Aceria carlinae ( Nalepa 1905 )

Vidović, Biljana, 2014, A new species and record of Aceria (Acari: Prostigmata: Eriophyoidea) on Carlina spp. (Asteraceae) from Serbia, Zootaxa 3838 (4), pp. 486-494 : 490

Aceria carlinae ( Nalepa 1905) : a new distribution and plant host record

( Fig. 2 )

Eriophyes carlinae Nalepa 1905 ; Anz, 42(7): 79–80 (no fig.) Aceria carlinae Misfud et al. 40(2006–2007): 117–138 (fig.)

Material examined. 10 females (microscope slides ## 201/1,4,5,6,7,8,10,11,14,15) collected from Carlina vulgaris L. ( Asteraceae ), Goč, Serbia (43 ◦ 33.497'N, 20 ◦ 43.291'E), 10 July 2007, coll. B. Vidović. In addition, 31 females, 3 males and 3 nymphs with same collection data as previous; 48 females and 2 males, Vlasina, Serbia (42 ◦ 42.008'N, 22 ◦ 18.659'E), 9 June 2007, from Carlina vulgaris L. ( Asteraceae ), coll. D. Smiljanić.

Host plant. Carlina vulgaris L. ( Asteraceae )

Relation to the host. This species is vagrant on the lower leaf surfaces of C. vulgaris in Serbia.

Remarks. Firstly, Aceria carlinae was described by Nalepa (1905) from samples of Atractylis (Carlina) gummifera L collected in Palermo, Sicily, Italy. This species, a gall-maker, causes soft, long and whitish coloured hairs to grow on the surface of leaves (Mifsud et al 2006–2007). The information provided here documents another Carlina plant species, namely Carlina vulgaris , as being a host for A. carlinae (see morphological illustration of mite, Fig. 2 ), along with Carlina gummifera as found in Malta by Mifsud (2006–2007). In addition, an unidentified Eriophyes sp., causing leaf erinea in Malta similar to that of A. carlinae (Caruana Gatto 1926 loc.cit. by Mifsud 2006–2007), was noted on Carlina involucrata Poir. (syn. of Carlina corymbosa L.) by Mifsud et al. (2006–2007) who suggested that samples of deformation caused by the Eriophyes sp. should be collected and studied further.

Eriophyoid mites from the genus Aceria were detected during our investigation of the plant species Carlina vulgaris in Serbia. After comparing quantitative and qualitative morphological characters of the Serbian A. carlinae populations on Carlina vulgaris with the description of A. carlinae from Carlina gummifera in Malta by Mifsud et al. (2006–2007), we determined that the specimens from Serbia should be characterized as Aceria carlinae . However, along with extensive morphological similarities, differences in certain characters were also found between the Serbian and Maltese populations. When compared with Aceria carlinae from Malta ( Table 1 ), female specimens of A. carlinae from Serbia had longer and wider body measurements; a wider prodorsal shield without dashes between the median and admedian lines; longer sc and c2 setae. However, the most significant difference was the variation in lifestyle. In the samples collected from Serbia, no apparent damage symptoms of the host plant were observed. In contrast, A. carlina on C. gummifera from Malta was described by Mifsud et al. (2006–2007) as causing leaf erinea.

The differences listed above may either be plant host- or region- dependent. To determine whether such differences are intra- or interspecific, the variability within morphological traits should be investigated further. Future research should focus on both morphometric analysis and molecular-based methodology to determine the exact status of each taxon, especially for clarifying the possible existence of cryptic species such as those recognised in other closely-related eriophyoid species ( Carew et al. 2009; Skoracka et al. 2002; Skoracka et al. 2012; Vidović et al. 2010; Vidović et al. 2012).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Aceria carlinae (Nalepa): AL. Antero-lateral mite; CG. Coxigenital region of female; DA. Dorsal view of prodorsal shield; em. empodium; GM. Genital region, male; IG. Internal genitalia, female; L 1. Leg I; LO. Lateral opisthosoma; PM. Postero-lateral mite. Scale bar: 25 Μm for DA, CG, GM; 20 Μm for L 1; 10 Μm for em.