Vittacus shaoguanicus, Xue & Song & Hong, 2010

Xue, Xiao-Feng, Song, Zi-Wei & Hong, Xiao-Yue, 2010, Five new species of Anthocoptini from China (Acari: Eriophyidae), Zootaxa 2666 (1), pp. 29-44 : 29-32

Vittacus shaoguanicus sp. nov.

( Figs 1 & 2 )

Description. FEMALE: (n = 9) Body fusiform, 226 (221–230), 65 (62–65) wide, 60 (60–61) thick; light yellow. Gnathosoma 20 (20–21), projecting obliquely down, pedipalp coxal seta (ep) 3 (3–4), dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) 5 (5–6), cheliceral stylets 18 (18–19). Prodorsal shield 40 (40–42), 51 (50–51) wide, median line absent, admedian lines connected at center and posterior, forming a large “cell”; anterior shield lobe present, with granules along anterior margins. Scapular tubercles on rear shield margin, 38 (36–38) apart, scapular setae (sc) 10 (10–12), projecting posteriorly and diverging. Coxal plates with short lines, anterolateral setae on coxisternum І (1b) 8 (7–8), 14 (13–14) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum І (1a) 25 (25–27), 8 (7–8) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum І (2a) 38 (33–38), 26 (25–26) apart. Prosternal apodeme 6 (6–7). Legs with usual series of setae. Leg І 35 (35–36), femur 9 (8–9), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 12 (12–13); genu 5 (4–5), antaxial genual seta (l'') 26 (25–26); tibia 7 (7–8), paraxial tibial seta (l') 11 (10–11), located at center; tarsus 6 (5–6), seta ft' 18 (18–25), seta ft'' 20 (20–23), seta u' 5 (4–5), tarsal empodium (em) 6 (5–6), simple, 6-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 8 (7–8), rod-like. Leg І 28 (27–29), femur 7 (7–8), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 15 (14–15); genu 4 (3–4), antaxial genual seta (l'') 8 (7–8); tibia 6 (5–6); tarsus 6 (5–6), seta ft' 7 (5–7), seta ft'' 20 (18–23), seta u' 5 (4–5), tarsal empodium (em) 6 (6–7), simple, 6- rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 8 (8–9), rod-like. Opisthosoma: opisthosoma dorsally with 18 (16–21) annuli, forming thickened bands, with three ridges, with filamentous microtubercles on ridges, ventrally with 66 (58– 66) annuli, with round microtubercles. Setae c2 54 (53–55) on ventral annulus 9 (9–10), 52 (52–53) apart; setae d 72 (72–73) on ventral annulus 25 (23–25), 30 (30–31) apart; setae e 35 (32–35) on ventral annulus 40 (40–41), 17 (16–17) apart, setae f 32 (32–33) on 8th ventral annulus from rear, 19 (19–20) apart. Setae h1 3 (3–4), h2 48 (48–51). Female genitalia 12 (11–12), 21 (20–21) wide, coverflap with 10 longitudinal ridges and three transverse lines at base, setae 3a 63 (62–65), 15 (15–16) apart.

MALE: Unknown.

Type material. Holotype, female (slide number NJAUAcariEri306, marked Holotype), from Carmona retusa (Vahl) Masam. (Boraginaceae) , Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province, P. R. China, 24°48ʹ12ʹʹN, 113°34ʹ18ʹʹE, elevation 59m, 16 September 2004, coll. Xiao-Feng Xue. Paratypes, 8 females (slide number NJAUAcariEri306), with the same data as holotype.

Relation to host. Vagrant on leaf surface. No damage to the host was observed.

Etymology. The specific designation shaoguanicus is from the name of location, Shaoguan City, where the type species was collected.

Differential diagnosis. This species is similar to V. humuli Xue, Song & Hong, 2005 , but can be differentiated from the latter by prodorsal shield with admedian lines (prodorsal shield smooth in V. humuli ), empodium 6-rayed (empodium 3-rayed in V. humuli ), and coxal plates with short lines (coxal plates with granules in V. humuli ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Vittacus shaoguanicus sp. nov. D, dorsal view of female; LO, lateral microtubercles; L1, leg І; L2, leg І.

FIGURE 2. Vittacus shaoguanicus sp. nov. L, lateral view of female; CG, coxae and female genitalia; em, empodium.