Acalitus delhiensis, Menon, Pratibha & Joshi, Sushila, 2009

Menon, Pratibha & Joshi, Sushila, 2009, Two new species of eriophyid mites (Acari: Eriophyidae) from India, Zootaxa 2067, pp. 62-68 : 65-67

Acalitus delhiensis n. sp.

( Fig. 2 A–H)

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by the following combination of characters: 7 rayed feather claw; presence of coarse granules on female genital cover flap, coxae I and II not granulated; coxisternal area clear. Female genital cover flap not deeply ribbed, however the flap is granulated. Seta c 2 almost reaching the base of seta d, which is slightly longer than seta e, seta e more than half the length of seta f which is shortest, setae h 1 absent and caudal setae very long, nearly thrice seta e. Dorsal shield with median line present in rear half, fading anteriorly. Admedian lines complete, bifurcating at anterior end to half of the shield. First submedian lines bifurcating or in some case trifurcating at anterior end of the shield. Second submedian lines small. Median, admedian and submedian lines joined by an invariable transverse line posteriorly. All branches of admedian and submedian lines terminate anteriorly on a transverse line that curves upward. Body colour brown.

FEMALE (n=10) – Body worm like, 258±33.8 (200–310) long, 60.7±3.8 (53–65) wide. Gnathosoma projecting downwards; antapical setae absent; chelicerae 18.5±1.3 (17–20); rostrum 12.7±1.2 (10–15). Prodorsal shield wide, slightly rounded at anterior end, 31.2±2.1 (28.35) long, 50±6 (43–66) wide; shield design with median line prominent in rear end. Admedian lines bifurcates at anterior end to half of the shield, complete. First submedian lines branched twice or thrice from anterior shield, the branches may be connected with branches of admedian lines. Second submedian lines small. Median, admedian and submedian lines joined by an invariable transverse line a little above rear end of the shield. All branches of admedian and submedian lines terminate anteriorly on a transverse line that curves upward. Dorsal tubercles near rear shield margin 22.2±5.7 (14–34) apart, directing scapular seta (sc) divergently backwards; sc 22.9±1.7 (20–25), spanning 7.4±1.3 (6–11) annuli. Legs lacking tibial setae. Leg I 29 ±3.6 (25–36); femur 7.9±1.3 (5–10), femoral seta (bv) absent; femur without ventral lines; genu 4.9±0.5 (4–6), genual seta (l”) 20.4±2.1 (18–25); tibia 5.1±0.87 (4–6), tibial seta (l ’) absent; tarsus 7.0±0.9 (6–9), solenidion 9.6±0.8 (8–11), slightly curved, tapered, empodium 8.0±1.3 (6–10), 7 rayed, dorsal seta (ft’) 10.2±2.8 (8–15), lateral seta (ft”) 23.1±4.2 (18–31), unguinal seta (u’) 4.7±0.9 (3–6). Leg II 26.2±4.7 (20–34); femur 7.6±2.0 (5–10); bv 13.1±2.5 (9–18); femur without ventral lines; genu 4.7±0.8 (3–6), l” 14.4±1.7 (11–17); tibia 4.5±0.7 (3–5), l ’ absent; tarsus 7.2±0.9 (5–8), solenidion 10.2±1 (8–11), slightly curved, not knobbed, empodium 6.8±0.9 (5–8), 7 rayed, ft ’ 8.6±1.6 (7–12), ft” 22.1±2.5 (18–25), u’ 4±0.9 (3–5). Coxae I fused; coxal seta I (1b) 16.8±2.5 (14–23), 11±0.4 (10–12) apart; coxal seta II (1a) 33.2±7.7 (20–45), 14±1 (13–16) apart; coxal seta III (2a) 49.7±6.5 (40–58), 28.1±1.9 (24–31) apart. Coxisternal area with a few coarse granules. Genitalia 20.1±3.2 (15–25) wide, 18±3.2 (13–23) long; epigynium with coarse granules; genital seta (3a) 13.1±1.6 (11–16). Opisthosomal annuli continuous dorsoventrally. Lateral seta (c2) 19.6±1.1 (18–22), on annulus 8.6±0.6 (8–10) from the first ventral annulus. Ventral seta I (d) 57±10.8 (40–75), 37±1.9 (33–40) apart, on annulus 20.4±1.3 (18–22); ventral seta II (e) 44.3±9.8 (30–55), 25.7±5.1 (21–35) apart, on annulus 34.7±2 (31–38); ventral seta III (f) 23.6±2.5 (20–28), 21.5±3.1 (18–28) apart, on annulus 59.2±2.9 (54–64). Total dorsal annuli 72.7±2 (68–76), microtuberculate, microtubercles slightly oval, with posterior base pointed, thorn-like, caudal 8–12 annuli with smaller, microtubercles, reducing in size towards rear annuli; total ventral annuli 63.4±3.1 (58–68), microtuberculate, oval, with its posterior margin also thorn-like, slightly triangular and pointed, caudal 5–6 annuli with thinner, elongate microtubercles. Caudal seta (h2) 121.8±28.1 (72–160); accessory seta (h1) absent.

MALE. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype female, 20 female paratypes, from Salvadora persica (Salvadoraceae) , IARI, New Delhi, coll. Sushila Joshi, 13 November 2007, on thirteen microscopic preparations deposited in NPC. Also 2 paratypes on two slides will be deposited in the Insect and Mite National Collection, NMNH, Smithsonian Institution located at the U.S. D.A. and SEL, Beltsville, Maryland.

Relation to host. The mite causes yellowish erineum on both the surface of the leaves.

Etymology. The specific designation delhiensis is derived from the name of the area of collection, New Delhi.

Remarks. This species resembles Acalitus epiphytivagrans ( Mohanasundaram, 1983) described from an unknown epiphytic parasitic plant from Tamil Nadu, India, in having 7 rayed feather claw and similar dorsal shield design, but differs in not having antapical setae, absence of accessory seta, microtubercles oval, reducing in size caudally and genital cover flap design which has coarse granules and absence of prominent crescentic scorings. A. epiphytivagrans has antapical seta, accessory seta, microtubercles oval to elongate along the posterior margin of each ring and genital cover flap shows 3–4 pairs of crescentic scorings. Further, this new species causes yellowish erineum on both surface of leaves, whereas, A. epiphytivagrans has been reported as vagrant on leaf surface, causing slight crinkling of leaves.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Acalitus delhiensis n. sp. A Lateral view of female; B dorsal shield design; C lateral shield design of female paratype; D female coxigenital area; E female genitalia; F microtubercles; G leg I; H leg II. Scale = 10 Μ