Novophytoptus aculeatus, Pye, Daniel R. L., 2012

Pye, Daniel R. L., 2012, New eriophyoid mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Eriophyoidea) in Britain: one new genus, four new species, 19 new records and two incursions, Zootaxa 3578, pp. 43-68 : 44-47

Novophytoptus aculeatus n. sp.

( Figs. 1–3 )

FEMALE: (n=8). Body vermiform, 297 (277–338), 36 (27–38) wide anteriorly, around dorsal annulus 1 or 2 just behind prodorsal shield, 48 (44–52) wide posteriorly, around dorsal annulus 90, at widest point of opisthosoma. Gnathosoma 25 (24–37), projecting forward and down, setae d 3 (3), simple; setae ep 5 (4–5). Prodorsal shield 30 (28–32), 20 (20–27) wide, with ocellar-like spot on each anterior margin, lateral to ve setae. Median area anteriorly with a thick line, which is split into five very fine longitudinal lines; at about half way posteriorly forked into a thick median line, with narrower admedian lines fading towards posterior, ending with small scattered longitudinal lines. Tubercles sc cylindrical, on rear shield margin, directed posteriorly, 16 (14–17) apart, surrounded by large circular/oval granules; setae sc 84 (81–89); setae ve 16 (9–18), directed anteriorly, 10 (9–12) apart; sc and ve 18 (17–19) apart. Leg I 29 (25–29); femur 9 (8–9), seta bv absent; genu 4 (4), seta l ʺ 12 (10–14); tibia 8 (6–8), seta l ʹ 4 (3–4); tarsus 5 (4–6), seta ft ʹ 4 (2–4), seta ft ʺ 14 (12–15); seta u ʹ 3 (2–3); tarsal solenidion ω 5 (5–6), with a rounded tip; empodium 7 (6–7), 4-rayed, internal apical ray elongate, at least twice as long as external apical ray. Leg II 27 (24–27); femur 9 (8–10), seta bv absent; genu 4 (3–5), setae l ʺ 15 (13–16), externally laterally displaced; tibia 5 (5–6); tarsus 6 (5–6), seta ft ʹ 2 (2), bluntly rounded apically, seta ft ʺ 17 (15–17); setae u ʹ 3 (2–3); tarsal solenidion ω 10 (9–10), with a rounded tip; empodium 7 (7–8), 4-rayed, internal apical ray elongate, at least twice as long as external apical ray. Coxae 1 and 2 ornamented with strong longitudinal lines. Setae 1b 11 (9–11), 12 (11–13) apart; setae 1a 20 (16–23), 5 (5–6) apart; setae 2a 38 (36–45), 20 (20–22) apart; tubercles 1b and 1a 12 (10–12) apart; tubercles 1a and 2a 8 (7–9) apart. Coxigenital region with 15 (15–18) annuli. Opisthosoma with 97 (94–100) dorsal annuli, 86 (81–89) ventral annuli (counted from the posterior margin of the coxal plates), microtubercles oval, longitudinally elongate, annuli completely microtuberculate. Dorsal microtubercles diagonally angled inwards. Setae c2 27 (27–31), on annulus 10 (9–12), 35 (29–36) apart; setae d 14 (14–16), thick and stout, on annulus 27 (26–29), 28 (27–30) apart; setae e 9 (8–10), thick and stout, on annulus 45 (43–45), 19 (19–22) apart; setae f 11 (10–11), very thick and stout, on annulus 81 (76–83), 24 (22–26) apart, 5 (5–6) from rear. Setae h2 55 (52–63), 20 (17–20) apart; setae h1 9 (9–10), very stout basally, tapering to a sharp point, thorn-like, 13 (11–13) apart; h2 and h1 tubercles 4 (4–5) apart. Genital coverflap unornamented, smooth, ventrally removed caudad, 7 (7–9), 15 (14–15) wide. Setae 3a 13 (12–15), 13 (12–13) apart.

MALE: No males found.

Host plant. Juncus squarrosus L. ( Juncaceae ) (Heath Rush).

Relation to the host. Found between the leaf sheaths, causing no apparent damage.

Type locality. England, North Yorkshire, York, Strensall Common (54° 2ʹ 40.2ʺ N, 1° 0ʹ 41.76ʺ W). Collected by C. Malumphy on 26.vi.2009.

Type material. Holotype female mounted on a single microscope slide. Nine further paratype slides, each with one specimen, have been deposited in the Natural History Museum, London. Thirty paratype slides, each with one specimen, have been retained in the collections of Fera.

Etymology. The specific name is the Latin aculeatus , meaning 'prickly' or 'spined', relating to the thorn-like h1 setae.

Discussion. Novophytoptus aculeatus is the eighth species to be described in this genus, the other seven being: Novophytoptus rostratae Roivainen 1947 , described from Carex rostrata Stokes , Finland; Novophytoptus stipae Keifer 1962b , described from Stipa speciosa Trin. & Rupr. , USA; Novophytoptus tauricus Mitrofanov et al. 1983b , described from Carex sp., Ukraine; Novophytoptus bagdasarjani Shevtchenko & Pogosova 1983 , described from Quercus macranthera Fisch. & C. A. Mey. ex Hohen. , Armenia; Novophytoptus glyceriae Skoracka & Boczek 2000 , described from Glyceria maxima (Hartm.) Holmb. , Poland; Novophytoptus ammophilae Skoracka & Boczek 2000 , described from Ammophila arenaria (L.) Link., Poland; and Novophytoptus silvai Flechtmann 2004 , described from Cyperus giganteus Vahl , Brazil. Chetverikov & Sukhareva (2007) discussed Novophytoptus in detail, and gave many records of N. rostratae from Russia and Ukraine from Bolboschoenus maritimus (L.) Palla, Eriophorum L. spp., Luzula pilosa (L.) Willd., Scirpoides Seg. spp. and many Carex L. spp.. Novophytoptus bagdasarjani is treated as an ' inquirenda species' by Chetverikov & Sukhareva (2007) as the prodorsal shield ornamentation was not described or figured.

Differential diagnosis. When compared to the other species of Novophytoptus , N. aculeatus has similarities to N. tauricus due to the form of the h1 setae being thick and thorn-like. Apart from inhabiting a different host, N. aculeatus differs by having stout, and much shorter ventral opisthosomal setae, and much shorter sc setae. The prodorsal shield ornamentation also differs, with N. aculeatus having the anterior part of the median line very thick, and sub-divided into about 5 fine ridges, whereas N. tauricus has the median line much narrower and appears to be undivided and complete. The form of the empodia of N. aculeatus also seems unique in this genus: both legs I and II have the apical empodial rays asymmetrical, whereas all the other species have the apical rays symmetrical on leg I, and only asymmetrical on leg II.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Semi-schematic line drawings of Novophytoptus aculeatus n. sp.: A. Full lateral view of female; B. Anterior prodorsal shield region; C. Lateral posterior region; D. Coxigenital region of female; E. Leg I; F. Leg II; G. Microtubercles and annuli; H. Internal female genitalia; I. Empodium I; J. Empodium II. Scale bar: 50 µm for A; 13 µm for B; 20 µm for C; 27 µm for D; 9 µm for E & F; 5 µm for G; 13 µm for H; 10 µm for I & J.

FIGURE 2. Digital micrographs of Novophytoptus aculeatus n. sp.: A. Dorsal anterior region of female, scale bar 10 µm; B. Coxigenital region of female, scale bar 20 µm.

FIGURE 3. Digital micrograph of Novophytoptus aculeatus n. sp.: Dorsal posterior region. Scale bar 10 µm.