Notallus pestehae, Lotfollahi, Parisa, de Lillo, Enrico & Irani-Nejad, Karim Haddad, 2014

Lotfollahi, Parisa, de Lillo, Enrico & Irani-Nejad, Karim Haddad, 2014, Three new species from the subfamily Phyllocoptinae (Acari, Trombidiformes, Eriophyidae) in Iran, ZooKeys 426, pp. 17-27 : 22-23

Taxon classification Animalia ORDO FAMILIA

Notallus pestehae sp. n. Fig. 3

Description.

FEMALE (n=11). Body spindle shaped, 165 (156-185, including gnathosoma), 53 (48-57) thick, 52 (49-52) wide. Gnathosoma 41 (38-43) projecting obliquely downwards, chelicerae 37 (35-41), setae d 5 (4-5), unbranched. Prodorsal shield 39 (38-44) included the frontal lobe, 50 (46-50) wide, broad oval, with a broad based and distally truncated frontal lobe, 8 (7-11) over gnathosomal base. Shield pattern composed of a faint short median line on posterior ¼ of prodorsal shield, complete admedian lines close together in the middle of the prodorsal shield, and short first submedian lines on posterior 2/3 of the prodorsal shield, connected to admedian lines with a pair of transverse lines. Admedian lines delimit a median obscure strip (Fig. 3-AD). Tubercles of setae sc on the rear shield margin, 25 (24-26) apart, setae sc 42 (37-45), directing backward. Leg I 26 (25-28), femur 9 (7-9), genu 5 (4-5), tibia 5 (5-6), tarsus 6 (6-8), ω 7 (6.5-8) distally knobbed, empodium simple, 3.5 (3-4), 4-rayed; setae bv 11 (9-13), setae l" 19 (18-20), setae l' 7 (5-7), setae ft' 15 (12-16), setae ft" 17 (17-19). Leg II 20 (20-23), femur 7, genu 3 (3-4), tibia 4 (3-4), tarsus 6 (6-7), ω 7.5 (6.5-8) distally knobbed, empodium simple, 3.5 (3-4), 4-rayed; setae bv 11 (10-12), setae l" 6 (6-7), setae ft' 6 (4-6), setae ft" 16 (15-18). Coxae with sparse dashes in part lined; setae 1b 7 (7-9), tubercles 1b 8 apart, setae 1a 28 (27-33), tubercles 1a 6 (6-7) apart, setae 2a 45 (37-55), tubercles 2a 17 (17-18) apart. Prosternal apodeme 6 (6-6.5). Opisthosoma with 22 (21-23) broad dorsal semiannuli provided with three dorsal ridges; median ridge from forth dorsal semiannulus extended up to 16 (16-17) semiannulus, lateral ridges from first dorsal semiannulus extended up to 16 semiannulus; faint elongated microtubercles on the ridges; 59 (53-59) narrow microtuberculated ventral semiannuli (counted from the first annulus after the coxae II) and 5 semiannuli between coxae and genital coverflap plus 3 transversal rows of lined granules at the base of the coverflap. Setae c2 13 (11-15) on ventral semiannulus 11 (9-11), setae d 50 (43-51) on ventral semiannulus 22 (20-22); setae e 13 (13-15) on ventral semiannulus 39 (33-39); setae f 20 (15-23) on ventral semiannulus 54 (48-54). 5 annuli after setae f. Setae h2 53 (40-70) very thin at the apex, h1 very minute about 1. Genital coverflap 8 (8-11), 18 (18-19) wide, with 14 (12-14) striae; setae 3a 52 (43-52), 11 (10-13) apart.

MALE (n=2). Similar in shape and prodorsal shield arrangement to female, 160-168. Prodorsal shield 37-41; setae sc 24-31, 23 apart. Opisthosoma with 22 dorsal semiannuli and 49-51 ventral semiannuli; genital region 17 wide; setae 3a 41.

Type host plant.

Pistacia vera L. ( Anacardiaceae ), Pistachio.

Relation to the host plant.

Vagrant on leaves; no apparent damage was observed.

Type locality.

Akhijahan village, Gogan, Iran (37°47'14"N, 45°57'03"E), 1,346 m above sea level; late July 2011, coll. P. Lotfollahi.

Type material.

Holotype: single female on a microscope slide (PV-IEA-AN11L-1) (deposited at the Acarology Laboratory, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran). Paratypes: 11 females and 4 males mounted on separate microscope slides.

Other material.

Mites preserved in Oudemans’ fluid as extracted from the same sample as the type specimens.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is coming from the Persian common name pesteh given to pistachio.

Remarks.

This is the first record of a species belonging to the genus Notallus on plants of the Anacardiaceae family.

Differential diagnosis.

The genus Notallus is characterized by both lateral and middorsal ridges beginning on the forth dorsal semiannulus ( Amrine et al. 2003) while the Iranian mite is provided with lateral ridges beginning since the first dorsal semiannulus. In addition, Notallus nerii Keifer, 1975 has more dorsal semiannuli (about 26) and less ventral semiannuli (about 49) in respect to Notallus pestheae (about 22 and 59, respectively), its prodorsal shield is provided with a narrower frontal lobe and an almost “obsolete” pattern composed of faint admedian and converging submedian lines ( Notallus pesthae displays a clear pattern). Finally, Notallus pterocaryae Kuang, Luo & Wang, 2005, has smooth prodorsal shield and coxae (both areas are provided with ornamentations in Notallus pestheae ) and empodium 7-rayed (4-rayed in Notallus pestheae ).