Aculus pitangae Boczek & Davis, 1984

Reis, Aleuny C., Gondim, Manoel G. C., Návia, Denise & Flechtmann, Carlos H. W., 2010, Eriophyoid mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Eriophyoidea) from fruit trees in Northeastern Brazil — a new genus, three new species and a redescription, Zootaxa 2694, pp. 43-56 : 53-55

Aculus pitangae Boczek & Davis, 1984

( Figs. 7 & 8 )

FEMALE (n=10). Body fusiform, 161–175, 55–63 wide; colour in life, yellowish, dorsally covered with wax. Gnathosoma downcurved, 20 (19–21); basal seta (ep) 2–3; apical seta (d) 7–8; chelicerae 12. Prodorsal shield 43–47, 52–57 wide, subtriangular; admedian lines not linear but rather curved, with convergences and divergences along 2/3 of posterior shield; admedian lines are convergent on the 1/3 anterior, joining in a triangle whose apex ends at the frontal lobe base; curved and diagonal lines rearing laterally to the dorsal tubercles and following parallel to the anterolateral shield margin, also sinuous; on the ¼ anterior shield, these curved lines join the admedian lines. Scapular setae (sc) 12–13, on tubercles 2, placed near the posterior shield margin, 31–40 apart. Frontal lobe 6–7, apically rounded, broad-based, 20–21 wide. Legs with all segments; all usual setae present except for tibial seta (l ’) on I and II. Legs I 27–28; femur 8–9; femoral seta (bv) 8–9); genu 4–5; genual seta (l”) 23–27; tibia 5–7; tibial seta (l’) absent, but on the basal area there are two transversal slightly diagonal lines forming a keel; tarsus 5–6; lateral seta (ft”) 17–19; dorsal seta (ft’) 15–16; unguinal seta (u’) 3–4; solenidion (ω) 5–6; empodium simple, 5, 4-rayed. Leg II 25–27; femur 7–9; bv 7–9; genu 4; l” 7–8; tibia 4–5; tarsus 5–6; ft” 16–17; ft’ 4; u’ 3, ω 5–6; empodium 4–5, 4-rayed. Coxae I and II smooth; coxal seta I (1b) 6–7, 11–14 apart; coxal seta II (1a) 20–22, 7–8 apart; coxal seta III (2a) 32–39, 23–25 apart; 7–8 coxigenital annuli, smooth. Genitalia 12–15, 18–20, anterior area with 6–9 irregular, curved transversal lines and distally with 14–16 longitudinal lines; genital seta (3a) 12–14. Opisthosoma 37 (36–38) dorsal annuli, with two longitudinal bands of microtubercles in the median area and (join) merging gradually, forming a unique median microtuberculated band; these areas covered by a small amount of a wax-like secretion; posterior annuli (approximately the four caudal ones) not microtuberculated; a slight central elevation dorsal to the ventral seta II (e); 50–57 ventral annuli finely microtuberculated on 2/3 anterior opisthosoma and microtubercles becoming gradually more elongated posterior to ventral seta II (e). Lateral seta (c2), 12–16, on annulus 3–4; ventral seta I (d) 48–56, on annulus 14–16, 26–34 apart, 14–20 microtubercles apart; ventral seta II (e) 11–14 on annulus 30–33, 12–16 apart, 7–10 microtubercles apart; ventral seta III (f) 14–16, on annulus 47–52, 17–19 apart, 12–16 microtubercles apart. Caudal seta (h2) 50–60; accessory seta (h1) absent.

MALE (n=5). Smaller than female, 134–152, 49–54 wide. Gnathosoma 19–20; basal seta (ep) 3–4; apical seta (d) 7–8; chelicerae 11–12. Prodorsal shield as in female, 42–43, 46–48 wide. Scapular setae (sc) 10 on tubercles, 27–30 apart. Frontal lobe 6, 19–21 wide. Legs as in female. Leg I 25–27; femur 7–8, femoral seta (bv) 8; genu 4–5, genual seta (l ”) 23–25; tibia 5–6; tarsus 5, lateral seta (ft ”) 17–18, dorsal seta (ft ’) 15– 17, unguinal seta (u’) 4, solenidion (ω) 5; empodium 5, 4-rayed. Leg II 23–28; femur 7, bv 8; genu 4, l ” 7; tibia 5; tarsus 5, ft ” 16, ft ’ 4–5, u ’ 3, ω 5–6; empodium 5, 4–rayed. Coxae as in female. Sternal line 8–9. Coxal seta I (1b) 5, 11–12 apart; coxal seta II (1a) 21–23, 6–7 apart; coxal seta III (2a) 33–35, 21–24 apart; 7–9 coxigenital annuli, smooth. Genitalia 15–16, 10–11 wide, posterior region granulated, eugential setae as figured; genital seta (3a) 11–12. Opisthosoma as in female, 34–35 dorsal annuli; 44–45 ventral annuli. Lateral seta (c2) 12–16, on annulus 1–2; ventral seta I (d) 45–50, on annulus 11–12, 20–24 apart, 10–12 microtubercles apart; ventral seta II (e) 10–12, on annulus 24–25, 11–13 apart, 8–9 microtubercles apart; ventral seta III (f) 15, on annulus 39–40, 16–18 apart, 11–14 microtubercles apart. Caudal seta (h2) 55; accessory seta (h1) absent.

Material examined. 44 females and 22 males from Eugenia uniflora L ( Myrtaceae ), Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. 08° 01’ 07” S, 34° 56’ 41” W, 0 4 August 2008, coll. A. C. Reis, on 8 microscope slide. Material 42 specimens (22 females and 20 male, on 6 microscope slides) deposited in the collection of the Laboratório de Acarologia, Departamento de Agronomia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil and 24 specimens (22 females and 2 male, on 2 microscope slides) in the collection of the Laboratório de Quarentena Vegetal, Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasília, DF, Brazil. We had no access to the type material.

Relation to host. Vagrant on the lower leaf surface.

Remarks. In the original description of A. pitangae, Boczek and Davis (1984) noted the presence of a tibial seta (l’) 2 Μm long on leg I. In the new material studied here, no such seta was apparent on the tibia of leg I. However, some transversal, slightly diagonal lines which join in a keel, were observed on basal tibia I. In the generic description of Aculus, Keifer (1959) refers to the presence of all usual setae on the legs. Observations on the leg chaetotaxy in this present study indicated that the taxon, A. pitangae , would not be correctly placed in Aculus if considering its strict generic concept. According to Amrine et al., (2003), the genus Neocolopodacus Mohanasundaram, 1980 is close to Aculus , presenting numerous characters in common with it, except for the absence of the tibial seta on leg I. However, a remarkable character that avoids a proposition of a new combination for A. pitangae is the presence of a frontal lobe, which is absent in Neocolopodacus .

Figures

FIGURE 7. Aculus pitangae – CGM. Coxigenital region, male; D. dorsal habitus, female; em. empodium, leg I, female; GF. genitalia, female; LM. lateral habitus, female; L 1. leg I, female; L 2. leg II, female; V. ventral habitus, female.

FIGURE 8. Aculus pitangae A. dorsal habitus, female; B. ventral habitus, female; C. prodorsal shield; D. frontal lobe; E. genitalia, male; F. epigynum; G. apical seta abruptly curved upwards; H. leg II, female; I. leg I, female.