Phyllocoptes khazariensis, Ranjbar-Varandi & Irani-Nejad & Lotfollahi, 2023

Ranjbar-Varandi, Forough, Irani-Nejad, Karim Haddad & Lotfollahi, Parisa, 2023, Phyllocoptes khazariensis sp. nov. (Acari: Eriophyiodea) from Cupressus sempervirens (Cupressaceae) in Iran, Persian Journal of Acarology 12 (3), pp. 431-438 : 432-435

Phyllocoptes khazariensis sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F1B12DC2-FA40-4BB4-B275-C00219AC50D2

Description

Female ( Fig. 1 ; measured specimens = 10) – Body fusiform, 160 (155–182, excluding gnathosoma), 62 (56–64) wide. Gnathosoma projecting obliquely downwards, chelicerae 31 (26– 33), palp 29 (27–29), palp coxal setae ep 3.5 * (3–3.5), dorsal palp genual setae d 7 (4.5–7.5), unbranched. Prodorsal shield 46 (45–47) including frontal lobe, 56 (54–58) wide, sub-triangular; with a broad-based double layer frontal lobe, 16 (12–17), over gnathosomal base; with anterior lobes and folded lateral lobes. Shield smooth. Tubercles of scapular setae sc 3.5 (2.5–4.5) ahead of rear shield margin, 19 (19–21) apart, setae sc 4 (3.5–4.5), directed medially. Legs with all usual segments and setae. Leg I 26 (26–28), femur 8.5 (8.5–9.5), genu 3.5 (3–5), tibia 7 (7–8), tarsus 6.5 (5.5–7.5), tarsal solenidion ω 7 (6–7) distally rounded, empodium simple, 9 (8–9), 6-rayed; femoral setae bv 13 (9.5-14), genual setae l" 21 (20–22), paraxial tibial setae l' 3 (3–3.5), paraxial fastigial tarsal setae ft ' 21 (20–24), antaxial fastigial tarsal setae ft" 21 (21–23), paraxial unguinal tarsal setae u' 4 * (4–4.5). Leg II 25 (25–27), femur 9.5 (9–10), genu 3.5 (3–3.5), tibia 6 (6–7), tarsus 5.5 (5.5–6.5), tarsal solenidion ω 9 (8–9) distally rounded, empodium simple, 8.5 (8–10), 5 (5–6)-rayed; femoral setae bv 12 (12-13), genual setae l" 4 (3–4), paraxial fastigial tarsal setae ft' 7 (5.5–8), antaxial fastigial tarsal setae ft " 22 (no variation), paraxial unguinal tarsal setae u' 4 (3–4). Coxisternal region: prosternal apodeme 6.5 (5.5–8), anterior setae on coxisternum I 1b 12 (10–13), 15 (13–15) apart; proximal setae on coxisternum I 1a 23 (18–26), 10 (9–10) apart; proximal setae on coxisternum II 2a 42 (30–42), 26 (23–27) apart; 11 (11–13) microtuberculate semiannuli between coxae and genital coverflap plus 3 (3–4) transversal rows of granules at the base of the coverflap. Infracapitular plate and coxal plate I smooth but coxal plate II with dense coarse granules. External genitalia 16 (16–19), 36 (33–36) wide, coverflap ornamented with 15 (13–15) oblique striae; setae 3a 16* (15–17), 18 (16–18) apart. Internal genitalia: spermathecae ovoid, oriented posterolateral; spermathecal tubes relatively short about a third of spermathecae diameter, with tiny cone-shaped spermathecal process situated at the back end of spermathecal tube; transverse genital apodeme trapezoidal, distally folded. Opisthosoma with 62 (62–67) dorsal semiannuli and 65 (63–71) ventral semiannuli. Microtubercles are triangular on dorsal semiannuli; fine triangular on posterior margin of ventral semiannuli; spiny on the rear margin of the last 4 (no variation) dorsal semiannuli and elongated and linear on the last 6 (no variation) ventral semiannuli. Setae c2 29 (26–31) on ventral semiannulus 11 (11–14), setae d 52 (48– 52) on ventral semiannulus 26 (26–30); setae e 40* (39–41) on ventral semiannulus 44 (42–49); setae f 16 (14–16) on ventral semiannulus 61 (59–67); 4 (no variation) annuli posterior to setae f. Setae h2 18 (18–21), h1 3 (2.5–3.5).

Male ( Fig. 1 - GM; measured specimens = 3) – Similar in shape and prodorsal shield arrangement to female. Body smaller than female, 142–159, 53–56 wide; palp genual setae d 6–8, unbranched; prodorsal shield 41–42 including frontal lobe, 52–54 wide; setae sc 3.5–4, 17–18 apart. Opisthosoma with 52–57 dorsal semiannuli and 50–57 ventral semiannuli, 11–17 semiannuli between coxae and genitalia, with microtubercles similar to that of female. Setae: 1b 7–9, 1a 15–25, 2a 24– 37, c2 24–27, d 26–34, e 19-35, f 14–16, h1 3–3.5, h2 16–21. Male genitalia 20–22 wide, setae 3a 18–22, 15–16 apart.

