, Carlos H. W. & Etienne, Jean, 2003

Flechtmann, Carlos H. W. & Etienne, Jean, 2003, Two new species of eriophyid mites (Acari: Eriophyidae) from Guadeloupe and Marie Galante, with records on other plant mites, Zootaxa 271, pp. 1-7 : 5-7

Aceria geniculatus n. sp. ( Figs. 2­4 )

DIAGNOSIS ­ Six­rayed empodium; coxae and hypostome fused in a continuous plate, granulated; coxal seta III (2a) bent near basis at an obtuse angle, a character not previously reported for mites in the genus Aceria .

FEMALE (n = 6) ­ Elongate, cylindrical, 133 (132­156), 46 (45­48) wide. Gnathosoma: basal seta 2 (2­3); antapical seta 4 (4­5); chelicera 12 (12­14). Prodorsal shield 29 (29­32) including frontal lobe, 32 (31­33) wide; frontal lobe triangular, 5 (4­5). Shield design with a vestigial median line represented by two short segments near rear shield margin; one pair of arched admedian lines and a loopshaped pair of submedian lines anterolaterally to shield tubercles. Setiferous shield tubercles on rear shield margin, 18 (17­19) apart, directing scapular setae (sc) divergently backwards; sc 21 (19­22). Legs with all usual segments and setae present. Leg I 24 (22­26); femur 6 (6­7), femoral seta (bv) 7 (7­ 8); genu 3 (3­4), genual seta (l") 17 (16­18); tibia 5 (4­5), tibial seta (l') 5 (4­5); tarsus 5 (5), dorsal seta (ft') 9 (8­11), lateral seta (ft") 13 (13­16), unguinal seta (u') 3 (3­4), solenidion 6 (5­6), empodium 5 (4­5), 6­rayed. Leg II 17 (17­21); femur 7 (5­7), bv 7 (6­8); genu 3 (3­4), l" 8 (6­9); tibia 4 (3­4); tarsus 4 (4), ft' 4 (4­5), ft" 14 (13­16), u' 4 (4­5), solenidion 6 (6­7), empodium 4 (4), 6­rayed. Coxigenital area: coxae I fused to hypostome into a granulated plate. Coxal seta I (1b) 7 (6­8), 8 (7­9) apart; coxal seta II (1a) 14 (14­18), 7 (7­ 9) apart; coxal seta III (2a) angulate, 31 (29­33), 17 (17­19) apart. A short internal sternal line 3 (3­5). Coxisternal area with 5 (5­6) annuli, microtuberculate. Genitalia 16 (16­18) wide, 8 (8­10) long; genital seta (3a) 9 (9­12). Epigynium with 12 (12­14) longitudinal distal lines and basally granulated. Opisthosoma evenly arched in transversal section; lateral seta (c2) 18 (18­21), on annulus 5 (3­5) from genitalia rear margin. Ventral seta I (d) 38 (38­47), 29 (26­33) apart, on annulus 17 (14­17); ventral seta II (e) 7 (7­10), 17 (17­20) apart, on annulus 27 (25­28); ventral seta III (f) 15 (14­16), 13 (11­15) apart, on annulus 44 (41­46) or 6 (6)th from rear. Total ventral annuli 49 (46­51), microtuberculate; total dorsal annuli 49 (49­55), anteriorly microtuberculate, posterior 45% smooth. Caudal seta (h2) 34 (32­39); accessory seta (h1) 1 (1­2).

MALE (n = 3) ­ Smaller than female, 92­130, 39­46 wide. Gnathosoma: basal seta 2­ 3; antapical seta 4­5; chelicera 11­12. Prodorsal shield: 25­28 including frontal lobe, 26­ 39 wide; frontal lobe 3­4; sc 17­18, 14­17 apart. Legs: leg I 19­20, bv 6­8; genu 3, l" 14­ 15; tibia 3­4, l' 3­4; tarsus 4, ft' 3 (3­4), ft" 13­14, u' 3, solenidion 6, empodium 4­5, 6­ rayed. Leg II 17­18; femur 5­6, bv 5­7; genu 3, l" 5­6; tibia 3; tarsus 3­5, ft' 3­4, ft" 12­14, u' 3, solenidion 5­6, empodium 4­5, 6­rayed. Coxigenital area: 1b 6­7, 7­8 apart; 1a 12­ 13, 6­8 apart; 2a 20­28, 14­18 apart. Sternal line internal, 2­3. Coxisternal area with 5­6 annuli, microtuberculate. Genitalia granulated, 11­13 wide, 8­9 long; 3a 8­9. Opisthosoma: c 2 15­17, on annulus 2; d 40­42, 23­28 apart, on annulus 4­12; e 5­7, 12­16 apart, on annulus 20­22; f 15­17, 13­14 apart, on annulus 38­40 or 6th from rear. Total ventral annuli 43­45, microtuberculate; total dorsal annuli 44­45, microtubercles as in female. Caudal seta (h2) 33­37; h1 2.

TYPE MATERIAL - holotype female, 30 female and 6 male paratypes, from Inga laurina (Sw.) Willd. (Mimosaceae) , Morne à Louis, Pointe Noire, Guadeloupe, 25 July 2002, coll. J. Etienne, on 10 microscopic preparations in the collection of Departamento de Entomologia, Fitopatologia e Zoologia Agrícola, Universidade de São Paulo/ ESALQ, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.

RELATION TO HOST - The mites cause large deformations like witches broom ( Figs. 3, 4 ).

ETYMOLOGY - The specific designation geniculatus , from the Latin meaning like the bent knee, refers to the aspect of coxal seta III (2a).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Aceria geniculatus n. sp. AL, antero­lateral aspect of female; CL, caudal lateral aspect of female; D, dorsal aspect of female; GM. genitalia of male; L 1, leg I; L 2, leg II; V, ventral aspect of female, 2 a coxal seta III.

FIGURES 3 - 4. FIG. 3. Inga laurina branch, host plant of Aceria geniculatus, with several witches broom like patches. FIG. 4. Close up of witches broom like deformation on Inga laurina due to Aceria geniculatus infestation.