Aculops loniceris, Xie, 2018

Xie, Manchao, 2018, Three new species of eriophyid mites from Wanglang Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China (Acari: Eriophyidae), Zoological Systematics 43 (4), pp. 429-436 : 430-432

Aculops loniceris sp. nov. ( Figs 1–6 )

Diagnosis. Body fusiform, color light yellowish. Gnathosoma strong and projecting obliquely downward. Prodorsal shield triangular with a very acute frontal lobe over rostrum base, and getting a thorn addition on the tip of front lobe. Median line present with longitudinal dash at anterior 2/3, admedian lines complete, sinuate, and the first submedian lines completed and connecting with an arc line just ahead of rear margin. A transverse line just behind frontal lobe meeting with admedian and submedian lines at anterior shield 1/3. Scapular tubercles on rear shield margin, scapular setae (sc) directing to rear. Coxisternal plates with a few lines, prosternal apodeme present. Legs with tarsal empodium simple, 6-rayed, tarsal solenidion unknobbed. Opisthosoma with 39–43 dorsal annuli and 67–70 ventral annuli, dorsal annuli smooth. Female genitalia coverflap smooth.

Description. Female (n = 7). Body fusiform, 170 (105–170), 70 (46–70) wide, 50 (45–50) thick; light yellowish in color. Gnathosoma 29 (26–29), strong, and projecting obliquely down; dorsal pedipalp genual setae (d) 6 (5–6), pedipala coxal setae (ep) 3 (2–3). Prodorsal shield triangular, 36 (35–40), 53 (42–53) wide, with a very acute frontal lobe over gnathosoma base, and a thorn on the tip of front lobe. Shield design of strong lines: Median line present with longitudinal dash at anterior 2/3, admedian lines complete, sinuate, the first submedian lines completed and connecting with an arc line just ahead of rear margin. A cross line just behind frontal lobe meeting with admedian and submedian lines at anterior shield 1/3. Scapular tubercles on rear shield margin, 36 (28–36) apart; scapular setae (sc) 7(6–8), projecting to rear. Coxigenital region with 6 (4–6) microtuberculated semiannuli. Coxal plates sculptured with a few lines, anterolateral setae on coxisternum I (1b) 6 (5– 6), 12 (7–12) apart; proximal setae on coxisternum I (1a) 13 (12–15), 6 (5–6) apart; proximal setae on coxisternum II (2a) 20 (20–28), 22 (18–22) apart; prosternal apodeme 6 (5–6). Leg I 35 (32–38), trochanter 3 (2–3), femur 10 (10–12), basiventral femoral setae (bv) 8 (8–10); genu 4 (4–5), antaxial genual setae (l'') 28 (25–28); tibia 10 (9–10), paraxial tibial setae (l')5 (4–5), located 1/3 from dorsal base; tarsus 8 (7–8), both setae ft' and setae ft'' 18 (15–20); tarsal empodium (em) 7 (6–7), entire, 6-rayed; tarsal solenidion (ω) 8 (7–8), unknobbed. Leg II 31 (28–34), trochanter 3 (2–3), femur 10 (10–12), basiventral femoral setae (bv) 10 (10–12); genu 4 (3–4), antaxial genual setae (l'') 10 (10–12); tibia 7 (7–8); tarsus 7 (6–7), setae ft' 7 (5–7), setae ft'' 18 (15–20); tarsal empodium (em) 7 (6–7), entire, 6-rayed; tarsal solenidion (ω) 8 (7–8), unknobbed. Opisthosoma with 42 (39–43) dorsal annuli, smooth; ventrally with 67 (65–70) semiannuli, with round microtubercles on rear annular margins except 5–6 ventral annuli with elongated microtubercles. Setae c2 35 (35–40) on ventral annulus 13– 14, 42 (30–42) apart; setae d 30 (25–30) on ventral annulus 28–29, 31 (21–31) apart; setae e 37 (35–40) on ventral annulus 44–45, 18 (12–18) apart; setae f 32 (30–34) on 5th ventral annulus from rear, 23 (13–23) apart. Setae h1 2 (2), 6 (5–6) apart; setae h2 60 (60–70), 12 (10–12) apart. Female genitalia 17 (15–17), 25 (17–25) wide, coverflap smooth, setae 3a 20 (15– 20), 17 (12–17) apart.

