Aceria tragopogonis, Xue & Sadeghi & Hong, 2012

Xue, Xiao-Feng, Sadeghi, Hussein & Hong, Xiao-Yue, 2012, Four new eriophyoid mite species (Acari: Eriophyoidea: Eriophyidae) from Iran, Zootaxa 3544, pp. 28-40 : 29

Aceria tragopogonis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 & 2)

Description. FEMALE: (n=8). Body vermiform, 175 (172–180), 65 (65–68) wide, 70 (70–75) thick; light yellow. Gnathosoma 20 (20–21), projecting obliquely downwards, pedipalp coxal seta (ep) 3 (3–4), dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) 6 (5–6), cheliceral stylets 20 (20–23). Prodorsal shield 25 (25–27), 45 (45–46) wide, median, admedian and submedian lines complete and parallel, prodorsal shield with some short lines at lateral; anterior shield lobe absent. Scapular tubercles on rear shield margin, 28 (28–30) apart, scapular setae (sc) 45 (45–48), projecting posteriorly. Coxal plates with granules, anterolateral setae on coxisternum І (1b) 12 (12–13), 11 (11–12) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum І (1a) 20 (20–23), 9 (9–10) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum ІІ (2a) 41 (41–48), 23 (23–25) apart. Prosternal apodeme 7 (6–7). Legs with usual series of setae. Leg І 29 (28–30), femur 7 (7–8), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 10 (10–11); genu 4 (4–5), antaxial genual seta (l'') 33 (33–35); tibia 5 (5–6), paraxial tibial seta (l') 8 (7–8), located at 1/3 from dorsal base; tarsus 5 (5–6), seta ft' 21 (21–22), seta ft'' 25 (25–26), seta u' 6 (6–7); tarsal empodium (em) 7 (6–7), simple, 6-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 9 (9–10), rod-like. Leg І 23 (23–25), femur 7 (7–8), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 11 (11–12); genu 4 (4–5), antaxial genual seta (l'') 13 (11–13); tibia 4 (4–5); tarsus 6 (5–6), seta ft' 8 (6–8), seta ft'' 27 (25–27), seta u' 5 (5–6); tarsal empodium (em) 7 (6–7), simple, 6-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 9 (7–9), rod-like. Opisthosoma dorsally with 66 (66–67) annuli, with elliptical microtubercles, ventrally with 65 (65–69) annuli, with elliptical microtubercles. Setae c2 38 (38–41) on ventral annulus 11 (10–11), 52 (52–53) apart; setae d 50 (50–55) on ventral annulus 23 (22–23), 44 (44–46) apart; setae e 20 (20–26) on ventral annulus 37 (37–38), 22 (22–23) apart, setae f 32 (32–33) on 8th ventral annulus from rear, 23 (22–23) apart. Setae h1 6 (5–6), h2 63 (63–72). Female genitalia 12 (12–14), 26 (25–26) wide, coverflap with 8 longitudinal ridges, setae 3a 17 (16–17), 17 (16–17) apart.

MALE: (n=1, dorsal view). Body vermiform, 163, 57 wide; light yellow. Gnathosoma 20, projecting obliquely down, pedipalp coxal seta (ep) 3, dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) 7, cheliceral stylets 18. Prodorsal shield 25, 33 wide, median, admedian and submedian lines complete; anterior shield lobe absent. Scapular tubercles on rear shield margin, 25 apart, scapular setae (sc) 37, projecting posteriorly. Coxal plates with granules, anterolateral setae on coxisternum І (1b) 15, 11 apart, proximal setae on coxisternum І (1a) 20, 8 apart, proximal setae on coxisternum ІІ (2a) 33, 20 apart. Prosternal apodeme 8. Legs with usual series of setae. Leg І 28, femur 7, basiventral femoral seta (bv) 10; genu 4, antaxial genual seta (l'') 27; tibia 5, paraxial tibial seta (l') 7, located at 1/3 from dorsal base; tarsus 6, seta ft' 21, seta ft'' 24, seta u' 5; tarsal empodium (em) 7, simple, 6-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 9, rod-like. Leg І 23, femur 7, basiventral femoral seta (bv) 6; genu 4, antaxial genual seta (l'') 13; tibia 5; tarsus 7, seta ft' 9, seta ft'' 26, seta u' 5; tarsal empodium (em) 7, simple, 6-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 9, rod-like. Opisthosoma dorsally with 73 annuli, ventrally with 74 annuli. Setae c2 42 on ventral annulus 13, 46 apart; setae d 35 on ventral annulus 24, 36 apart; setae e 20 on ventral annulus 43, 20 apart, setae f 25 on 8th ventral annulus from rear, 20 apart. Setae h1 6, h2 55. Male genitalia 20 wide, setae 3a 18, 15 apart.

Type material. Holotype female (slide number Iran 126, marked holotype), from Tragopogon coelesyriacus Boiss. (Compositae) , Roshnavand, Birjand, South Khorasan Province, Iran, 27 April 2010, coll. H. Sadeghi and F. Darmiani, deposited as a slide mounted specimen in the Arthropod / Mite Collection of the Department of Entomology , NJAU, Jiangsu Province, China . Paratypes: 3 females and 1 male (slide number Iran 124–125), from Tragopogon coelesyriacus Boiss. (Compositae) , Roshnavand, Birjand , South Khorasan Province, Iran , 27 April 2010, coll. H. Sadeghi and F. Darmiani, deposited in the Arthropod / Mite Collection of the Department of Entomology , NJAU, Jiangsu Province, China ; 4 females on four slides (slide number Iran 125.2–5) from Tragopogon coelesyriacus Boiss. (Compositae) , Roshnavand, Birjand , South Khorasan Province, Iran , 27 April 2010, coll. H. Sadeghi and F. Darmiani, deposited in the Department of Plant Protection , FUM, Iran .

Host plant. Tragopogon coelesyriacus Boiss. (Compositae) .

Relation to host. This species is vagrant on both sides of the leaf surfaces. No damage was observed.

Etymology. The specific designation tragopogonis is derived from the generic name of the host plant, Tragopogon .

Differential diagnosis. This new species is similar to Aceria negunis Kuang 1997 [from Vitex negundo L. ( Verbenaceae ), damage to the host plant forming galls], but can be differentiated from the latter by having coxal plates with granules (coxal plates are smooth in A. negunis ) and 6-rayed empodia (empodia 4-rayed in A. negunis ).