Theaphyes rapaneae, Han, Xiao, Zuo, Yun, Xue, Xiao-Feng & Hong, Xiao-Yue, 2015

Han, Xiao, Zuo, Yun, Xue, Xiao-Feng & Hong, Xiao-Yue, 2015, Eriophyoid mites (Acari, Eriophyoidea) associated with tea plants, with descriptions of a new genus and two new species, ZooKeys 534, pp. 1-16 : 4-5

Taxon classification Animalia Prostigmata Eriophyidae

Theaphyes rapaneae sp. n. Fig. 1

Description.

FEMALE: (n = 9, ventral-dorsal position on slides). Body fusiform, white, 152 (152-153), 80 (80-85) wide. Gnathosoma 19 (19-20), projecting obliquely downwards, pedipalp coxal setae (ep) 2 (2-3), dorsal pedipalp genual setae (d) 8 (7-8), cheliceral stylets 20 (19-20). Prodorsal shield 58 (57-58), 80 (80-82) wide, admedian lines complete curving mesally at their posterior ends; frontal shield lobe absent. Scapular tubercles ahead of rear shield margin, 25 (24-25) apart, scapular setae (sc) 2 (2-3), projecting upward. Coxigenital region with 5 (5-6) semiannuli between coxae and genitalia. Coxal plates with a few short lines, anterolateral setae on coxisternum I (1b) 7 (6-7), 15 (15-16) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum I (1a) 11 (10-11), 14 (14-15) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum II (2a) 12 (12-15), 33 (32-33) apart. Prosternal apodeme absent. Leg I 27 (26-27), femur 11 (10-11), basiventral femoral setae (bv) 5 (5-6); genu 3 (2-3), antaxial genual setae ( l’’) 21 (20-21); tibia 3 (2-3), paraxial tibial setae ( l’) 4 (4-5), located at 2/3 from the dorsal base; tarsus 7 (6-7), paraxial, fastigial, tarsal setae ( ft’) 15 (15-16), antaxial, fastigial, tarsal setae ( ft’’) 18 (18-20), paraxial, unguinal, tarsal setae ( u’) 4 (4-5); tarsal empodium (em) 5 (4-5), simple, 5-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 5 (5-6), slightly knobbed, located below empodium. Leg II 20 (20-21), femur 10 (10-11), basiventral femoral setae (bv) 6 (6-7); genu 3 (2-3), antaxial genual setae ( l’’) absent; tibia 2 (2-3); tarsus 7 (6-7), paraxial, fastigial, tarsal setae ( ft’) 3 (3-4), antaxial, fastigial, tarsal setae ( ft’’) 18 (17-18), paraxial, unguinal, tarsal setae ( u’) 4 (3-4); tarsal empodium (em) 5 (4-5), simple, 5-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 7 (7-8), little knobbed, located below empodium. Opisthosoma dorsally with 26 (26-29) semiannuli, smooth, with a wide furrow, ventrally with 54 (52-54) semiannuli, with linear microtubercles. Setae c2 19 (18-19) on ventral semiannulus 6 (6-7), 85 (80-85) apart; setae d 35 (34-35) on ventral semiannulus 21 (20-21), 32 (30-32) apart; setae e absent, setae f 15 (15-16) on 5 th– 6th ventral semiannulus from rear, 20 (20-21) apart. Setae h1 absent, h2 50 (50-60). Genital coverflap 20 (18-20), 38 (38-39) wide, coverflap with 22-23 longitudinal ridges in one rank, some ridges not complete, setae 3a 6 (5-6), 24 (18-24) apart.