Male (n = 1). Body fusiform, 120, 45 wide; light yellowish in color. Gnathosoma 22, strong, and projecting obliquely downwards; dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) 5. Prodorsal shield triangular, 45, 45 wide, with a very acute frontal lobe over rostrum base, and getting a thorn addition on the tip of front lobe. Shield design as femlae. Scapular tubercles on rear shield margin, 30 apart; scapular setae (sc) 7, projecting to rear. Coxigenital region with 3–4 microtuberculated semiannuli. Coxal plates sculptured with a few lines, anterolateral setae on coxisternum I (1b) 4, 9 apart; proximal setae on coxisternum I (1a) 13, 5 apart; proximal setae on coxisternum II (2a) 20, 15 apart; prosternal apodeme 6. Leg I 30, trochanter 2, femur 10, basiventral femoral seta (bv) 8; genu 4, antaxial genual seta (l'') 25; tibia 7, paraxial tibial seta (l') 3, located 1/3 from dorsal base; tarsus 7, both setae ft' and setae ft'' 20; tarsal empodium (em) 7, entire, 6-rayed; tarsal solenidion (ω) 8, unknobbed. Leg II 29, trochanter 2, femur 10, basiventral femoral seta (bv) 10; genu 4, antaxial genual seta (l'') 10; tibia 6; tarsus 7, setae ft' 5, setae ft'' 20; tarsal empodium (em) 7, entire, 6-rayed; tarsal solenidion (ω) 8, unknobbed. Opisthosoma with 42 dorsal annuli, smooth; ventrally with 60 semiannuli, with round microtubercles on rear annular margins except caudal 5–6 ventral annuli with elongated microtubercles. Setae c2 23 on ventral annulus 10–11, 28 apart; setae d 30 on ventral annulus 22–23, 22 apart; setae e 28 on ventral annulus 39–40, 10 apart; setae f 26 on 5th ventral annulus from rear, 17 apart. Setae h1 2, 4 apart; setae h2 50, 10 apart. Male genitalia 15 wide, setae 3a 15, 10 apart.

Material examined. Holotype, female, from Lonicera sp. ( Caprifoliaceae ), Wanglang Nature Reserve (33º00′01′′N, 104º02′02′′E; elev. 2836 m), Pingwu County, Sichuan, China, 15 August 2016, coll. Manchao Xie. Paratypes. 6 females and 1 male, the same data as holotype .

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

Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin lonicer and is, lonicer is derived from the generic name of the host plant, and is does for masculine gender end.

Remarks. This new species is firstly reported on Lonicera spp. for the genus Aculops . The species is similar to A. ulmi Hong & Xue, 2005 and A. ailanthi Lin, Jin & Kuang, 1997 in the shield design pattern and the smooth coverflap of female genitalia. But it can be differentiated from them by the opisthosoma with dorsal annuli smooth, and the tarsal empodium 6- rayed (the dorsal annuli sculptured with microtuberculate spiny and the tarsal empodium 2-rayed in A. ulmi ; the dorsal annuli sculptured with microtuberculates and the tarsal empodium 5-rayed in A. ailanthi ). Moreover, the new species can also be differentiated from A. ailanthi by the prodorsal shield design without nets (shield design with close nets in A. ailanthi ).

Additionally, the new species looks like the member of Rhyncaphytoptus by having a fairly strong gnathosoma projecting somewhat straight down, except the small, sharp anterior shield lobe over gnathosoma base and scapular setae (sc) projecting to rear.

Figures

Figures 1–6. Aculops loniceris sp. nov., female. 1. Antero-lateral view. 2. Lateral opisthosoma (enlarged). 3. Genital region of male. 4. Dorsal view. 5. Coxal-genital region. 6. Empodium (enlarged). Scale bars: 1, 3–5 =10μm.