Diptilomiopus indogangeticus, Chakrabarti & Sur & Sarkar, 2019

Chakrabarti, Samiran, Sur, Surajit & Sarkar, Sanjay, 2019, Two new species of Diptilomiopus Nalepa (Acari: Eriophyoidea) from India, Acarologia 59 (3), pp. 383-394 : 392-393

Comments — Diptilomiopus holoptelus is morphologically identical with D. integrifoliae

except for the number of rays on empodium, (the former with 7 rayed and the later with 5 rayed) and described from the same host but its original type specimens could not be studied. This species is probably a junior synonym of D. integrifoliae .

Remarks on the morphological groups within the genus Diptilomiopus — The species

of Diptilomiopus are found on several unrelated host plants and a few species ( Table 2) have been recorded on more than one host in contrast to most of the other eriophyoids which are host specific ( Skoracka et al., 2010). Species currently recorded on different hosts may contain cryptic species. Only morphological study is not sufficient to ascertain their cryptic nature (Li

et al., 2014). Application of other tools such as molecular studies, host transfer experiments etc., may “clarify taxonomic uncertainties”. However, different subgroups within this genus have not been confirmed yet, but four groups viz. i) having complete network of cells on prodorsal shield or incomplete cell-like ornamentation and ii) another group may be based on the presence or absence of scapular tubercles (apparently there is a tendency of reduction of scapular tubercles in the species of Diptilomiopus ) may be presumed. The two species herein described present scapular tubercles but in D. indogangeticus n. sp. complete network of cells are present on prodorsal shield while in D. mohanasundarami n. sp. the cells are incomplete

on posterior part of prodorsal shield.