Catarhinus brachiariae, Flechtmann, Carlos H. W., 2004

Flechtmann, Carlos H. W., 2004, Two new plant feeding mites from Brachiaria ruziziensis in citrus groves in São Paulo, Brazil and new distribution records of other plant mites in Brazil, Zootaxa 708, pp. 1-11 : 2-4

Catarhinus brachiariae n.sp.

( Fig. 1 )

Diagnosis — Prodorsal shield mostly covered with coarse granules; anterior shield lobes broadly rounded; epigynum divided transversally; tarsus I dorsal and lateral setae equal in length.

Female (n = 6) — Body spindleform, 245 (211–247), 82 (76–89) wide, greyish in colour. Rostrum 48 (41–52), projecting backwards under coxae. Apical seta bent down at a right angle near apex, 5 (4–5); basal seta 10 (8–13). Prodorsal shield subtriangular, with a broadly rounded anterior lobe; shield 55 (53–58) long, including frontal lobe 11 (11–13); shield 75 (71–90) wide; frontal lobe base 37 (33–38) wide. Shield covered with coarse, rounded granules; dorsal tubercles 20 (15–22) apart, directing scapular seta (sc) upwards; seta 4 (4). Legs: femoral seta I missing. Leg I 37 (36–40); femur 13 (11–13), femoral seta (bv) missing; genu 5 (4–6), genual seta (l") 33 (31–35); tibia 10 (9–10), tibial seta (l') 18 (16–18), subapical; tarsus 8 (7–8), dorsal seta (ft') and lateral seta (ft") equal in length, 26 (27), unguinal seta (u’) 7 (6–8), solenidion 7 (7–8), sublateral, empodium 8 (7–8), 6– rayed. Leg II 36 (33–37); femur 12 (11–13), bv 11 (11–18); genu 4 (4–5), l” 7 (6–9); tibia 8 (8–9); tarsus 7 (7–8), ft’ 5 (5–7), ft” 26 (23–26), u’ 6 (6), solenidion 7 (7), empodium 7 (7), 6–rayed. Coxigenital area: coxae I broadly contiguous, with a design of lines and dashes; coxae II with fewer dashes. Coxal seta I (1b) 16 (13–16), 11 (9–12) apart; coxal seta II (1a) 31 (28–31), 7 (6–9); coxal seta III (2a) 48 (46–50), 22 (20–24) apart. Sternal line 11 (11–15); coxisternal area with 8 (8–10) annuli, microtuberculate. Genitalia 31 (28– 31) wide, 22 (18–25) long; genital seta (3a) 12 (11–13). Epigynum transversely divided; basal part with many short, longitudinal dashes; distal part with a few short dashes. Opisthosoma with a dorsomedian longitudinal ridge and subdorsal longitudinal furrow. Lateral seta (c2) 17 (15–17), on ring 2 (2) from genitalia rear margin; ventral seta I (d) 75 (75–81), 46 (40–49) apart, on annulus 17 (14–17); ventral seta II (e) 9 (8–13), 21 (19–23) apart, on annulus 37 (35–37); ventral seta III (f) 26 (23–27) apart, on annulus 60 (57–61) or 6 (6–7)th from rear. Total ventral annuli 66 (63–66), with small beadlike microtubercles; total dorsal annuli 34 (29–35), with faint, elongate microtubercles. Caudal seta (h2) 70 (68–75); accessory seta (h1) minute.

Male (n = 3) — Smaller than female, 165–180, 63–68 wide. Rostrum 35–37; antapical seta 3–4; basal seta 9–10. Prodorsal shield 44–48, including frontal lobe 10–11; shield 59–63 wide; frontal lobe base 26–32 wide. Sc 2–3, 14–17 apart. Legs: leg I 31–33, bv missing; genu 4, l” 25–26; tibia 7–8, l’ 11–14; tarsus 7, ft’ and ft” equal in length, 20–23; u’ 6, solenidion 6–7, empodium 5–6, 6­rayed. Leg II 29–30; femur 10–11, bv 10; genu 4, l” 8–11; tibia 6–7; tarsus 5–6, ft’ 19–20, ft” 5–6, u’ 5–6, solenidion 5–7, empodium 5–7, 6­rayed. Coxigenital area: 1b 10–12, 9 apart; 1a 25, 5–7 apart; 2a 36, 22–27 apart. Sternal line 9–13; coxisternal annuli 8–10, microtuberculate. Genitalia 19–21 wide, 15–17 long, granular; 3a 11. Opisthosoma: c 2 11–13, lateral to mid genitalia or on annulus 1; d 51, 32–33 apart, on annulus 9; e 7–11, 18–20 apart, on annulus 24–27; f 21–24, 21–26 apart, on annulus 43–49 or 6–7th from rear. Total ventral annuli 49–55, microtuberculate; total dorsal annuli 30; h2 37, h1 minute.

Type material — female holotype, 89 female and 3 male paratypes, from Brachiaria ruziziensis Germain & Evrard (Poaceae) , Ribeirão Bonito, São Paulo, Brazil, 23 april 2004, coll. P.E.B. Paiva, on 12 microscopic preparations, in the collection of Departamento de Entomologia, Fitopatologia e Zoologia Agrícola, Universidade de São Paulo/ ESALQ, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.

Relation to host — vagrant on upper leaf surface.

Etymology — The specific designation is derived from the genus of the host plant.

Remarks — Live specimens of C. brachiariae n.sp. differ from those of C. tricholaenae Keifer, 1959 , described from the grass Tricholaena rosea Nees and from corn, Zea mays L. from Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, in being greyish (light yellow in C. tricholaenae ) and longer (180–205 long in C. tricholaenae , 211–247 in the n.sp.). In microscopic preparations it is observed that the new species has the prodorsal shield mostly covered with coarse, rounded granules, and presents a broadly rounded frontal lobe, while in C. tricholaenae there is no definite shield design present and the anterior lobe is rather acute.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Catarhinus tricholaenae n. sp. AL, anterior lateral aspect; CGF, coxigenital area of female; D, dorsal aspect of female; GM, male genitalia; L 1, leg I, L 2, leg II; P, palp.