Proartacris cedrina, Flechtmann, Carlos H. W. & Kreiter, Serge, 2002

Flechtmann, Carlos H. W. & Kreiter, Serge, 2002, A new species of Proartacris Mohanasundaram (Acari: Eriophyidae) on Cedrus sp. in France, Zootaxa 39, pp. 1-5 : 3-4

Proartacris cedrina n.sp. ( Figs. 1 , 2 )

DIAGNOSIS ­ Robust, spindleshaped body; prodorsal shield with a distinct, broadly rounded, membranous anterior lobe. Palp basal setae curved; apicoventral setalike structure or "sensory peg" on palptarsus an enlarged, spatulate process.

FEMALE ­ (n = 6). Idiosoma spindleshaped, 195 (171­225), 99 (87­101) wide. Gnathosoma downcurved, 41 (40­47); basal seta curved, 5 (5­8); antapical seta 18 (17­18), flanked by two spinelike structures; palptarsus apicoventral setalike structure or "sensory peg" (see Lindquist, 1996) enlarged, spatulate; chelicera 37 (28­35). Prodorsal shield 56 (52­58) including 6 (7­9) frontal lobe; 84 (67­85) wide. Frontal lobe broadly rounded. Shield design as figured: admedian lines complete, linked by a transverse line at 50%; median line restricted to posterior half. Submedian lines anterolateral; a curved line joining the submedians at the rear end. Tubercles somewhat ahead of rear shield margin, broadly conical, plicate; scapular seta (sc) 11 (11­12), pointing upwards, 28 (26­28) apart. Legs: leg I 48 (34­49); femur 16 (14­16), femoral seta (bv) 17 (15­19); genu 11 (7­11), genual seta (l") conspicuously large, 50 (48­53), longer than combined length of leg segments femur through tarsus; tibia 11 (10­12), tibial seta (l') 12 (12­18); tarsus 9 (9­10), solenidion 11 (11­12), empodium 11 (10­12), 6 rayed: the proximal branch a handlike structure with 6 secondary branches originating at the same level, the next two branches each with a row of four secondary branches, further two branches with a row of three secondary branches and the distal branch undivided. Tarsus dorsal seta (ft') 27 (27­30), lateral seta (ft") 29 (29­32), unguinal seta (u') 11 (8­11). Leg II 44 (42­46); femur 15 (12­16), bv 17 (16­19); genu 6 (6­8), l" 18 (17­19); tibia 10 (8­11); tarsus 11 (8­11), solenidion 12 (11­ 13), empodium 11 (11­12), 6­rayed, similar to empodium of tarsus I, ft' 13 (12­15), ft" 33 (30­33), u' 9 (8­10). Coxae: coxae I barely contiguous centrally. Coxae I and II with a few lines. Coxal seta I (1b) 14 (13­15), 19 (17­19) apart; coxal seta II (1a) 31 (30­36), 17 (16­ 18) apart; coxal seta III (2a) 45 (45­55), 42 (35­43) apart. Coxigenital area with 10 (10­11) annuli, microtuberculate. Genitalia 30 (30­33) wide, 21 (18­22) long, epigynium smooth and with a few basal granules; genital seta (3a) 40 (35­41). Opisthosoma: setae basally robust, ending in long, very fine tips. Annuli without dorsoventral differentiation. Lateral seta (c2) 61 (61­68), on annulus 3 (2­5) counting from genitalia rear margin; ventral seta I (d) 53 (53­61), 46 (51­53) apart, on annulus 19 (18­23); ventral seta II (e) 41 (53­58), 28 (27­30) apart, on annulus 43 (38­44); ventral seta III (f) 36 (33­41), 32 (31­32) apart, on annulus 71 (62­72) or 6th from rear. Total ventral annuli 77 (68­78); total dorsal annuli 53 (55­56), microtuberculate. Caudal seta (h2) 70 (70­85); accessory seta (h1) stout at base, strong, 6 (6­8).

MALE ­ (n = 3), Smaller than female, 171­189, 82­85 wide. Gnathosoma 28­33; basal seta 4­5; antapical seta 13­15; chelicera 32. Prodorsal shield 49­54, including 4­6 frontal lobe; 58­63 wide. Sc 10­11, 23­25 apart. Legs: leg I 40; femur 13­14, bv 15­19; genu 6­7, l" 36­42; tibia 8, l' 14­15; tarsus 40, solenidion 10­11, empodium 9­11, 6­rayed, ft' 29­38, ft" 31­40, u' 6­9. Leg II 35 ­38; femur 12­14, bv 13­18; genu 4­7, l" 14­18; tibia 8­ 9; tarsus 9, solenidion 11­12, empodium 10­11, ft' 13­14, ft" 28­31, u' 7­9. Coxae: coxigenital area with 12­15 annuli, microtuberculate. 1b 13­14, 14­16 apart; 1a 20­24, 13­16 apart; 2a 46, 32­35 apart. Genitalia 25­28 wide, 11­14 long; 3a 45­48. Opisthosoma: c2 40­48, on annulus 2­5, counting from genitalia rear margin; d 68, 40­44 apart, on annulus 14­17; e 40­44, 25 apart, on annulus 34­37; f 24­33, 26­28 apart, on annulus 56­62 or 6th from rear. Total ventral annuli 62­68; total dorsal annuli 52­60, microtuberculate. Caudal setae (h2) 119, h1 6­8.

TYPE MATERIAL ­ female holotype, 46 female and 4 male paratypes, from Cedrus sp.( Pinaceae ), Reims, France, coll. Aurore Sowinski, 12 June 2001, on 11 microscopic preparations in the collection of Departamento de Entomologia, Fitopatologia e Zoologia Agrícola, Universidade de São Paulo / ESALQ, São Paulo, Brazil. One preparation with paratypes deposited in the Muséum Nationale d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris.

RELATION TO HOST ­ on needles bases; needle discoloration and drop.

ETYMOLOGY ­ The specific designation cedrina is derived from the host plant genus Cedrus , meaning of cedar; feminine.

REMARKS ­ This is the third species in the genus Proartacris Mohanasundaram, 1984 ; the type species is P. pinivagrans Mohanasundaram, 1984 , from India on Pinus sp. ( Pinaceae ) and the other species is P. taiwanensis Huang, 2001 from Taiwan on Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) (Taxodiaceae) . They can be separated by the following key.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Proartacris cedrina n. sp. CD, caudal dorsal aspect; CGF, coxigenital area of female; CV, caudal ventral aspect; D, dorsal aspect; EG, epigynium of a paratype; GM, genitalia of male; IG, internal genital structures of female; PTD, palptarsus dorsal; PTL, palptarsus lateral; PTV, palptarsus ventral. (CD, CV, PTD, PTL, PTV enlarged).

FIGURE 2. Proartacris cedrina n. sp. E, empodium (enlarged); L 1, leg I; L 2, leg II.