Acalitus macrosetosus, 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 : 2-3

Acalitus macrosetosus n. sp. ( Fig. 1 )

DIAGNOSIS ­ Empodium 6­rayed; caudal dorsal annuli with microtubercles faint.or absent; epigynium with 10­12 longitudinal lines distally and granulated basally; opisthosomal ventral seta I and II (d and e) subequal in length.

FEMALE (n = 6) ­ Elongate, 158 (136­163), 46 (44­55) wide. Gnathosoma downcurved; basal seta 3 (2­3); antapical seta not discernible in 25 specimens examined; chelicera 11 (10­14). Prodorsal shield 25 (23­26); frontal lobe reduced. Shield design of weak median and admedian lines. Setal tubercles on shield located on rear margin, 15 (15­18) apart, directing scapular seta (sc) divergently backwards; sc 23 (23­24). Legs missing setae on tibia I and femur I. Leg I 25 (23­25); femur 7 (6­8), femoral seta (bv) missing; genu 4(4), genual seta (l") 16 (16­18); tibia 3 (3), tibial seta (l') missing; tarsus 5 (5­6), dorsal seta (ft') 9 (8­10), lateral seta (ft") 17 (16­19), unguinal seta (u') 2 (2­3), solenidion 5 (5­6), blunt, empodium 5 (5), 6­rayed. Leg II 20 (18­20); femur 5 (5­8), bv 10 (9­10); genu 2 (2­3), l" 8 (8­11); tibia 2 (2); tarsus 4 (3­4), ft' 4 (4­5), ft" 19 (14­22), u' 2 (2), solenidion 8 (8­9), empodium 5 (5­6), 6­rayed. Coxigenital area: coxae I fused and contiguous with hypostome, granulate; coxae II smooth laterally and granulated centrally. Coxal seta I (1b) 9 (6­9), 7 (6­7) apart; coxal seta II (1a) 18 (18­20), 9 (8­10) apart; coxal seta III (2a) 37 (35­37), 16 (16­18) apart. Coxigenital area with a narrow centro­longitudinal band of microtubercles. Genitalia 17 (16­17) wide, 10 (9­11) long; genital seta (3a) 11 (11­15). Epigynium basally granulated and distally with 12 (10­12) longitudinal lines. Opisthosoma: dorsal annuli microtuberculate, the last 16 (13­18) annuli with microtubercles fading or missing. Lateral seta (c2) 22 (20­22), on annulus 4 (3­5) counting from genitalia rear margin. Ventral seta I and II subequal in length; ventral seta I (d) 42 (41­48), 34 (31­ 35) apart, on annulus 15 (15­17); ventral seta II (e) 40 (38­50), 11 (20­23) apart, on annulus 32 (31­34); ventral seta III (f) 18 (17­19), 12 (12­13) apart, on annulus 55 (49­55) or 5th from rear. Total dorsal annuli 66 (64­68); total ventral annuli 59 (54­59), microtuberculate. Caudal seta (h2) 70 (69­72); accessory seta (h1) minute.

MALE (n = 3) ­ Smaller than female, 125­157, 38­41 wide. Gnathosoma: basal seta 3 (2­3); antapical seta missing; chelicera 10. Prodorsal shield 21­25; sc 18­21, 17­18 apart. Legs: leg I 22; femur 4­6, bv missing; genu 3, l" 15­17; tibia 3, l' missing; tarsus 5, ft' 8­9, ft" 17­18, u' 3, solenidion 6, empodium 5, 6­rayed. Leg II 18; femur 6, bv 7­9; genu 2­3, l" 9­11; tibia 2; tarsus 4, ft' 4, ft" 16, u' 2, solenidion 8­9, empodium 5, 6­rayed. Coxigenital area: 1b 5, 8 apart; 1a 18­22, 8­9 apart; 2a 28­30, 16­18 apart. Genitalia 11­13 wide, 7­9 long; 3a 9­12; smooth. Opisthosoma: c 2 21­22, on annulus 3­4; d 36­44, 27­28 apart, on annulus 12­14; e 35­40, 18­19 apart, on annulus 28­31; f 14­18, 12 apart, on annulus 47­51 or 5th from rear. Total dorsal annuli 59­65; total ventral annuli 51­55. Caudal seta (h2) 55­64; h1 minute.

TYPE MATERIAL ­ female holotype, 26 female and 4 male paratypes, from Dalbergia ecastaphyllum (L.) Taubert ( Fabaceae ), Cluny, Ste. Rose, Guadeloupe, 14 June 2002, coll. J. Etienne, on eight 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 ­ vagrant on lower (abaxial) leaf surface.

ETYMOLOGY ­ The specific designation macrosetosus is derived from macro, Greek, long (not large!) and setosus, Latin, seta bearing, and refers to the long second ventral opisthosomal seta II (e).

REMARKS ­ A. macrosetosus brings the number of species of Acalitus in Guadeloupe up to eight. It is distinct in having a 6­rayed empodium and ventral opisthosomal seta I and II (d and e) subequal in length (4­ or 5­rayed empodium and seta d from 1.3 to 2 times longer than seta e in the other species).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Acalitus macrosetosus n. sp. D, dorsal aspect of female; E, empodium and solenidion, enlarged; GM, genitalia of male; L 1, leg I; L 2, leg II; PS, prodorsal shield of a paratype; V, ventral aspect of female.