Latitudo asiaticis, Yuan & Xue, 2019

Yuan, Yan-Mei & Xue, Xiao-Feng, 2019, Two new species of eriophyid mites (Acari: Eriophyidae) from Malaysia, Zootaxa 4613 (1), pp. 152-160 : 156-160

Latitudo asiaticis sp. nov.

( Figs 3–4 )

Description. Female (n = 8): Body fusiform, 210 (185–212), 70 (60–72) wide, 48 (48–55) thick; light yellow in colour. Gnathosoma 35 (30–36), projecting downwards, pedipalp coxal seta (ep) absent, dorsal pedipalp genual setae (d) right-angle bended at basal 1/3, the tip branch 15 (11–15), the basal branch 5 (5–6) ( Figure 3F , 4D ). Prodorsal shield 55 (55–57), 66 (62–68) wide included the frontal lobe, smooth; scapular tubercles absent. Coxigenital region with 15(14–15) semiannuli between coxae and genitalia, smooth; anterolateral setae on coxisternum І (1b) 10 (9–11), 15 (14–16) apart; proximal setae on coxisternum І (1a) 12 (12–15), 11 (10–13) apart; proximal setae on coxisternum ІІ (2a) 35 (35–41), 33 (29–33) apart. Prosternal apodeme 8 (6–9). Leg І 35 (31–35), femur 14 (13–14), basiventral femoral setae (bv) 16 (14–16); genu 4 (4–5), antaxial genual setae (l'') 35 (32–35); tibia 9 (6–9), paraxial tibial setae l' absent; tarsus 6 (5–6), paraxial fastigial tarsal setae ft’ 20 (15–21), antaxial fastigial tarsal setae ft’’ 23 (18–25); two small unnamed setae were observed at the tip of tarsus ( Figure 3C, 3G and Figure 4 ); seta u' 5 (4–5), tarsal empodium (em) 8 (8–9), simple, 7-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 9 (9–11), knobbed. Leg ІІ 30 (28–30), femur 12 (11–12), basiventral femoral setae (bv) 13 (13–15); genu 3 (3–4), antaxial genual setae (l'') absent; tibia 8 (5–8); tarsus 5 (4–5), setae ft’ 8 (7–10), setae ft’’ 23 (20–23); two small unnamed setae were observed at the tip of tarsus ( Figure 4 ); seta u' 5 (4–5), tarsal empodium (em) 7 (7–8), simple, 7-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 8 (8–10), knobbed. Opisthosoma dorsally with 35 (35–47) annuli, smooth, ventrally with 80 (78–81) semiannuli, with elliptical to linear microtubercles. Setae c2 36 (30–36) on ventral semiannulus 19 (18–21), 58 (48–58) apart; setae d 70 (68–70) on ventral semiannulus 35 (29–36), 38 (29–38) apart; setae e 27 (25–28) on ventral semiannulus 55 (50–56), 19 (13–19) apart; setae f 20 (18–25), 19 (15–20) apart, on 6th–7th ventral semiannulus from rear. Setae h1 absent, h2 80 (75– 90). Female genitalia 17 (16–18), 33 (28–33) wide, coverflap with a transverse line formed by granules at center, setae 3a 8 (5–8), 16 (15–19) apart. Internal genitalia: spermathecae ovoid, oriented posterolaterad; spermathecal tubes relatively short; transverse genital apodeme trapezoidal, distally folded.

