Aculus conspicillatus Flechtmann

Flechtmann, Carlos H. W., De, Gilberto J. & Moraes, 2003, New genus and species of eriophyid mites (Acari, Eriophyidae) from Myrtaceae in Brazil, with notes on damages caused by Aculus pitangae Boczek & Davis, Zootaxa 153, pp. 1-10 : 2-4

Aculus conspicillatus Flechtmann n.sp. ( Fig. 1 )

DIAGNOSIS ­ Prodorsal shield design roughly resembling a pair of spectacles or glasses. Genu II seta missing.

FEMALE (n = 6) ­ Elongate, 158 (143­160), 51 (51­57) wide. Gnathosoma downcurved; basal seta 4 (3­4); antapical seta 6 (5­7); chelicera 24 (21­25); rostrum 32. Prodorsal shield 33 (33­37), 43 (43­49) wide; frontal lobe rounded, 3 (3­5). Shield design consisting of: a pair of anterolateral admedian lines running parallel from anterior lobe to approximately one third of prodorsal shield, curving out and backwards to extend almost to shield rear margin, laterad of the shield tubercles, and then curving sharply inwards tangent to the rear margin; a pair of central subparallel admedian lines on median third of the dorsal shield, extending from anterolateral admedian lines to the anterocentral corners of two quadrangular figures. Shield tubercles on rear shield margin, elongate, cylindrical, 5 (5­7) long, directing scapular setae (sc) backwards; sc 28 (28­36). Legs missing seta on genu II. Leg I 30 (30­33); femur 9 (9­11), femoral seta (bv) 11 (11­12); genu 4 (4­6), genual seta (l") 29 (28­31); tibia 7 (7­8), tibial seta (l') 5 (5­7); tarsus 7 (5­7), solenidion thin and slender, slightly knobbed, 7 (6­9); empodium 8 (7­9), 6­rayed, dorsal seta (ft') 15 (15­ 17), lateral seta (ft") 23 (20­23), unguinal seta (u') 7 (6­8). Leg II 26 (25­28); femur 7 (7­ 10), bv 11 (11­12); genu 3 (2­4), l" missing; tibia 5 (4­6); tarsus 6 (5­7), solenidion 8 (8­9), empodium 8 (7­9), 6­rayed, ft' 7 (7­8), ft" 20 (19­22), u' 5 (5­6). Coxigenital area: coxae smooth; sternal line 8­9; coxal seta I (1b) 11 (9­11), 11 (10­12) apart; coxal seta II (1a) 17 (17­21), 8 (7­9) apart; coxal seta III (2a) 35 (35­49), 22 (22­24) apart. Coxisternal area with 6 (6­8) narrow, smooth annuli. Genitalia 19 (19­20) wide, 13 (13­18) long; genital seta (3a) 16 (14­16). Epigynium with one basal undulate transverse line and distally with 12 (12) longitudinal lines. Opisthosoma with a narrow mediodorsal ridge extending from second annulus to approximately the corresponding level of ventral seta I (d) (extending over ca. 12­14 dorsal annuli), evenly arched or slightly flattened from there to corresponding level of ventral seta II (e), and again with a mediodorsal ridge posteriorly. Lateral seta (c2) 24 (23­26), on annulus 3 (3) counting from genitalia rear margin Seta d 43 (43­55), 36 (31­36) apart, on annulus 13 (14­16); seta e 17 (16­17), 17 (16­17) apart, on annulus 24 (24­28); seta (f) 17 (15­17), 14 (13­16) apart, on annulus 36 (38­42) or 5th from rear. Total ventral annuli 40 (40­46), microtubercles small, slightly oval on anterior half of venter; from level of seta e to rear microtubercles increasing in length and becoming narrower. Total dorsal annuli 41 (40­45), smooth. Caudal seta (h2) 60 (57­70); accessory seta (h1) missing.

MALE (n = 4) ­ Smaller than female, 114­128, 45­48 wide. Gnathosoma: basal seta 2­3; antapical seta 5­6; chelicera 20­23. Prodorsal shield 31­33, 41­42 wide; frontal lobe 3­5; shield tubercles 29­33 apart, tubercles 6, sc 26­29. Legs: leg I 26­29; femur 9­11, bv 9­12; genu 4­5, l" 26­30; tibia 5­7, l' 5­7; tarsus 5­6, solenidion 7­8, empodium 6­7, 6­ rayed, ft' 14­17, ft" 20­22, u' 5­7. Leg II 23­24; femur 7­9, bv 8­11; genu 2­3, l" missing; tibia 4­5; tarsus 4­5, solenidion 8, empodium 7, 6­rayed, ft' 7­8, ft" 17­20, u' 5­7. Coxigenital area: sternal line 6­7; 1b 6­9, 10 apart; 1a 15­18, 7­8 apart; 2a 27­40, 19­20 apart. Coxisternal area with 6­7 annuli, smooth. Genitalia 12­15 wide, 11­14 long, granulate; 3a 14. Opisthosoma: c 2 18­20, on annulus 1­3; d 41­49, 25­27 apart, on annulus 10­11; e 12­ 16, 13­15 apart, on annulus 18­21; f 14­16, 13­14 apart, on annulus 30­34 or 5th from rear. Total ventral annuli 34­38, microtuberculate; total dorsal annuli 33­38, smooth. Seta h2 48­58; h1 missing.

TYPE MATERIAL ­ female holotype, 42 female and 9 male paratypes, from Psidium guajava Raddi (Myrtaceae) , "goiabeira", Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil (22° 40' 32" S, 47° 38' 00" W), 15 August 2002, coll. C.H.W. Flechtmann, on 13 microscopic preparations.

RELATION TO HOST ­ vagrant on the lower leaf surface; no visible damage.

ETYMOLOGY ­ The specific designation is derived from the Latin conspicillum, lens or spectacles, referring to the prodorsal shield ornamentation. It is, therefore, the "spectacled Aculus ".

REMARKS ­ Live specimens of this species are dark, almost black, and carry an amorphous, white waxy mass on the dorsum equal or larger in volume than the mite's body. This is the second known Aculus species with bare genu II; the only other species is A. broussaisiae Keifer, 1964 . It resembles A. bacsetae Flechtmann & Davis, 1971 by the elongate shield tubercles, nail like scapular seta and identical pattern of the dorsopisthosomal ridge.

Aculus pitangae Boczek & Davis, 1984: 203

Large populations of this species were found on the abaxial surface of young leaves of Eugenia uniflora L. ( Myrtaceae ) in Piracicaba. In the original description, Boczek & Davis (1984) stated that this species caused no apparent damage to the plants. The populations we found caused significant distortion of leaves and changes in its shininess. Leaves with large numbers of mites had shallow depressions scattered over its surface, which apparently originated as an effect of mite feeding, as no similar irregularity was observed on leaves without mites. The irregular surface turned the infested leaves opaque. The mites reported in the original description of the species were collected in September, at the peak of the dry season, when the host plant produces few new shoots and when damage by the mite seems less evident. The specimens observed in the present work were collected in November, at the beginning of the rainy season, when new plant shoots are plenty, apparently stimulating the growth of the population of A. pitangae and the consequent damage to the host plant.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Aculus conspicillatus Flechtmann n. sp. CGF, coxigenital area of female; D, dorsal aspect of female; E, empodium (enlarged); GM, male genitalia (enlarged); L, lateral aspect of female; L 1, leg I (enlarged); L 2, leg II (enlarged).