Tegophyes embelia, Wei & Wang & Qin, 2009

Wei, Suigai, Wang, Guoquan & Qin, Aizhi, 2009, One new genus and four new species of Tegonotini (Acari: Eriophyidae) from Guangxi, South China, Zootaxa 2312, pp. 60-68 : 66-68

Tegophyes embelia sp. nov.

( Fig. 4)

Description. Female (n=15). body fusiform, yellow, 174 (163−184), 69 (63−74) wide, 32 (30−34) thick. Gnathosoma— Curved obliquely downward, 26 (24−27); dorsal pedipalp genual setae (d) 8 (7−9), pedipalp coxal setae (ep) 3 (2−3), cheliceral stylets 22 (21−24). Prodorsal shield— Frontal lobe present, 45 (43−47), 62 (60−64) wide, median line absent, admedian lines complete; submedian lines incomplete. Scapular tubercles finger-like, 3 (3−4), placed on rear shield margin, 32 (31−34) apart, scapular setae (sc) 7 (7−8), directed backward. Coxae— Sternal line present, coxal area sculptured with granules; anterolateral setae on coxisternum І (1b) 5 (5−6), 15 (14−16) apart; proximal setae on coxisternum І (1a) 16 (16−17), 8 (8−9) apart; proximal setae on coxisternum І (2a) 35 (32−40), 22 (20−24) apart. Coxi-genital annuli 5. Legs— Segments normal. Legs І 31 (28−34), femur 11 (10−12), basiventral femoral setae (bv) 10 (9−14); genu 4 (3−4), antaxial genual setae (l'') 15 (13−18); tibia 8 (7−9), paraxial tibial setae (l ΄) located basally, 5 (5−6); tarsus 6 (6−7), paraxial fastigial tarsal setae (ft') 19 (17−22), antaxial fastigial tarsal setae (ft'') 22 (18−25), paraxial unguinal tarsal setae (u') 4 (4−5); tarsal empodium 5 (5−6), 5-rayed, tarsal solenidion 5 (5−6), knobbed. Legs І 30 (27−32), femur 11 (10−11), basiventral femoral setae (bv) 12 (10−14); genu 4 (3−4), antaxial genual setae (l'') 10 (9−12); tibia 6 (6−7); tarsus 7 (6−8), paraxial fastigial tarsal setae (ft') 5 (5−6), antaxial fastigial tarsal setae (ft'') 21 (19−23), paraxial unguinal tarsal setae (u') 4 (3−5); tarsal empodium 5 (5−6), 5-rayed, tarsal solenidion 6 (5−6), knobbed. Opisthosoma— Dorsum with median and admedian ridges, dorsal annuli 27, with filamentous microtubercles; first dorsal annulus overlapping centrally 2 nd and 3 rd annuli; ventral annuli 66, with rounded microtubercles; setae c2 17 (15−20), on 13th ventral annulus; setae d 41 (38−46), 48 (46−49) apart, on 28th ventral annulus; setae e 12 (11−14), 18 (17−19) apart, on ventral annulus 43rd; setae f 19 (17−22), 20 (19−21) apart, on 6th ventral annulus from rear; setae h1 2 (2−3), setae h2 37 (31−42). Female genitalia— Coverflap sculptured with distal longitudinal ridges, 18 (17−20), 23 (23−24) wide, proximal setae on coxisternum ІІ (3a) 6 (6−7), 17 (16−19) apart.

Male (n=2). Body fusiform, 142−155, 58−60 wide. Male genitalia 20−22 wide, proximal setae on coxisternum ІІ (3a) 6−8, 18−19 apart.

Type data. Holotype, female, Dongzhong town , 70 km west of Fangcheng City (21°46'N, 108°21'E), Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, 24-May-2006, from Embelia oblongifolia Hemsl. ( Myrsinaceae ), collected by GuoQuan Wang, DeWei Li and GuoYing Shi. Paratypes, 14 females and 2 males, were mounted on individual slide, with the same data as holotype .

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

Etymology. The specific designation is derived from the generic name of the type host plant.

Remarks. This new species is similar to T. benjamini Chandrapatya & Boczek, 2001 , but they can be easily separated as follows: in T. embelia , the coxae have granules, the dorsal annuli have elongated microtubercles, the ventral annuli have rounded microtubercles and the empodium is 5-rayed; in T. benjamini , the coxae and dorsal annuli are smooth, the ventral annuli have elongated microtubercles and the empodium is 4-rayed ( Chandrapatya & Boczek 2001).