Acaralox shiraziensis, Kamali & Doryanizadeh & Akrami, 2018

Kamali, Hashem, Doryanizadeh, Nazanin & Akrami, Mohammad Ali, 2018, Two new eriophyoid mites from Iran in the subfamilies Phyllocoptinae and Eriophyinae (Acari: Trombidiformes: Eriophyidae), Zootaxa 4425 (3), pp. 589-595 : 592-594

Acaralox shiraziensis n. sp.

( Fig. 2 )

Generic diagnosis. The genus Acaralox was established by Keifer (1966) based on the type species Acaralox harperi Keifer, 1966 and is characterized as having: a flattened, fusiform body with gnathosoma projecting obliquely downwards with short form oral stylets; subtriangular shield, dorsal tubercles slightly ahead of rear margin, with a transverse base, dorsal setae directed divergently to the rear; legs with all usual segments and setae, empodia simple; opisthosoma with a broad, longitudinal dorsal furrow; having all usual setae typical of species found in the Eriophyidae present; coverflap with striations.

Description. FEMALE (n=9). Body wormlike, whitish in colour, 237 (228‒237), 75 (72‒80) thick, 66 (66‒71) wide. Gnathosoma 27 (23‒28), projecting obliquely downwards, chelicerae 18 (16‒18), setae d 5 (5-7), unbranched. Prodorsal shield 62 (59‒63) long, 57 (55‒58) wide, semicircular without lobe over gnathosomal base; median line complete; admedian lines complete, gently sinuate; submedian lines curved; many dashes present on lateral sides of prodorsal shield; tubercles sc on rear shield margin with transverse basal axes, 31 (30‒33) apart, setae sc 27 (26‒28), projecting posteriorly. Legs with all usual setae present. Leg I 34 (33‒34), femur 12 (11‒12), genu 6 (5‒6), tibia 8 (7‒8), tarsus 8 (7‒8), u ′ 5 (4‒5), solenidion ω 10 (10‒11) distally tapered, empodia simple 9 (8‒9), 5-rayed; setae bv 8 (7‒8), setae l″ 29 (26‒30); setae l ′ 7 (6‒7), setae ft ′ 28 (25‒29), ft″ 20 (16‒21). Leg II 31 (30‒31), femur 10 (9‒10), genu 6 (5‒6), tibia 7 (6‒7); tarsus 8 (7‒9), u ′ 4 (4), solenidion ω 11 (10‒11) distally tapered, empodia em simple 10 (9‒10), 5 ‒rayed, setae bv 6 (5‒6), setae l″ 10 (10‒11), setae ft ′ 25 (21‒27), ft″ 19 (18‒21). Coxae with sparse dashes in partial lines; setae 1b 8 (7‒8), tubercles 1b 7 (6‒7) apart; setae 1a 29 (25‒ 29), tubercles 1a 12 (10‒12) apart; setae 2a 32 (28‒36); tubercles 2a 27 (24‒27) apart. Prosternal apodeme 5 (5‒6). Opisthosoma dorsally with wide furrow centrally, annuli subequal dorsoventrally; 83 (78‒87) dorsal semi-annuli, 88 (83-89) ventral semi-annuli; microtubercles placed ahead of annuli margins; setae c2 25 (22‒26) on ventral semi-annulus 11(10‒13); setae d 90 (85‒91) on ventral semi-annulus 23 (21‒23), tubercles d 43 (41‒44) apart; setae e 17 (15‒17), on ventral semi-annulus 42 (39‒42), tubercles e 25 (23‒26) apart; setae f 28 (25‒28), on ventral semi-annulus 5 (5) from rear, last 6 annuli with elongated and linear microtubercles; setae h2 85 (78‒87), setae h1 4 (4‒5). Genital coverflap 15 (13‒15), 27 (25‒28) wide, with 8 (8‒10) longitudinal striae; 3‒4 transversal rows of granules at base of coverflap; setae 3a 14 (11‒15), tubercles 17 (15‒17) apart.

MALE (n=1). Similar in body shape and dorsal shield arrangement as female, 219. Prodorsal shield 51 wide, setae sc 26 apart; Opisthosoma with 81 dorsal semi-annuli and 82 ventral semi-annuli; male genitalia 24 wide.

NYMPH. Not seen.

Host plant. Tragopogon graminifolius DC. ( Asteraceae ).

Relation to the host plant. These mites were found in the leaf sheaths, lower side of the leaves and near ligules of tender plants. No damage symptoms were observed.

Type locality. Bajgah , Shiraz, Iran, (29°44'07"N, 52°34'49"E), 1,794 m elev.; coll. N. Doryanizadeh, 15 July 2011.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the type locality, Shiraz.

Type material. Holotype female on a single microscope slide (Sh-Ap-Ac-d.3) housed at the Acarology Laboratory, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Shiraz, Iran. Paratypes: eight females and one male mounted on separate microscope slides prepared from the same material as collected for the holotype specimen with same host plant, locality and date.

Differential diagnosis. The new species described herein is close to Acaralox harperi ( Keifer, 1966) , but it is differentiated by the pattern of the dorsal shield. The median and admedian lines are complete in the Iranian species in contrast to the median line being incomplete and only present on the rear half of the shield in between the dorsal tubercles in Keifer’s species. The coxigenital pattern shows the presence of short lines in the Iranian species compared with a granular appearance in Keifer’s species. In addition, the number of striations on the genital coverflap may differ, with 8‒10 longitudinal striations in the new species compared with 10‒12 in A. harperi .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Schematic drawing of Acaralox shiraziensis n. sp., female: 1. Dorsal view of anterior body region; 2. Coxae and external genitalia; 3. Lateral view of anterior body region; 4. Empodium; 5. Internal female genitalia; 6. Male genital region; 7. Lateral view of posterior opisthosoma. Scale bar: 10 µm for 1, 2 and 5 µm for 4.