Aculops jilinensis, Dong, Yan, Sun, Yan-Mei & Xue, Xiao-Feng, 2016

Dong, Yan, Sun, Yan-Mei & Xue, Xiao-Feng, 2016, Two new eriophyid mite species associated with Clematisternifloravar. mandshurica in China (Acari, Eriophyidae), ZooKeys 621, pp. 1-14 : 3-5

Taxon classification Animalia Prostigmata Eriophyidae

Aculops jilinensis sp. n. Figs 2, 3

Diagnosis.

Body fusiform; prodorsal shield with acuminate frontal lobe, median and admedian lines complete and connected at base by a pair of short lines, forming an “arrow”, submedian lines connected by a pair of diagonally reaching lines; scapular seta short 15 (14-20) on rear shield margin, projecting posteriorly; opisthosoma dorsally with evenly curved annuli (54-73 dorsally, 71-84 ventrally) and all standard setae for the Eriophyidae ; legs with standard setae, empodium simple, 7-rayed; coxigenital region with three pairs of setae and many granules, female genital coverflap with 13 (12-13) longitudinal ridges and two to three transverse lines at base.

Description.

FEMALE: (n = 9). Body fusiform, opisthosoma broadest 12 annuli posterior of the prodorsal shield, then tapering regularly until its posterior apex; 179 (179-271), 50 (50-70) wide, 53 (50-60) thick; light yellow. Gnathosoma 19 (19-25), projecting obliquely downwards, pedipalp coxal seta (ep) 4 (3-4), dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) simple, 6 (6-9), cheliceral stylets 11 (11-20). Prodorsal shield 38 (30-42), 45 (35-45) wide, subtriangular; frontal lobe acuminate, 6 (5-7). Median and admedian lines complete and connected at base by a pair of short, almost transversal (slightly oblique) lines, forming an “arrow”; median and admedian lines are also connected at centre by a pair of short, diagonally directed lines, forming an inverted “V”; submedian lines formed by two pairs of incomplete lines (submedian lines I and submedian lines II); submedian lines I reaching about midway, merged with a pair of lines converging posteriorly ( ‘a’ in Figure 2AD), themselves joining perpendicularly another pair of lines oriented anteromesally ( ‘b’ in Figure 2AD); submedian lines II flanking lateral edges of shield, joining with lines ‘a’; submedian lines II, together with lines ‘a’ and ‘b’, forming a triangular cell, opened posterolaterally; submedian lines I connected with admedian lines at center by a pair of “V” shaped lines; many granules distributed in the ‘triangular’ cell and between median, admedian and submedian lines. Scapular tubercles on rear shield margin, 24 (23-26) apart, scapular seta (sc) 15 (14-20), projecting posterior. Coxigenital region with 7 (5-10) microtuberculated annuli. Coxal plates with granules throughout; anterolateral seta on coxisternal plate I (1b) 9 (7-10), 13 (13-14) apart, proximal seta on coxisternal plate I (1a) 43 (35-45), 9 (8-11) apart, proximal seta on coxisternal plate II (2a) 48 (40-50), 25 (23-25) apart. Prosternal apodeme 6 (6-8). Leg I 37 (29-37), femur 9 (9-12), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 10 (9-11); genu 7 (5-7), antaxial genual seta ( l’’) 21 (20-25); tibia 9 (7-9), paraxial tibial seta ( l’) 6 (6-8), located at 1/3 from dorsal base; tarsus 6 (6-7), paraxial, fastigial, tarsal seta ( ft’) 19 (18-20), antaxial, fastigial, tarsal seta ( ft’’) 22 (22-26), paraxial, unguinal, tarsal seta ( u’) 4 (4-5); empodium (em) 9 (7-9), simple, 7-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 9 (8-10), rod-like. Leg II 26 (23-26), femur 9 (9-13), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 9 (8-12); genu 4 (4-5), antaxial genual seta ( l’’) 10 (8-11); tibia 7 (6-8); tarsus 6 (5-6), paraxial, fastigial, tarsal seta ( ft’) 7 (6-9), antaxial, fastigial, tarsal seta ( ft’’) 25 (21-25), paraxial, unguinal, tarsal seta ( u’) 5 (4-5); empodium (em) 7 (7-8), simple, 7-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 9 (9-10), rod-like. Opisthosoma dorsally arched, with 56 (54-73) dorsal semiannuli bearing rounded microtubercles except last 7-9th semiannuli with elongated microtubercles; ventrally with 72 (71-84) semiannuli, with (longitudinally) elongated microtubercles. Seta c2 30 (30-35) on ventral semiannulus 12 (11-13), 45 (43-50) apart; seta d 73 (60-73) on ventral semiannulus 24 (20-28), 33 (30-45) apart; seta e 17 (15-20) on ventral semiannulus 42 (40-50), 17 (17-25) apart; seta f 25 (22-26) on 6th ventral semiannulus from rear, 18 (16-18) apart. Seta h1 5 (4-5), seta h2 70 (60-72). Female genitalia 14 (14-17), 21 (21-24) wide, coverflap with 13 (12-13) longitudinal ridges and two to three transverse lines at base, seta 3a 34 (34-45), 16 (16-20) apart.

