Shevtchenkella desmodivagus Flechtmann

Flechtmann, Carlos H. W., De, Gilberto J. & Moraes, 2002, New Brazilian eriophyid mites (Acari: Eriophyidae), Zootaxa 75, pp. 1-12 : 4-7

Shevtchenkella desmodivagus Flechtmann , n. sp. ( Figs. 2 , 3 )

DIAGNOSIS ­ Prodorsal shield tapering anteriorly and with a ventral membranous anterior extension; empodia 7­rayed; female and male genital seta (3a) longer than distance to bases of opisthosomal ventral seta I (d).

FEMALE ­ (n = 6). Body fusiform, 155 (136­156), widest at level of genitalia, 51 (48­55) wide. Gnathosoma downcurved; basal seta (ep) 3 (2­3); antapical seta (d) 7 (6­7); chelicera 16 (14­16). Prodorsal shield broadly triangular, anteriorly tapering and with a ventral anterior membranous triangular extension. Shield 31 (31­32), not including the membranous anterior extension; 45 (41­45) wide. Median shield line present on rear one third, anteriorly branching obliquely and touching admedian lines. Admedian lines complete, sinuate, farther apart at half length where they curve out and recurve at rear shield margin. Submedian lines absent. Lateral line from approximately one­third, running from admedian line to lateral posterior margin of shield, and recurving. Setiferous tubercles on shield rear margin, 18 (18) apart, directing scapular seta (sc) backwards; seta 16 (14­16). Legs: leg I 29 (27­31); femur 9 (9), femoral seta (bv) 13 (12­14); genu 4 (4), genual seta (l") 21 (20­22); tibia 8 (7­8), tibial seta (l') 7 (6­8); tarsus 7 (5­7), solenidion 8 (6­8), empodium 7 (6­7), 7­rayed, dorsal seta (ft') 17 (16­18), lateral seta (ft") 25 (20­25); unguinal seta (u') 7 (6­7). Leg II 26 (24­26); femur 9 (8­9), bv 15 (11­15); genu 3 (3­4), l" 10 (7­10); tibia 7 (5­7); tarsus 6 (4­6), solenidion 9 (7­9), empodium 7 (6­7), 7­rayed, ft' 7 (7­9), ft" 21 (18­21), u' 4 (4­5). Coxigenital area: coxae I fused medially, sternal line 6 (5­6); coxae I and II each with a patch of short dashes or elongate granules. Coxal seta I (1b) 10 (8­10), 10 (9­10) apart; coxal seta II (1a) 22 (14­22), 7 (6­7) apart; coxal seta III (2a) 26 (25­31), 18 (17­18) apart. Coxigenital area with 4 (3­5) annuli, microtuberculate. Genitalia 18 (18­ 19) wide, 12 (10­12) long; epigynium with 14 (14­16) lines; genital seta (3a) 33 (28­33), longer than distance to basis of opisthosomal ventral seta I (d). Opisthosoma: dorsally flattened. Lateral seta (c2) 18 (14­18), on annulus 4 (2­4), counting from genitalia rear margin. Ventral seta I (d) 53 (43­54), 29 (28­34) apart, on annulus 15 (13­15); ventral seta II (e) 22 (20­22), 15 (13­18) apart, on annulus 28 (24­29); ventral seta III (f) 20 (19­21), 15 (13­16) apart, on annulus 46 (40­46) or 5th from rear. Total ventral annuli 50 (44­50), with small, oval microtubercles. Total dorsal annuli 31 (30­31). Caudal seta (h2) 49 (42­49); accessory seta (h1) 4(4).

MALE ­ (n = 4). Smaller than female, 124­128, 42­44 wide. Gnathosoma: ep 2­3; d 5­6; chelicera 13­14. Prodorsal shield 28­30, 38­40 wide. Seta sc 11­12, 17­18 apart. Legs: leg I 24­25; femur 8­9, bv 11­12; genu 3­4, l" 17­19; tibia 6­7, l' 5­9; tarsus 4­5, solenidion 6­7, empodium 5­6, 7­rayed, ft' 15­16, ft" 18­19, u' 4­6. Leg II 22­24; femur 7­ 9, bv 10­11; genu 3, l" 8­9; tibia 4­5; tarsus 4­5, solenidion 7­8, empodium 5­6, 7­rayed, ft' 7­8, ft" 16­18, u' 4­5. Coxigenital area: 1b 9­11, 9­10 apart; 1a 15­18, 5­6 apart; 2a 25­31, 15­17 apart. Coxisternal area with 5­6 annuli, microtuberculate. Genitalia 13­14 wide, 9­ 11 long, smooth; 3a 25­28. Opisthosoma: c 2 12­18, on annulus 2; d 41­47, 25­26 apart, on annulus 11­12; e 18­19, 11­12 apart, on annulus 22­24; f 17­18, 12­14 apart, on annulus 36­39 or 5th from rear. Total ventral annuli 40­43; total dorsal annuli 26­27; h2 40­44; h1 2­3.

