Oligonychus gossypii Zacher, 1921

Toroitich, Faith J., Ueckermann, Edward A., Theron, Pieter D. & Knapp, Markus, 2009, The tetranychid mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) of Kenya and a redescription of the species Peltanobia erasmusi Meyer (Acari: Tetranychidae) based on males, Zootaxa 2176, pp. 33-47 : 42-43

Oligonychus gossypii Zacher, 1921

Paratetranychus gossypii Zacher, 1921

Peritreme of this species ends with a small curve. Dorsal setae long and lanceolate extending beyond bases of next row of setae. Male aedeagus narrows distally and curves dorsad at about a right angle; distally, aedeagus has a large knob bearing a small anterior projection and a long, undulate posterior projection; tip directed ventrad; female opisthosoma with longitudinal striae between members of third (e1) and fourth (f1) pairs of dorsocentral setae; a diamond shaped structure present between these two pairs of setae. Leg chaetotaxy as follows: tarsi 13(1)+2-8+1-8-8/7; tibiae 10-7-6-7; genua 5-5-4-4; femora 10-6-4-4; foxae 2-2-1-1.

Specimens examined: Four males and six females collected on Haplocoelum inoploeum (Sapindaceae) from Malindi district (S03.19818°; E039.92382°).

Remark: This species was first described on Gossypium sp. from Togo ( Zacher, 1921). This species is widely distributed in the Afrotropics and Neotropics and it has a wide host range. In Africa, it is considered as a pest of cassava. An earlier record of this species in Kenya was by Nyiira (1982) on an unspecified host plant and location.