MALE: (n = 1, dorsal view). Body fusiform, 270, 50 wide; light yellow. Gnathosoma 25, projecting obliquely downwards, pedipalp coxal seta (ep) 3, dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) simple, 5, cheliceral stylets 20. Prodorsal shield 32, 45 wide, subtriangular, frontal lobe acuminate, 5; shield design similar to that of female. Scapular tubercles on rear shield margin, 26 apart, scapular seta (sc) 15, projecting posteriorly. Coxigenital region with 7 microtuberculated annuli. Coxal plates with granules, anterolateral seta on coxisternal plate I (1b) 10, 14 apart, proximal seta on coxisternal plate I (1a) 43, 10 apart, proximal seta on coxisternal plate II (2a) 40, 27 apart. Prosternal apodeme 7. Leg I 35, femur 12, basiventral femoral seta (bv) 10; genu 7, antaxial genual seta ( l’’) 23; tibia 9, paraxial tibial seta ( l’) 7, located at 1/3 from dorsal base; tarsus 7, paraxial, fastigial, tarsal seta ( ft’) 28, antaxial, fastigial, tarsal seta ( ft’’) 23, paraxial, unguinal, tarsal seta ( u’) 5; empodium (em) 9, simple, 7-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 10, rod-like. Leg II 30, femur 8, basiventral femoral seta (bv) 12; genu 5, antaxial genual seta ( l’’) 13; tibia 7; tarsus 6, paraxial, fastigial, tarsal seta ( ft’) 9, antaxial, fastigial, tarsal seta ( ft’’) 23, paraxial, unguinal, tarsal seta ( u’) 5; empodium (em) 7, simple, 7-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 10, rod-like. Opisthosoma dorsally arched, with 70 semiannuli, with rounded microtubercles on the posterior margin, last 7-9th semiannuli with elongated microtubercles, ventrally with 80 semiannuli, with elongated microtubercles. Seta c2 38 on ventral semiannulus 16, 55 apart; seta d 65 on ventral semiannulus 28, 45 apart; seta e 16 on ventral semiannulus 46, 26 apart; seta f 29 on 6th ventral semiannulus from rear, 24 apart. Seta h1 5, seta h2 55. Male genitalia 24 wide, seta 3a 40, 20 apart.

Type material.

Holotype female (slide number NJAUAcariEriJ8A.1; marked Holotype), from Clematis terniflora var. mandshurica ( Ranunculaceae ), Jilin Agricultural Science and Technology University, Jilin City, Jilin Province, China, 43°57'16"N, 126°28'58"E, elevation 221m, 19 July 2015, coll. Yan-Mei Sun. Paratypes 8 females and 1 male on 9 microscope slides (slide number NJAUAcariEriJ8A.2-8A.10), same collection data and repository as holotype.

Relationship to host.

Infesting the tender upper leaves; making leaves severely curled and blistered (Figure 1A); hiding inside the curled surfaces (Figure 1B).

Etymology.

The specific designation jilinensis is derived from the name of location, Jilin City, where the new species was collected.

Remarks.

Up to now, no eriophyoid mite species in the genus Aculops was reported from the host plant family Ranunculaceae . The new species is similar to the other species in the genus Aculops but can be easily distinguished by characters of specific prodorsal shield design. However, it is mostly similar to Aculops alachuae Keifer, 1966b, which also has dorsal annuli with rounded microtubercles, coxal plates with granules, female genital coverflap with longitudinal ridges and prodorsal shield with lined design and many granules. The new species can be separated from Aculops alachuae by its 7-rayed empodium (4-rayed in Aculops alachuae ), median and admedian lines connected at the base by a pair of transverse lines forming an “arrow” (an “arrow” is present at the base of median line, but not connected with admedian lines in Aculops alachuae ), submedian lines connected by diagonally reaching lines (submedian lines separated in Aculops alachuae ), scapular seta sc short, 15 (14-20) (seta sc 27 in Aculops alachuae ). Aculops alachuae was reported infesting Rhus copallinum L. var. leucantha (Jacq.) DC. ( Anacardiaceae ) from Florida, USA, galling host plant leaves (Keifer, 1966b). The new species is also similar to Aculops euphorbicolus (Keifer, 1964), which also have annuli with rounded microtubercles (53 dorsal annuli), coxal plates with granules, female genital coverflap with longitudinal ridges and prodorsal shield with lined design, 7-rayed empodium, but can be differentiated by prodorsal shield with many granules between lines (prodorsal shield without granules in Aculops euphorbicolus ), median line complete (median line incomplete in Aculops euphorbicolus ), opisthosoma with 72 (71-84) ventral annuli (opisthosoma with 60 ventral annuli in Aculops euphorbicolus ), female genital coverflap with 13 (12-13) longitudinal ridges and two to three transverse lines at base (female genital coverflap with 8-10 ridges and two rows of granules in Aculops euphorbicolus ). Aculops euphorbicolus was reported from Euphorbia corollata L. ( Euphorbiaceae ) from Virginia (USA), making deformed flower clusters or galls (Keifer, 1964).

Some intraspecific differences in the design of the prodorsal shield were observed, especially between the median and admedian lines. The median line is complete in all specimens examined except the specimen illustrated in Figure 3C (median line interrupted at centre). Besides connected at base, median and admedian lines are always separated in specimens in Figures 3E and G. Median and admedian lines connected at base, basal 2/3 and 1/3 in Figures 3A, B, D, and F.