Diptacus mengdaensis, Li, Hao-Sen, Xue, Xiao-Feng & Hong, Xiao-Yue, 2012

Li, Hao-Sen, Xue, Xiao-Feng & Hong, Xiao-Yue, 2012, Eriophyoid mites from Qinghai Province, northwestern China with descriptions of nine new species (Acari, Eriophyoidea), ZooKeys 196, pp. 47-107 : 65-66

Diptacus mengdaensis sp. n. Figures 31-33

Description.

Female. (n = 13) Body fusiform, light yellow, 215 (210-232), 104 (104-105) wide, 71 (71-74) thick. Gnathosoma 25 (24-25), projecting downwards, pedipalp coxal seta (ep) 4 (4-5), dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) 14 (14-15), cheliceral stylets 62 (61-62). Prodorsal shield 50 (50-51), 76 (71-76) wide, with wide and broad frontal lobe, 7 (7-8); median, admedian and submedian lines present, admedian lines connected at the base of prodorsal shield, ending at basal 1/3 of prodorsal shield. Scapular tubercles ahead of rear shield margin, 3 (3-4), 34 (34-35) apart, scapular setae (sc) 6 (6-7), projecting centrad. Coxigenital region with 16 (15-16) annuli, with microtubercles. Coxisternal plates with short lines, anterolateral setae on coxisternum I (1b) 16 (16-18), 18 (18-20) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum I (1a) 25 (25-26), 17 (17-18) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum II (2a) 60 (60-70), 44 (44-45) apart, tubercles 1b and 1a 12 (12-13) apart, tubercles 1a and 2a 16 (16-17) apart. Prosternal apodeme separated, 10 (9-10). Leg I 60 (58-60), femur 16 (16-17), basiventral femoral seta (bv) absent; genu 10 (8-10), antaxial genual seta (l") 52 (52-53); tibia 17 (16-17), paraxial tibial seta ( l’) 10 (9-10), located at 1/3 from dorsal base; tarsus 11 (10-11), seta ft’ 30 (25-30), seta ft" 40 (32-40), seta u’ 6 (5-6); tarsal empodium (em) 8 (8-9), divided, 5-rayed at each side, tarsal solenidion (ω) 9 (9-10), knobbed. Leg II 54 (50-54), femur 18 (17-18), basiventral femoral seta (bv) absent; genu 7 (7-8), antaxial genual seta (l") 16 (15-16); tibia 11 (9-11); tarsus 8 (8-10), seta ft’ 12 (12-13), seta ft" 34 (34-34), seta u’ 5 (5-6); tarsal empodium (em) 9 (8 - 9), divided, 5-rayed at each side, tarsal solenidion (ω) 9 (9-10), knobbed. Opisthosoma dorsally with 44 (44-48) annuli, smooth, ventrally with 112 (112-115) annuli, with round microtubercles. Setae c2 55 (54-55) on ventral annulus 16 (16-18), 76 (70-76) apart; setae d 90 (90-93) on ventral annulus 39 (39-42), 51 (51-53) apart; setae e 70 (65-70) on ventral annulus 67 (67-69), 29 (29-31) apart; setae f 50 (50-55) on ventral annulus 98 (98-101), 37 (36-37) apart. Setae h1 2 (2-3), h2 152 (150-152). Female genitalia 24 (24-25), 37 (37-39) wide, coverflap with 4 longitudinal ridges in 2 ranks, 1 near the base and 3 at distal margin, setae 3a 12 (10-12), 20 (20-21) apart.

Male. Unknown.

Type material.

Holotype, female (slide number NJAUEri777, marked Holotype), from Lonicera elisae Franch. ( Caprifoliaceae ), Mengda Natural Reserve, Xunhua County, Qinghai Province, P. R. China, 35°47'38"N, 102°40'40"E, elevation 2523m, 19 July 2007, coll. Xiao-Feng Xue. Paratypes, 12 females (slide number NJAUEri777), with the same data as holotype.

Relation to host.

Vagrant on leaf lower surface. No damage to the host was observed.

Etymology.

The specific designation mengdaensis is from the place name Mengda Natural Reserve, where this new species was collected; feminine in gender.

Differential diagnosis.

This species is similar to Diptacus lonicerae Kuang, 2001, but can be differentiated from the latter by prodorsal shield with admedian lines and submedian lines separated (admedian lines and submedian lines connected in Diptacus lonicerae ), prodorsal shield frontal lobe wide and broad (frontal lobe small in Diptacus lonicerae ), female genital coverflap with 4 longitudinal ridges in 2 ranks, 1 near the base and 3 far from the base (female genital coverflap with 6-8 longitudinal ridges in Diptacus lonicerae ).