NYMPH ­ (n = 4). Body 96­116, 39­44 wide. Prodorsal shield 25­27, 35­37 wide; sc 11­12, 14­18 apart. Shield design of a median line on rear one­third; admedian lines slightly sinuose, recurving at rear shield margin; submedian lines on anterior one­third and lateral lines parallel to lateral shield margin. Coxisternal area: sternal line weak, 3 long in one specimen; 1b 5­6, 8­9 apart; 1a 9­11, 4­5 apart; 2a 14­19, 13­14 apart. Genital seta (3a) 8­12, not reaching bases of opisthosomal seta d. Legs: leg I 18­20, empodium 7­ rayed; leg II 16­18. Opisthosoma: annuli equal dorso­ventrally, with small beadlike microtubercles. Seta c 2 9­11, on same annulus as seta 3a; d 20­22, 19­25 apart, on annulus 10 counting from annulus of seta 3a; e 11­13, 10­12 apart, on annulus 18­19; f 10­11, 11­ 14 apart, on annulus 31­33 or 5th from rear. Total ventral annuli 35­37; total dorsal annuli 37­41; h 2 18­24; h1 3­4.

LARVA ­ (n = 4, all mounted laterally). Body 75­90. Seta sc 8­10. Legs: leg I 12­16; empodium 7­rayed; leg II 11­12. Opisthosoma: annuli equal dorso­ventrally, with small beadlike microtubercles. Dorso­anteriorly with a granulated area, ca. 8 annuli in length. Seta 3a 5.Seta c2 6­9, on same annulus as seta 3a; d 12­14, on annulus 6­7 from annulus bearing seta 3a; e 5­8, on annulus 11­13; f 8­10 on annulus 19­23 or 4th from rear. Total ventral annuli 23­26; total dorsal annuli 31.

TYPE MATERIAL ­ Female holotype, 18 female, 4 male, 4 protonymph and 4 larva paratypes, from Desmodium barbatum (L.) Benth. (Leguminosae, Papilionaceae ), Reserva de Ibicatú, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil (22o 46' 43" S, 47o 49' 32" W) coll. L.V.F. Silva, 18 Febr. 2002, on 7 microscopic preparations in the collection of Departamento de Entomologia, Fitopatologia e Zoologia Agrícola, Universidade de São Paulo/ ESALQ, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.

RELATION TO HOST ­ Vagrant in between the dense trichomes on the underside of leaves.

ETYMOLOGY ­ The specific designation is derived from the genus of type host plant + the Latin vagus, roaming, wandering.

REMARKS ­ The mites alive are whitish. The new species shares long genital seta (3a longer than the distance to basis of ventral opisthosomal seta I (d) with S. cardiavagrans ( Mohanasundaram, 1982) , S. phyllostachia Huang, 2001 , S. rhusi ( Meyer, 1990) , S. ligulata Santana & Flechtmann, 2002 and S. macrorrhina Santana & Flechtmann, 2002 (in the other known species, 46 in number, the genital seta is much shorter). It is the first Shevtchenkella species known to have a 7­rayed empodium (empodium 8­rayed in S. ligulata , 6­rayed in S. macrorrhina and 3 to 5­rayed in the remaining species).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Shevtchenkella desmodivagus Flechtmann, n. sp. AD, anterior dorsal aspect; CGF, coxigenital area of female; E, empodium (enlarged); GM, genitalia of male; L, lateral aspect of female.

FIGURE 3. Shevtchenkella desmodivagus Flechtmann, n. sp. AD­PN, anterior dorsal aspect of protonymph; L­L, anterior lateral aspect of larva.