Calacarus flagelliseta, Carlos H. W. Flechtmann, Gilberto J. De Moraes & Flávia R. Barbosa, 2001

Carlos H. W. Flechtmann, Gilberto J. De Moraes & Flávia R. Barbosa, 2001, A new species of Calacarus Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae) on papaya in northeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 5, pp. 1-5 : 2-4

Calacarus flagelliseta n. sp. ( Figs. 1 , 2 )

DIAGNOSIS ­ A robust, large Calacarus , with 6­rayed empodia, without prodorsal shield tubercles and setae, prodorsal shield design unique, opisthosomal and genital setae long.

FEMALE ­ (n = 6) Idiosoma spindle­shaped, 242 (220­246), 84 (84­91) wide, in life brownish with white longitudinal wax bands. Gnathosoma downcurved, (38­45), basal setae 5 (4­5), antapical setae 11 (10­12), chelicerae 39 (32­39). Prodorsal shield 54 (54­ 57), 75 (67­75) wide, anterior lobe broad, rounded and medially slightly emarginate, tubercles and setae absent. Shield design a network: median line present only as very short segments on anterior lobe and to rear; admedian lines curved, interbranching, delimiting a pair of quadrangular cells on anterior lobe and two elongate cells on shield. Hindmost median cell flanked on each side by one irregular pentagonal cell. Lateral design a line of cells. Legs without genual setae II; legs I 39 (37­39); femora 12 (11­12), femoral setae (bv) 18 (16­18); genua 6 (4­6), genual setae (l") 29 (26­29); tibiae 9 (9­10), distally and axially with a row of 6 longitudinal small spines, tibial setae (l') 10 (6­10); tarsi 8 (8­9), solenidia 11 (10­11), slightly enlarged distally, empodia 9 (8­11), 6­rayed, dorsal setae (ft') 30 (28­ 30), lateral setae (ft") 32 (31­32), unguinal setae (u') 9 (8­10). Legs II 36 (33­36); femora 12 (9­12), bv 18 (16­19); genua 5 (4­5), l" absent; tibiae 7 (7­8), with a row of ca. 6 small, longitudinal spines distally and axially; tarsi 8 (8), solenidia 13 (11­13), empodia 11 (9­ 11), 6­rayed, ft' 16 (11­16), ft" 29 (27­30), u' 11 (9­11). Coxae: coxae I contiguous centrally; coxae I and II with a few short lines and granules. Coxae I (or coxisternal plates I) anteriorly continuous with the granulated hypostome. Coxal setae I (1b) 13 (11­15), 19 (18­19) apart; coxal setae II (1a) 18 (18­31), 12 (11­13) apart; coxal setae III (2a) 53 (53­ 69), 35 (33­36) apart. Coxigenital area with 8 (8­9) annuli, microtuberculate. Genitalia 29 (27­32) wide, 22 (20­23) wide, epigynium with faint, short, longitudinal lines basally, smooth distally. Genital setae (3a) 56 (56­65), extending posteriorly almost to bases of setae e. Opisthosoma with five dorsal longitudinal wax bearing ridges: median ridge distinct to approximately dorsad of bases of setae f, lateral ridges distinct to dorsad of bases of setae e and submedian ridges of intermediate length. Lateral setae (c2) 86 (84­92), reaching bases of setae e; on annulus 3 (3­4); ventral setae I (d) 79 (77­89), 58 (55­60) apart, on annulus 21 (18­21); ventral setae II (e) 55 (54­63), 29 (27­30) apart, on annulus 46 (39­46); ventral setae III (f) 37 (37­48), 32 (30­32) apart, on annulus 69 (60­69) or 10th (8th­10th) from rear. Total ventral annuli 78 (70­78); microtubercles small, beadlike, on ring margins. Total dorsal annuli 72 (68­73), smooth. Caudal setae (h2) 70 (70­89); accessory setae (h1) absent.

MALE ­ (n = 4). Smaller than female, 185­201, 71­79 wide. Gnathosoma 40, basal setae 4­5, antapical setae 6­11; chelicerae 27­31. Prodorsal shield 46­48, 62­67 wide. Legs: legs I 33 ­36; femora 10­11, bv 14­16; genua 5­6; l" 23­25; tibiae 8­9, l' 6­8; tarsi 7­ 8, solenidia 10­11, empodia 8­10, 6­rayed, ft' 27­28, ft" 28­30, u' 8­11. Legs II 30­32; femora 9­11, bv 14­18; genua 3­5, l" absent; tibiae 5­7; tarsi 6­8, solenidia 10­12, empodia 9­11, 6­rayed, ft' 10­12, ft" 25­28, u' 8­9. Coxae: coxal setae I (1b) 8­11, 15­17 apart; coxal setae II (1a) 20­28, 10­11 apart; coxal setae III (2a) 55­58, 28­30 apart. Coxigenital area with 7­9 annuli, microtuberculate. Genitalia 21­22 wide, 13­17 long, granulated. Genital setae (3a) 59­63. Opisthosoma: c2 66­82, on annulus 1­2; d 66­76, 44­51 apart, on annulus 15­16; e 54­61, 24­29 apart, on annulus 33­36; f 40­47, 24­28 apart, on annulus 56­61 or 9th from rear. Total dorsal annuli 58­65, total ventral annuli 65­69; h2 74­106, h1 absent.

TYPE MATERIAL ­ female holotype, 37 female and 34 male paratypes, from Carica papaya L. ( Caricaceae ), Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brasil, coll. Flávia R.B. Moreira, 30 March 2001, on 17 microscopic preparations in the collection of Departamento de Entomologia, Fitopatologia e Zoologia Agrícola, Universidade de São Paulo, ESALQ, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brasil.

RELATION TO HOST ­ upward curling of leaves, drying and necrosis.

ETYMOLOGY ­ The specific designation flagelliseta refers to the relatively long ventral opisthosomal setae of this species.

REMARKS ­ In the prodorsal shield design C. flagelliseta is similar to C. citrifolii Keifer, 1955 , C. brionesae Keifer, 1963 and C. speciosissimum Flechtmann, 2000 , differing in the absence of the median section of the median line, fewer dorsomedian cells and the better defined lateral cells. Prodorsal shield tubercles are missing in the new species and in C. citrifolii , but present in C. brionesae . The new species is also a much larger mite than the last two mentioned species (idiosoma 220­246 long in the new species, 185­200 in C. citrifolii and 175­185 in C. brionesae ). The empodia are 6­rayed in the new species, while 4­rayed in C. brionesae and 5­rayed in C. citrifolii and C. speciosissimum . The ventral setae are much longer in the new species, mainly the genital setae (3a) (56­65 in the new species, 18 in C. brionesae and C. citrifolii and 14­17 in C. speciosissimum ); ventral setae I (d) (77­89 in the new species, 75 in C. brionesae , 45 in C. citrifolii and 59­ 79 in C. speciosissimum ); ventral setae II (e) (54­63 in the new species 33 in C. brionesae , 40 in C. citrifolii and 24­31 in C. speciosissimum ) and ventral setae III (f) (37­48 in the new species, 29 in C. brionesae , 25 in C. citrifolii and 31­35 in C. speciosissimum ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Calacarus flagelliseta n. sp. AD, Anterior dorsal aspect; CGF, coxigenital area of female; CGM, coxigenital area of male; E, empodium; L, lateral habitus; L 1, leg I; L 2, leg II.

FIGURE 2. Papaya leaves damaged by Calacarus flagelliseta n. sp.