Aceria spicati ( Stebbins, 1909 )

Huang, Kun-Wei, 2008, Aceria (Acarina: Eriophyoidea) in Taiwan: five new species and plant abnormalities caused by sixteen species, Zootaxa 1829, pp. 1-30 : 20-22

Aceria spicati ( Stebbins, 1909) (Photos 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)

Eriophyes spicati Stebbins, 1909: 43

Eriophyes parallelus Hodgkiss, 1913:422 ; 1930: 40, pl. 13

Aceria spicata Davis, 1965: 205 , fig. 5 (deutogyne of Aceria spicati (Stebbins, 1909)) ; Huang, 1995: 12, fig. 1 Female: (n=5) Body worm-like, 158 long; prodorsal shield 22 long, 40 wide, anterior lobe present; prodorsal shield smooth; scapular tubercles set at prodorsal shield rear margin, setae (sc) 22 long, directed backward, sct-sct 21 apart; leg segments normal, foretibial seta (1') set at half, 5 long; 1st coxal setae (1b) 3 long, 1bt-1bt 8 apart, 2nd coxal setae (1a) 15 long, 1at-1at 11 apart, 3rd coxal setae (2a) 20 long, 2at-2at 22 apart; solenidion ending as knob; empodium simple, 4-rayed.

Opisthosoma: with about 58 microtuberculate rings; first 3 rings 5 long; lateral setae (c2) 21 long, c2t-c 2t 36 apart, c 2t \dt 41, c2t-dt 20; 1st ventral setae (d) 43 long, dt-dt 38 apart, dt\et 37, dt-et 25; 2nd ventral setae (e) 10 long, et-et 16 apart, et\ft 43, et-ft 41; 3rd ventral setae (f) 13 long, ft-ft 17 apart; setae h1 present.

Coverflap: 16 wide, 12 long, with about 10 longitudinal lines, genital setae (3a) 8 long, 3at-3at 14 apart.

PHOTO 8. Galls on upper leaf surface of Acer morrisonense caused by Vasates sp.

Male: not seen.

Specimens examined: 2 females, Tengchih, Kaohsiung, 22-Jul.-1993, Huang & Wang; ex. Acer morrisonense Hayata (Aceraceae) ; 2 females, Maolin, Kaohsiung, 28-Apr.-1998, K. W. Huang; ex. Acer morrisonense Hayata (Aceraceae) ; 3 females, Hoping, Taichung, 30-Apr.-2004, K. W. Huang, ex. Acer morrisonense Hayata (Aceraceae) . 4 females, Hoping, Taichung, K. W. Huang, ex. Acer morrisonense Hayata ; 3 females, ex. Acer kawakamii Koidzumi (Aceraceae) .

PHOTO 9. Erinea on lower leaf surface of Acer morrisonense caused by Aceria spicati ( Stebbins, 1909) .

PHOTO 10. Aceria spicati ( Stebbins, 1909) in erineum of Acer morrisonense .

PHOTO 11. Galls on upper leaf surface of Acer kawakamii caused by Vasates sp.

PHOTO 12. Erinea on lower leaf surface of Acer kawakamii caused by Aceria spicati ( Stebbins, 1909) .

Relation to host: Makes erineum on the lower surface of leaves.

Distribution: USA, Taiwan.

Note: This species was found associated with one species of Vas a te s Shimer, 1869 on the same host plant of Acer kawakamii Koidzumi (1911) . The latter species makes pouch galls on the upper surface of leaves. On some leaves, the erineum on the lower surface and the gall on the upper surface occurred simultaneously.