Mediolata ronaldi Laniecka

Ripka, Geza, Laniecka, Izabella & Kazmierski, Andrzej, 2013, On the arboreal acarofauna of Hungary: Some new and rare species of prostigmatic mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Tydeidae, Iolinidae and Stigmaeidae), Zootaxa 3702 (1), pp. 1-50 : 42-46

Mediolata ronaldi Laniecka sp. nov.

( Figs. 34–39)

Mediolata sp. nov., Ripka & Kaźmierski 1998b: 421.

Type material. Holotype deutonymph (slide 752 = AK H-128) from Tilia tomentosa Moench (Tiliaceae) , HUNGARY: Széphalom (Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County), 0 9 August 1994, coll. G. Ripka.

Other localities. None.

Type repository. DAM.

Etymology. This species is dedicated to beloved son of IL, Ronald.

Relation to host. Leaves of Tilia tomentosa . Eriophyidae : Aculus argenteae (Farkas) ; Tetranychidae : Eoteranychus tiliarium (Hermann) ; Phytoseiidae : Euseius finlandicus (Oudemans) ; Tydeidae : Lorryia mali (Oudemans) , Lorryia paraobliqua Panou and Emmanouel , Tydeus californicus (Banks) ; Winterschmidtiidae : Czenspinskia transversostriata (Oudemans) [lower side of leaves] (Ripka 1998a, b; Ripka & Kaźmierski 1998a).

Differential diagnosis. The new species resembles Mediolata pini G. Canestrini in plates of the idiosoma, the same number, location and shape of the dorsal body setae, as well as the same setation of the leg femora and tarsi. These species differ in the characters listed in Table 7.

Description. DEUTONYMPH (holotype). Body oval, yellowish, relatively small. Idiosoma. Length 165, width 130. Dorsal plates—6 (1+2 prodorsals and 3 opisthosomal plates): prodorsal plate (P), extensive humeral plates, left and right (2×H), central plate (C), medial plate (M) and suranal plate (S). All plates without reticulation or granulations, separated from each to other by furrows only (no striated ranges between particular plates).

M. pini G. Canestrini M. ronaldi sp. nov.

Dorsal plates ornamented by reticulations, with clusters of Dorsal plates smooth

vacuoles apressed to inner walls of cells

Prodorsal plate entire Prodorsal plates separated by furrows into central (P) and 2

lateral plates (H)

Genu I with 1 seta + famulus k, genu II and III each with 1 Genu I with 2 setae + famulus k, genu II with 2 setae, genu seta III without setae

Tibia IV with 4 setae (+φ) Tibia IV with five setae (+φ) Palpal tibial claw single Palpal tibial claw with spur

Dorsal setation: 12 pairs; setae ae, be and de on plate P, setae he on shields H, setae a, b, la on plate C, setae c, d, lm on plate M and setae e and le on plate S. All dorsal body setae similar in shape: sharp, narrowly lanceolate and distinctly serrated. Setal lengths: ae 20, be 27, de 37, he 33, a 23, b 23, c 32, d 37, e 27, la 25, lm 32, le 27. Distances: a–a 33, la–la 83, b–b 33, lm–lm 68, c–c 23, d–d 33, e–e 11, le–le 30. Eyes placed on plate P, very close and posterior to bases of setae be. Post-ocular bodies not observed. Prodorsum anteriorly, opisthosoma laterally and venter striated. Epimeral formula: (3-1-3-0). Genital opening in form of longitudinal crevice, flanked by 2 pairs of genital setae (ge) and 3 pairs of agenital ones (ag). Podocephalic canals (cpc) clearly visible. Gnathosoma.

Protrudes strongly from above. Both stigmata and main tracheae clearly visible. Chelicerae partially fused, with strong cheliceral digits (stilettos), 30 long and slightly bent almost “S-shaped”. Palpi long. Palptibia and palptarsus form a thumb-claw complex. Palptarsus (thumb) 15 long. Palptibial claw with spur at its base; claw more than 1/3 length of thumb. Palpal setation: (0-2-1-3+claw-5+ ω+ζ). Distal eupathidium of palptarsus (ζ) with 3 prongs, seta acmζ lanceolate. Legs. Setation trochanters-tarsi: I (0-4-2+ k- 4+ φ -11+ ω), II (0-4-2-5+ φ -9+ ω), III (0-2-0-5+ φ -7+ ω), IV (0-1-0-5+ φ -7+ ω). Seta (famulus) k on genu I thorn-like, based on mug-shaped bulge. Tibial solenidia φ rod-like (φI longest). Tarsal solenidia ω cob-like; ωI broader than others; ωIII smaller than ωI and ωII, ωIV minute (very small). Apotele armed with 2 claws and empodium. Empodia composed of main stem and 2 forked chetoids (=raylets). Each arm of raylets also forked distally.

Remarks. Although the present description is based on a single deutonymph—its characters clearly distinguish it from the other species of this genus. In this genus there are no significant differences between adults and deutonymphs, with exception of body size (nymphs are smaller), nude trochanters in nymphs (at least trochanter IV), nude genua IV and a reduction in number of setae on epimeres: 3-1-3-0 instead of 3-1-3- 3 in adults (André 1977; Gonzalez-Rodriguez 1965; personal observations). Also the deutonymphal genital region is not fully developed (two pairs of the genital setae instead of three). However, newly described deutonymph preserves “adult” seta vs on tarsus I—in contrary to, for example, Mediolata mariaefrancae André, 1977 .