Colopodacus variegatae, Wang, Guoquan, Wei, Suigai & Yang, Ding, 2009

Wang, Guoquan, Wei, Suigai & Yang, Ding, 2009, Six new eriophyoid mites (Acari: Eriophyoidea) associated with Ficus spp. (Moraceae) from China, Zootaxa 2201, pp. 49-62 : 51

Colopodacus variegatae sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 )

Description. Female (n = 7). Body fusiform, yellowish, 156 (110–188), 53 (50–58) wide, 61 (50–68) thick. Gnathosoma— Curved obliquely downward, 25 (23–26); dorsal pedipalp genual setae (d) 3 (2–3), pedipalp coxal setae (ep) 2 (2–3), cheliceral stylets 24 (23–24). Prodorsal shield— 32 (31–34), 46 (43–50) wide, sculptured with irregular short lines, frontal lobe present, median and admedian lines complete, submedian lines incomplete, three transverse lines connecting longitudinal lines forming networks. Scapular tubercles placed ahead of rear shield margin, 27 (26–28) apart, scapular setae (sc) 7 (6–7), directed up. Coxae— Sternal line present, coxal area smooth; anterolateral setae on coxisternum І (1b) 4 (4–5), 14 (14–15) apart; proximal setae on coxisternum І (1a) 12 (11–14), 10 (10–11) apart; proximal setae on coxisternum І (2a) 22 (20–25), 25 (24–26) apart. Coxi-genital region plate-like. Legs— Tibiae fused with tarsi. Leg І 28 (26–30), femur 13 (12–13), basiventral femoral setae (bv) 7 (6–8); genu 3 (3–4), antaxial genual setae (l'') 28 (25–32); tarsus 10 (9–11), paraxial fastigial tarsal setae (ft') 23 (20–25), antaxial fastigial tarsal setae (ft'') 23 (20–25), paraxial unguinal tarsal setae (u') 5 (5–6); tarsal empodium 8 (7–8), 5-rayed, tarsal solenidion 6 (6–7), on lateral side of tarsus, knobbed. Leg І 27 (25–28), femur 12 (11–12), basiventral femoral setae (bv) 15 (14–17); genu 3 (2–3), antaxial genual setae (l'') 9 (8–10); tarsus 10 (10–11), paraxial fastigial tarsal setae (ft') 23 (21–28), antaxial fastigial tarsal setae (ft'') 5 (4–7), paraxial unguinal tarsal setae (u') 4 (4–5); tarsal empodium 6 (6–7), 5-rayed, tarsal solenidion 6 (5–6), on lateral side of tarsus, knobbed. Opisthosoma — Dorsum with a median ridge, dorsal annuli 51 (50–52), with elongated microtubercles; ventral annuli 62 (61–63), with rounded microtubercles; setae c2 20 (18–25), on ventral annulus 10th; setae d 45 (40–50), 50 (47–53) apart, on ventral annulus 21st; setae e 12 (10–14), 23 (21–24) apart, on ventral annulus 38th; setae f 15 (12–20), 16 (15–17) apart, on 7th ventral annulus from rear; setae h1 minute, 1 (1–2), setae h2 76 (70–80). Female genitalia— Coverflap smooth, 21 (20–22), 25 (24–26) wide, proximal setae on coxisternum ІІ (3a) 9 (8–10), 16 (15–18) apart.

Male (n = 1). Body fusiform, 144, 53 wide. Male genitalia 21 wide, proximal setae on coxisternum ІІ (3a) 6, 15 apart.

Type material. Holotype, female, Bawangling National Nature Reserve (19°33´N, 109°53´E), Changjiang County, Hainan Province, China, 15-Sept.-2008, from F. variegata Bl. var. chlorocarpa (Benth.) King (Moraceae) , collected by Guoquan Wang. Paratypes, 6 females and 1 male, mounted on individual slide, with the same data as the holotype.

Relation to host. The mites are vagrant on the undersurfaces of the leaves, no visible damage seen.

Etymology. The specific designation is derived from the specific name of the type host plant.

Remarks. This new species occurred with Gammaphytoptus ficus sp. nov. and is differentiated from the other three Colopodacus species ( C. begalensis Mohanasundaram, 1981 ; C. obovataus Huang & Wang, 2003 and C. virens Ou, Zhu & Wei, 2008 ) from Ficus spp., which are distributed worldwide, and Colopodacus yunnanensis sp. nov. by the dorsal opisthosomal annuli with the filamentous microtubercles. The new species is similar to Colopodacus insulanaus Huang & Wang, 2003 , but they can be easily separated as follows: in C. variegatae , empodium 5-rayed, coxal area and female coverflap smooth; in C. insulanaus , empodium 7- rayed, coxal area and female coverflap with granules ( Huang & Wang 2003).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Colopodacus variegatae sp. nov. CGF — coxigenital area of female; D — dorsal aspect of female; E — empodium; GM — male genitalia; L 1 — Legs І; L 2 — Legs І; LS — lateral view of annuli (enlarged) (Scale bar: CGF, D — 45; E — 20; GM — 40; L 1, L 2 — 30).