Male (n = 4): Smaller than female, body fusiform, 158 (145–180), 50 (45–56) wide; light yellow in colour. Gnathosoma 30 (30–32), projecting downwards, pedipalp coxal seta (ep) absent, dorsal pedipalp genual setae (d) right-angle bended at basal 2/3, the tip branch 9 (9–11), the basal branch 5 (5–5). Prodorsal shield 50 (50–52), 59 (58–60) wide including the frontal lobe, smooth; scapular tubercles absent. Coxigenital region with 14 (14–15) semiannuli between coxae and genitalia, smooth; anterolateral setae on coxisternum І (1b)10 (8–12), 13 (12–14) apart proximal setae on coxisternum І (1a) 13 (11–14), 9 (9–9) apart; proximal setae on coxisternum ІІ (2a) 39 (37–40), 27 (24–28) apart. Prosternal apodeme 6 (6–7). Leg І 32 (31–32), femur 13 (13–14), basiventral femoral setae (bv) 15 (13–16); genu 4 (4–4), antaxial genual setae (l'') 31 (28–33); tibia 7 (6–7), paraxial tibial setae l' absent; tarsus 5 (5–5), paraxial fastigial tarsal setae ft’ 20 (18–20), antaxial fastigial tarsal setae ft’’ 23 (21–23); two small unnamed setae were observed at the tip of tarsus; seta u' 5 (4–5), tarsal empodium (em) 8 (7–9), simple, 7-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 9 (8–10), knobbed. Leg ІІ 29 (28–30), femur 12 (11–12), basiventral femoral setae (bv) 13 (10–14); genu 4 (3–4), antaxial genual setae (l'') absent; tibia 6 (6–6),tarsus 5 (4–5), setae ft’ 8 (7–8), setae ft’’ 18 (17–20); two small unnamed setae were observed at the tip of tarsus; seta u' 5 (4–5), tarsal empodium (em) 7 (6–9), simple, 7-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 8 (7–9), knobbed. Opisthosoma dorsally with 35 (34–37) annuli, smooth, ventrally with 79 (77–81) semiannuli, with elliptical to linear microtubercles. Setae c2 26 (25–28) on ventral semiannulus 19 (18–20), 40 (37–42) apart; setae d 72 (70–74) on ventral semiannulus 33 (31–34), 24 (23–25) apart; setae e 24 (23–24) on ventral semiannulus 54 (50–56), 11 (10–12) apart; setae f 24 (21–27), 15 (14–17) apart, on 6th–7th ventral semiannulus from rear. Setae h1 absent, h2 83 (79–90). Male genitalia 16 (15–16), 18 (17–20) wide, with granules between setae 3a, setae 3a 8 (6–10), 14 (12–16) apart.

Type material. Holotype, female (slide number NJAU-KK21b.1 ; marked Holotype), found on Psychotria asiatica (Rubiaceae), Mountain Trusmadi , Keningau, Sabah, Malaysia, 5°47′59″N, 116°27′05″E, elevation 1182 m, 3 May 2017, coll. Xiao-Feng Xue, deposited as a slide-mounted specimen in NJAU . Paratypes, 8 females and six males (slide number NJAU-kk21b.2–NJAU-kk21b.12; marked Paratypes), from Psychotria asiatica (Rubiaceae) , same details as holotype, deposited as slide-mounted specimens in NJAU.

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

Etymology. The specific designation asiaticis is from the species name of host plant, asiatica; feminine in gender.

Differential diagnosis. The new species is differentiated from L. sanasaii Huang, 2001 by having a smooth prodorsal shield (prodorsal shield with admedian lines in L. sanasaii), the coxigenital region with 15 (14–15) semiannuli between the coxae and genitalia (coxigenital region smooth between coxae and genitalia in L. sanasaii) and the dorsal pedipalp genual setae (d) bent at a right-angle (pedipalp setae d normal in L. sanasaii).

Remarks. L. asiaticis sp. nov. is the second species described in Latitudo. Intriguingly, the dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) is bent at a right-angle in L. asiaticis sp. nov.; this character is recorded for the first time in the tribe Calacarini. Normally, the dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) is short and straight in most eriophyoid species. However, this seta is divided into a short branch and a long branch in some species of the tribe Phyllocoptini. The shape of dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) (normal or divided) was assigned as a generic character by Amrine et al. (2003).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Latitudo asiaticis sp. nov. A, ventral view; B, dorsal view; C, leg I and Leg II; D, internal female genitalia; E, male genitalia; F, bended dorsal pedipalp genual setae d; G, empodium. Scale bar: 10 μm.

FIGURE 4. Latitudo asiaticis sp. nov. D, dorsal view of female; d, bended dorsal pedipalp genual setae d; CG, coxigenital area; L1, leg І; L2, leg 2; GM, male genitalia; PM, lateral view of telosoma; em, empodium; IG, internal genitalia; LO, lateral microtubercles. Scale bar: 10 μm for D, CG, AL, and PM; 5 μm for IG, LO, L1 and L2; 2.5μm for em and d.