MALE: (n = 4, ventral-dorsal position on slides). 142 (142-145), 69 (69-70) wide; white. Gnathosoma 19 (18-19), projecting obliquely downwards, pedipalp coxal setae (ep) 2 (1-2), dorsal pedipalp genual setae (d) 6 (5-6), cheliceral stylets 17 (16-17). Prodorsal shield 53 (53-54), 65 (65-70) wide, admedian lines complete curving mesally at their posterior ends; frontal shield lobe absent. Scapular tubercles ahead of rear shield margin, 22 (22-24) apart, scapular setae (sc) 3 (2-3), projecting upward. Coxigenital region with 5 (5-6) semiannuli between coxae and genitalia. Coxal plates with a few short lines, anterolateral setae on coxisternum I (1b) 5 (5-6), 10 (10-12) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum I (1a) 7 (7-8), 14 (12-14) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum II (2a) 10 (10-11), 27 (27-28) apart. Prosternal apodeme absent. Leg I 20 (20-21), femur 12 (11-12), basiventral femoral setae (bv) 5 (5-6); genu 3 (2-3), antaxial genual setae ( l’’) 17 (17-18); tibia 3 (2-3), paraxial tibial setae ( l’) 4 (4-5), located at 2/3 from the dorsal base; tarsus 5 (4-5), paraxial, fastigial, tarsal setae ( ft’) 13 (13-14), antaxial, fastigial, tarsal setae ( ft’’) 17 (15-17), paraxial, unguinal, tarsal setae ( u’) 4 (4-5); tarsal empodium (em) 5 (4-5), simple, 5-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 5 (5-6), slightly knobbed, located below empodium. Leg II 18 (17-18), femur 9 (8-9), basiventral femoral setae (bv) 4 (4-6); genu 2 (2-3), antaxial genual setae ( l’’) absent; tibia 3 (3-4); tarsus 5 (4-5), paraxial, fastigial, tarsal setae ( ft’) 4 (4-5), antaxial, fastigial, tarsal setae ( ft’’) 15 (14-15), paraxial, unguinal, tarsal setae ( u’) 3 (3-4); tarsal empodium (em) 5 (4-5), simple, 5-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 7 (7-8), slightly knobbed, located below empodium. Opisthosoma dorsally with 28 (26-28) semiannuli, smooth, with a wide furrow; ventrally with 51 (48-51) semiannuli, with linear microtubercles. Setae c2 12 (12-13) on ventral semiannulus 6 (5-6), 65 (64-69) apart; setae d 20 (18-22) on ventral semiannulus 16 (15-17), 27 (25-27) apart; setae e absent, setae f 14 (14-15) on 5 th– 6th ventral semiannulus from rear, 20 (18-20) apart. Setae h1 absent, h2 52 (51-52). Genitalia 20 (20-21) wide, setae 3a 5 (5-6), 15 (13-15) apart.

Type host plant.

Rapanea neriifolia (Sieb. et Zucc.) Mez ( Myrsinaceae )

Other host plant.

Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze

Relation to the host plant.

Vagrant. No damage to the host plant was observed.

Type locality.

Nanling National Forest Park, Guangdong Province (24°53'50"N, 113°01'18"E), elevation 1,408 m, 31 July 2012, coll. Qiong Wang, Hao-Sen Li and Jing-Feng Guo.

Type material.

Holotype, single female on a microscope slide (slide number NJAUAcariEriGD21.1; marked Holotype), from Rapanea neriifolia . Paratypes, 4 females and 4 males mounted on separate microscope slides (slide number NJAUAcariEriGD21.2-NJAUAcariEriGD21.9), same collection data of the holotype.

Other material.

10 females mounted on separate microscope slides (slide numbers NJAUAcariEriYN304B.1-NJAUAcariEriYN304B.10), from Camellia sinensis .

Etymology.

The specific designation rapaneae is the genitive case derived from the genus name of the type host plant, Rapanea .

Remarks.

This species is found on the Myrsinaceae Rapanea neriifolia and also on Camellia sinensis . Slight morphological differences were observed between the populations found on the two host species: the population on Camellia sinensis is longer, thinner and with more ventral annuli (62-66) than the population on Rapanea neriifolia which is provided with fewer ventral annuli (52-54). The population found on Camellia sinensis occurred with other eriophyoid species and no males were collected. Current data do not allow understanding if the mite species colonizes regularly and successfully Camellia sinensis and it needs further biological studies.