Acaralox arundinaceus, Skoracka, Anna, 2002

Skoracka, Anna, 2002, Two new species of eriophyoid mites (Acari: Eriophyoidea) from grasses in Poland, Zootaxa 54, pp. 1-15 : 2-6

Acaralox arundinaceus n. sp.

Description: Female ( Figs 1­2 ) (holotype and 14 paratypes): Body vermiform, anteriorly slightly enlarged. Dorsal furrow ending near 10 annulus from end of body. Body length 244 (215 ­285); width 59 (53­66). Gnathosoma 26 (24­30) long; dorsal pedipalpal genual setae 12 (10­13) long; v setae (sensory peg) 2 (2) long; cheliceral stylets 24 (23­26) long. Anterior half of prodorsal shield triangular, posterior half semicircular, lateral margins a little wavy, shield with a little rounded frontal lobe over base of chelicerae. Prodorsal shield 42 (38­42) long, 48 (46­53) wide. Sculpture of prodorsal shield: median line present in posterior 2/3 part of shield, in 1/3 anterior part of shield median line composed of separated small granules; admedian lines entire, sinuous; I submedian lines subparallel to admedian, running laterad just in front of tubercles of setae sc; II submedian lines sinuous and subparallel to lateral margin of shield; arched transversal lines between admedian, I submedian and II submedian lines. Small, semirounded microtubercles present on surface near shield. Tubercles of setae sc located on rear margin of shield, 3 (3­4) long, 3 (3) wide, 26 (24­29) apart; setae sc 52 (47­53) long, projecting to rear.

Leg I 37 40 (40­48) long; femur 10 (10­12) long, with seta bv 14 (11­16) long; position of seta bv 4 (4­5) from ventral, proximal margin of femur; genu 7 (6­8) long, with seta l’’ 30 (28­32) long, position of seta l’’ 4 (4) from dorsal, proximal margin of genu; tibia 9 (9­10) long, with seta l’ 10 (10­17) long; position of seta l’ 6 (5­6) from ventral, proximal margin of tibia. Tarsus 9 (8­ 11) long, with three setae: ft’’ 28 (28­33); ft’ 25 (21­28) long, u’ 9 (8­10) long; tarsal solenidion 10 (10­11) long; tarsal empodium simple, 8 (7 –8) –rayed, symmetrical, 12 (11­13) long.

Leg II 37 (38­44) long; femur 11 (10­12) long, with seta bv 19 (18­22) long; position of seta bv 5 (5­6) from ventral, proximal margin of femur; genu 6 (5­6) long, with seta l’’ 19 (14­20) long; position of seta l’’ 4 (3­4) from dorsal, proximal margin of genu; tibia 7 (7­8) long. Tarsus 9 (9­10) long, with three setae: ft’’ 29 (27 –30) long, ft’ 13 (11­14), u’ 9 (6­10) long; tarsal solenidion 10 (10­12) long; tarsal empodium 8 (7–8)­rayed, symmetrical, 12 (12­13) long.

Coxae with a pattern of numerous, lines and granules; slender sternal line present. Setae 1b 13 (12­14) apart, 9 (8­10) long; setae 1a 8 (7­10) apart, 30 (23­30) long; setae 2a 26 (24­30) apart, (46­59) long; distance between setae 1b and 1a 10 (10­12), distance between setae 1a and 2a 10 (9­10).

Opisthosoma with 57 (55­60) dorsal annuli, 63 (57­62) ventral annuli, 5 (5­7) coxogenital annuli. Annuli with microtubercles; dorsal microtubercles subrounded, sparse, on furrow and ridge, more numerous on lateral side of body; ventral microtubercles rounded, located at a distance of margin of annuli, from level of setae f elongated.

Setae c2 55 (45­57) long, located on 8th (6th­7th) ventral annulus from coxae II; tubercles c2 55 (48­63) apart; ventral setae d 64 (57­74) long, located on 21st (18th ­21st) ventral annulus; tubercles d 31 (29­35) apart; setae e 17 (12­19) long, located on 35th (33rd –35th) ventral annulus; tubercles e 17 (17­19) apart; setae f 29 (23­30) long, located on 59th (53rd–58th) ventral annulus, 5th (5th) annulus from rear; tubercles f 24 (19­26) apart.

Setae h1 4 (2­4) long, 7 (6­8) apart; setae h2 86 (86) long, 10 (10­11) apart; distance between h1 and h2 – 2 (2).

Genital parts 15 (15­19) long, 23 (22­24) wide, genital coverflap with 11 (8­11) longitudinal striae; setae 3a 21 (19­28) long, 16 (15­18) apart.

Male, nymph and larva not seen.

Etymology: the specific designation is derived from the host plant specific name.

Host plant: Phalaris arundinacea L. ( Poaceae ).

Relation to host plant: mites live in leaf­sheaths, with a single specimen present on the upper leaf surface.

Type locality: Poland, Poznañ, Cytadela (16° 56' E; 52° 25' N); not cultivated meadow; 28.11.1999; leg. A. Skoracka.

Material examined: holotype female (ACAR380F7), 20 female paratypes ACAR380F1­ACAR380F6, ACAR380F8­ACAR380F21).

Differential diagnosis: Acaralox arundinaceus is similar to A. harperi Keifer, 1966 (from Cercocarpus montanus var. glaber (S. Wats.) F. L. Martin , Rosaceae , California) by length and width of dorsal furrow and shape of microtubercles.

A. arundinaceus can be distinguished from A. harperi by the sculpture of the prodorsal shield and coxae and the shape of solenidia. In A. harperi the sculpture of the prodorsal shield and coxae is composed of granules, and solenidia have knobs at the end. In females of the new species lines on the prodorsal shield are entire, coxae are with ornamentation of granules and lines, and solenidia are without knobs. Those two species differ also in dimensions of the prodorsal shields (length 23 in A. harperi , 42 in A. arundinaceus ; width 25 in A. harperi , 48 in A. arundinaceus ), the number of empodial rays (5 in A. harperi , 8 in A. arundinaceus ), the lenght of legs I and II (21, 20 in A. harperi , 40, 37 in A. arundinaceus ), the length of tibia I and II (4 and 3.5 in A. harperi , 9 and 7 in A. arundinaceus ), the lengths of setae: pedipalpal d (3.5 in A. harperi , 12 in A. arundinaceus ), sc (17 in A. harperi , 52 in A. arundinaceus ), l’ (3 in A. harperi , 10 in A. arundinaceus ), 3a (5.5 in A. harperi , 21 in A. arundinaceus ), c2 (13 in A. harperi , 55 in A. arundinaceus ), d (19 in A. harperi , 64 in A. arundinaceus ), e (5 in A. harperi , 17 in A. arundinaceus ), f (10 in A. harperi , 29 in A. arundinaceus ).

Notice: This species was found in Poland on P. arundinacea only. The intensity of its infestation was 78.6 (n= 22; 95% CI: 43.8­141.1) specimens per stem.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Acaralox arundinaceus n. sp. – female: dorsal aspect; DO – dorsal microtubercles; L 1, L 2 – legs I and II.

FIGURE 2. Acaralox arundinaceus n. sp. – female: CG – coxogenital region; IG – internal genitalia; PV – postero­ventral view.