Type host plant

Cupressus sempervirens L. ( Cupressaceae ), the Mediterranean cypress (also known as Italian cypress, Tuscan cypress, Persian cypress, or pencil pine).

Type locality

Amreh village , Sari county, Mazandaran province, Iran (36° 24' 26.0'' N, 53° 08' 25.5'' E), 457 m above sea level, coll. F. Ranjbar-Varandi, 10 August 2017 .

Type material

Holotype: single female on a microscope slide (8-2-1-2-1). Paratypes: 11 females and 11 males mounted individually on separate microscope slides (8-2-1-2-2–23).

Other material

Two females from Mianrood village (36° 31' 04.3'' N, 53° 03' 11.4'' E, 252 m above sea level) on 6 August 2017, Sari county, Mazandaran province, Iran, from the same host plant, coll. F. RanjbarVarandi.

Relation to the host plant Vagrant on leaves; no plant deformations were observed.

Etymology

This species is named after Khazar, the Persian name of Caspian Sea in the north of the region where it was collected.

Differential diagnosis

Among the four Phyllocoptes species found on the plants of Cupressaceae , the new species is closer to P. libocedri ( Keifer, 1939) and P. arceuthi Keifer, 1953 .

Phyllocoptes libocedri was described as a vagrant species on twig tips of Calocedrus decurrens (Torr.) Florin (originally listed as originally listed as Libocedrus decurrens Torr. ) in Paradise, Butte Co., California, USA. This species has smooth prodorsal shield except slight lines on frontal lobe that is similar to the new species with completely smooth prodorsal shield. Both species have similar dorsal semiannuli number (65 in P. libocedri and 62–67 in the new species) and similar number of empodium rays of the anterior leg (6) and the similar length for setae f (17.5 in P. libocedri and 14– 16 in the new species). However, the two species are different in the number of ventral semiannuli (63–71 in the new species versus 70–75 in P. libocedri ), length of setae sc (3.5–4.5 in the new species versus 6.5 in P. libocedri ), c2 (26–31 in the new species versus 20 in P. libocedri ), d (48–52 in the new species versus 40 in P. libocedri ), e (39–41 in the new species versus 22 in P. libocedri ) and 3a (15–17 in the new species versus 12.5 in P. libocedri ). In addition, female genital coverflap of P. libocedri is ornamented with diagonal striae (3 pairs in Keifer's drawing), but in the new species coverflap is ornamented with 13–15 oblique striae. According to Keifer's drawings, both coxae of P. libocedri are ornamented with few short lines and dashes, but the coxal plate I in the new species is smooth and coxal plate II is ornamented with dense coarse granules.

Phyllocoptes arceuthi was described as a vagrant species on twigs of Juniperus occidentalis Hook. in Midway between Camp Sacramento and Twin Bridges, El Dorado Co., California, USA. The new species is similar to that in the number of the ventral semiannuli (63–71 in new species and 70–80 in P. arceuthi ), empodium rays (6), presence of lateral lobes on prodorsal shield, ornamentation of the female coverflap (oblique striae plus transversal rows of granules at the base), length of setae c2 (26–31 in the new species and 25 in P. arceuthi ) and 3a (15–17 in new species and 17 in P. arceuthi ). However, the prodorsal shield pattern of the new species is smooth, but P. arceuthi has median, admedian and first submedian lines. Also the two species differ in the length of setae sc (3.5– 4.5 in the new species versus 15 in P. arceuthi ), d (48–52 in new species and 30 in P. arceuthi ), e (39–41 in new species and 25 in P. arceuthi ) and f (14–16 in the new species versus 20 in P. arceuthi ), and in the number of dorsal semiannuli (62–67 in the new species versus 70–80 in P. arceuthi ).

Remarks

To date, four Phyllocoptes species have been found on the plant species of the family Cupressaceae including three species of P. arceuthi Keifer, 1953 , P. rufoclivus Keifer, 1969 , and P. virgae Keifer, 1969 , on Juniperus spp. and one species, P. libocedri ( Keifer, 1939) on plant species of the genus Calocedrus (Amrine and de Lillo unpublished databases). Phyllocoptes khazariensis sp. nov. is the first Phyllocoptes species found on plant species of the genus Cupressus .

Figures

Figure 1. Schematic drawings of Phyllocoptes khazariensis sp. nov. – D. Dorsal view; AD. Prodorsal shield; CG. Female coxigenital region; em. Empodium; GM. Male genital region; IG. Internal female genitalia; L1. Leg I; L2. Leg II; Scale bar: 15 μm for D; 10 µm for AD, CG, IG, GM; 5 µm for L1, L2; 2.5 µm for em.