Cosetacus sharadi, 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 : 63-65

Cosetacus sharadi n. sp.

( Fig. 1 A–I)

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by the following combination of characters: antapical seta present; feather claw divided, each with 4–5 rays; coxa I and II mostly smooth; coxisternal area with microtuberculate annuli. Female genital cover flap ribbed with 12–14 ridges in 2 ranks. Seta c2 hardly reaching the base of the longest seta d, seta f more than twice the length of the shortest seta e, setae h 1 absent and caudal setae h2 slightly shorter than seta d. Prodorsal shield area coarsely granulated and with small lines. Median line discernable on rear half, connected to admedian lines by cross lines at just beyond half and also ahead of rear margin. Admedian lines complete, curving back from near front of anterior lobe. First submedians curving out from anterior side of admedian lines and recurving back to admedians just before half. Second submedian lines irregular, running out to the shield margins. Body colour pale yellow.

FEMALE (n=10) – Body worm like, 198±37.8 (155–260) long, 61.5±7.4 (55–75) wide. Gnathosoma projecting downwards; antapical setae 6.9±0.7 (6–8); chelicerae 21.3±2.8 (18–25); rostrum 20.1±3.6 (15–25). Prodorsal shield tapering anteriorly, however, slightly rounded at tip with numerous small granules/dots and short lines; 31.5±3.5 (26–36) long, 52.1±7.19 (42–63) wide; median line discernable on rear half, very faintly represented in the anterior shield with broken lines, median line connected to admedian lines by cross lines at two points, just a little ahead of rear margin and at about half of median. Admedian lines complete, curving out and back from near front of anterior lobe to half of shield and then running almost parallel to median. First submedian lines represented in anterior shield only, seen curving out and recurving back to admedians just before half. Second submedian lines irregular, running out to the shield margins. Dorsal tubercles near rear shield margin 26.2±2.2 (20–28) apart, directing scapular seta (sc) divergently backwards; sc 22.3±2 (18–24), spanning 9±1 (8–11) annuli. Legs lacking tibial setae. Leg I 33.6±4.2 (28–40); femur 8.1±0.7 (7–9), femoral seta (bv) 10.7±0.9 (10–12); femur without ventral lines; genu 3.7±0.8 (3–5), genual seta (l”) 23±2.2 (19–25); tibia 5.5±0.5 (5–6), tibial seta (l ’) absent; tarsus 6.5±1 (5–8), solenidion 8.2±1.5 (5–11), slightly curved, rodlike, empodium 4.7±0.6 (4–6), feather claw divided, 4–5 rayed, dorsal seta (ft’) 13±2.3 (10–17), lateral seta (ft”) 19.6±1.8 (17–22), unguinal seta (u’) 3.5±0.5 (3–4). Leg II 25 ±3.3 (21–29); femur 6.1±0.9 (5–8); bv 12±1.8 (10–14); femur without ventral lines; genu 3.5±0.5 (3–4), l” 5.9±0.7 (5–7); tibia 4.9±0.3 (4–5), l ’ absent; tarsus 6.2±0.4 (6–7), solenidion 9.5±0.5 (9–10), slightly curved, not knobbed, empodium 4.5±0.7 (4–6), feather claw divided, 4–5 rayed, ft’ 5.7±1.1 (4–7), ft” 20.7±1.8 (19–23), u’ 3.6±0.5 (3–4). Coxae I approximate centrally and not contiguous, measly granulated; coxal seta I (1b) 6.9±0.7 (5–8), 12.6±1.8 (10–14) apart; coxal seta II (1a) 23.2±3.8 (20–30), 14.8±2 (12–17) apart; coxal seta III (2a) 37.3±2.7 (36–42), 24.2±4.2 (17–30) apart. Coxisternal area without coarse granules but with annulus. Genitalia 24±5.2 (18–24) wide, 16.2±2.2 (13–19) long; epigynium ribbed with 12–14 ribs each in two ranks, lower rank with more regular ribs; genital seta (3a) 11±2.2 (9–15). Opisthosoma annuli continuous dorsoventrally. Lateral seta (c2) 13.6±1.7 (11–15), on annulus 7.7±0.4 (7–8) from the first complete ventral ring. Ventral seta I (d) 63.5±9.7 (51–75), 38.8±2.9 (36–44) apart, on annulus 17.5±1.1 (16–18); ventral seta II (e) 10.8±1.3 (9–13), 24.3±2 (21–27) apart, on annulus 28.4±1.5 (27–30); ventral seta III (f) 25±2.8 (21–28), 21.6±3.3 (17–25) apart, on annulus 55.3±3.1 (52–58). Dorsal annuli undulate with oval microtubercles but not so distinctly visible, those on posterior 12–15 annuli more elongate and triangular, total dorsal annuli 54.2±2.8 (50–57); ventral annuli with small and slightly oval microtubercles, becoming more narrow, elongate and triangular around 10–13 annuli before setae f and thereon they appear as closely spaced thin lines till the last annuli, total ventral annuli 62.3±3.3 (59–66). Caudal seta (h2) 56.8±7.1 (47–63); accessory seta (h1) absent.

