Tetranychus neocaledonicus André, 1933

Toroitich, Faith J., Ueckermann, Edward A., Theron, Pieter D. & Knapp, Markus, 2009, The tetranychid mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) of Kenya and a redescription of the species Peltanobia erasmusi Meyer (Acari: Tetranychidae) based on males, Zootaxa 2176, pp. 33-47 : 44-45

Tetranychus neocaledonicus André, 1933 .

Distinctive of this species is the shape of male aedegus that curves dorsad and both anterior and posterior projections are rounded and knob bears a small indent medially ( Figure 5 D). The female tarsus I with proximal pair of duplex setae distal to proximal tactile setae

Specimens examined: Five males and several females collected on Manihot esculenta (Euphorbiaceae) from Shimba Hills, Kwale district (S04°21.818; E039°19.490').

Remarks: This species was first described on Gossypium sp. from New Caledonia ( Ándre, 1933) and is widely distributed in both the Afrotropics and Neotropics, USA and palearctic region on a wide range of host plants ( Migeon and Dorkeld, 2006). In Kenya, the first record of this species was on Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae) from Nairobi ( Baker and Pritchard, 1960). Damage on cassava leaves appear as silver stipples; severely infested plants appear stunted and leaves reduced in size.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Tetranychus sp. aedegi modified after Meyer, 1974 (with permission).: (A) T. evansi aedeagus; (B) T. lombardiini aedeagus; (C) T. ludeni aedeagus; (D) T. neocaledonicus aedeagus; (E) T. urticae aedeagus.