Vittacus humuli, Xue, Xiao-Feng, Song, Zi-Wei & Hong, Xiao-Yue, 2005

Xue, Xiao-Feng, Song, Zi-Wei & Hong, Xiao-Yue, 2005, A new species of Vittacus Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae: Phyllocoptinae) from Qinling Area, Shaanxi Province, China, Zootaxa 992, pp. 1-6 : 2-5

Vittacus humuli sp. nov.

( Figs.1–7 )

Description

Female: (n = 3) Body fusiform, 233 long, 60 wide, 60 thick; light yellow in color. Gnathosoma 23, projecting obliquely down. Prodorsal shield 33 long, 50 wide; prodorsal shield smooth. Dorsal tubercles on rear margin, 30 apart, scapular setae (sc) 20 projecting posteriorly. Sternal line present. Coxal area with granules; anterolateral setae on coxisternum I (1b) 10, proximal setae on coxisternum I (1a) 25, proximal setae on coxisternum II (2a) 30. Legs I 37 long, femur 12, basiventral femoral setae (bv) 11; genu 5 long, antaxial genual setae (l'') 25 long; tibia 9, paraxial tibial setae (l') 5, setae located 1/3 from dorsal base; tarsus 8 long; tarsal empodium simple, 3­rayed, tarsal solenidion tapered. Legs II 33 long, femur 10, basiventral femoral setae (bv) 12; genu 5 long, antaxial genual setae (l'') 11 long; tibia 6; tarsus 8 long; tarsal empodium simple, 3­rayed, tarsal solenidion tapered. Dorsal opisthosoma with about 14 to 17 broad rings, with spiny microtubercles on rear annular margins, ventrally with about 58 rings, spiny microtubercles on rear annular margins. Setae c2 15 on ventral annulus 9; setae d 50 on ventral annulus 24; setae e 12 on ventral annulus 40; setae f 25 on 5th ventral annulus from rear. Setae h1 3 long. Female genitalia 11 long, 20 wide, coverflap with 8 longitudinal ridges, proximal setae on coxisternum III (3a) 20 long.

Male: (n = 2) Body fusiform, 190 long, 50 wide, 45 thick; light yellow in color. Gnathosoma 15, projecting obliquely down. Prodorsal shield 34 long, 45 wide; prodorsal shield smooth. Dorsal tubercles on rear margin, 27 apart, scapular setae (sc) 10 projecting posterior. Sternal line present. Coxal area with granules; anterolateral setae on coxisternum I (1b) 7, proximal setae on coxisternum I (1a) 15, proximal setae on coxisternum II (2a) 25. Legs I 30 long, femur 10, basiventral femoral setae (bv) 7; genu 4 long, antaxial genual setae (l'') 20 long; tibia 6, paraxial tibial setae (l') 4, setae located 1/3 from dorsal base; tarsus 7 long; tarsal empodium simple, 3­rayed, tarsal solenidion tapered. Legs II 27 long, femur 9, basiventral femoral setae (bv) 8; genu 4 long, antaxial genual setae (l'') 10 long; tibia 4; tarsus 6 long; tarsal empodium simple, 3­rayed, tarsal solenidion tapered. Dorsal opisthosoma with about 10 broad rings, with spiny microtubercles on rear annular margins, ventrally with about 52 rings, spiny microtubercles on rear annular margins. Setae c2 15 on ventral annulus 7; setae d 40 on ventral annulus 19; setae e 5on ventral annulus 30; setae f 15 on 5th ventral annulus from rear. Setae h1 2 long. Male genitalia 5 long, 18 wide, proximal setae on coxisternum III (3a) 12 long.

Type data: Holotype, female, QINLING RANGE (ZHOUZHI): Louguantai, 34°03.54’N, 108°19.22’E; 31 Aug. 2004, coll. X.­F. Xue & Z.­W. Song; ex Humulus scandens (Lour.) Merr.(Moraceae) . Paratypes, 2 female and 2 males, with the same data as holotype.

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

Etymology: The specific designation is derived from the generic name of the type host plant, Humulus .

Note: This species is similar to Vittacus mansoni Keifer, 1969 , but can be differentiated by tarsal empodium 3­rayed, setae h1 present and female coverflap with 8 longitudinal ridges (10–12 in V. mansoni ). This species is the fifth one in the genus Vittacus in the world and also the second one in China. The first Chinese Vittacus species, V. fissistigmae Wei & Kuang was reported from Fissistigma oldhamii (Hemsl.) Merr. (Annonaceae) in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region ( Wei & Kuang, 1997) and Taiwan ( Huang & Wang, 2004), which are in the Oriental region. This new species is from the Qinling Range area, which is an important geographical division between north and south China and the major watershed of the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. The Qinling Range area is also believed to be the division line between the Oriental Region and Palearctic Region in China. The record of Vittacus in this area reflects that the species in Vittacus may distribute in both Oriental and Palearctic China.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Vittacus humuli sp. nov. 1. dorsal view of female; 2. coxae and female genitalia; 3. legs I, II of female.

FIGURES 4 – 7. Vittacus humuli sp. nov. 4. lateral view of female; 5. coxae and male genitalia; 6. tarsal empodium; 7. lateral microtubercles.