MALE (n=10) – Similar to female, 167±8.6 (155–175), 54.2±3 (49–55) wide. Gnathosoma projecting downwards; antapical setae 5.4±0.5 (5–6); chelicerae 20.5±1.9 (17–22); rostrum 16.5±2.5 (12–19). Prodorsal shield 28±1.8 (26–30) long, 46±2.2 (45–50) wide; Dorsal tubercles near rear shield margin 25.2±2.2 (22–28) apart, directing scapular seta (sc) divergently backwards; sc 19.2±0.7 (18–20), spanning 8±0 (8) annuli. Legs lacking tibial setae. LegI 29.5±4.2 (25–30); femur 7±0 (7), femoral seta (bv) 10.5±0.5 (10–11); genu 3.5±0.5 (3–5), genual seta (l”) 19.0±1.3 (9–21); tibia 5.2±0.4 (5–6), tibial seta (l ’) absent; tarsus 6±0.6 (5–7), solenidion 7.2±0.7 (6–8), slightly curved, not knobbed, empodium 4±0 (4), feather claw divided, 4–5 rayed, dorsal seta (ft’) 11±1.7 (8–13), lateral seta (ft”) 17.7±1.8 (16–21), unguinal seta (u’) 3.2±0.4 (3–4). LegII 24.5±1.9 (22–27); femur 6.5±1.5 (5–9); bv 10±0.6 (9–11); genu 3.2±0.4 (3–4), l” 6.5±0.5 (6–7); tibia 4.2±0.4 (4–5), l ’ absent; tarsus 5.7±0.4 (5–6), solenidion 9±0.6 (9–10), slightly curved, not knobbed, empodium 4.2±0.7 (3–5), feather claw divided, 4–5 rayed, ft’ 6.5±0.5 (6–7), ft” 18±1.4 (16–20), u’ 3±0 (3). Coxae I fused; coxal seta I (1b) 9±0 (9), 10±0 (10) apart; coxal seta II (1a) 17±2.1 (17–20), 12.5±1 (11–14) apart; coxal seta III (2a) 35.5±2.7 (32–40), 21.4±0.8 (20–22) apart. Genitalia 15±1.1 (14–17) wide, 13.7±1.2 (13–16) long; genital seta (3a) 10±1.1 (9–12). Opisthosoma lateral seta (c2) 14±1.4 (12–16), on annulus 8±0.6 (7–9) from the first complete ventral ring. Ventral seta I (d) 51.7±7.5(40–60), 33.7±0.4 (33–34) apart, on annulus 16.7±0.8 (16–18); ventral seta II (e) 10.5±0.8 (10–12), 19.7±0.4 (19–20) apart, on annulus 27±1.1 (25–28); ventral seta III (f) 23.2±2.2 (20–26), 17.5±0.8 (16–18) apart, on annulus 51.5±1.9 (48–53). Total dorsal annuli 48.2±1 (47–50), microtuberculate; total ventral annuli 58.2±2.3 (54–60), microtuberculate. Caudal seta (h2) 46.2±2.7 (43–50); accessory seta absent.

Type material. Holotype female, 30 female and 10 male paratypes, from Cordia dichotoma (Boraginaceae) , IARI, New Delhi, coll. Pratibha Menon, 07 March 2008, on ten microscopic preparations deposited in NPC. Also 4 paratypes on three slides will be deposited in the Insect and Mite National Collection, National Museum of Natural History ( NMNH), Smithsonian Institution, U.S. D.A. and Systematic Entomology Laboratory (SEL), Beltsville, Maryland.

Relation to host. Mites of this species cause whitish erineum on the under surface of leaf, gradually becoming brownish as it matures, and observed hidden in the hair like outgrowths.

Etymology. The specific designation sharadi is derived from and is in honour of Mr. Sharad Pawar, Minister of Agriculture and President of Indian Council of Agricultural Research, which funds the Network Project on Insect Biosystematics.

Remarks. This species differs from all species known so far viz., C. camelliae , C. citrifolis and C. eupatori in having divided feather claw and its specific shield design.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Cosetacus sharadi n. sp. A Ventral view of female; B dorsal shield design; C & D internal genitalia female; E & F female genital coverflap; G genitalia of male; H leg I; I leg II. Scale = 10 Μ