Aculus tibetsalicinus, Song, Zi-Wei, Xue, Xiao-Feng & Hong, Xiao-Yue, 2009

Song, Zi-Wei, Xue, Xiao-Feng & Hong, Xiao-Yue, 2009, Six new species of Aculus Keifer from Tibet Autonomous Region, China (Acari: Eriophyoidea: Eriophyidae: Phyllocoptinae), Zootaxa 2305, pp. 1-23 : 13-16

Aculus tibetsalicinus sp. nov.

( Figs 7 & 8 )

Description. FEMALE: (n = 14) Body fusiform, 238 (235–245), 71 (70–75) wide, 70 (70–75) thick; light yellow. Gnathosoma 50 (48–50), projecting obliquely down, pedipalp coxal seta (ep) 5 (4–5), dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) 9 (7–9), cheliceral stylets 50 (50–52). Prodorsal shield 46 (43–46), 57 (54–57) wide; prodorsal shield with lobe rounded, frontal lobe with two spines; shield with admedian and submedian lines complete, subparallel; median line absent. Scapular tubercles on shield rear margin, 37 (37–39) apart, scapular setae (sc) 25 (23–25) projecting posteriorly. Coxal plates with short lines and granules; anterolateral setae on coxisternum I (1b) 12 (12–15), 13 (13–14) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum I (1a) 33 (30–33), 10 (9–10) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum II (2a) 50 (48–50), 26 (26–27) apart. Prosternal apodeme present. Legs with usual series of setae. Leg I 46 (44–46), femur 12 (11–12), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 16 (15–16); genu 6 (5–6), antaxial genual seta (l ʺ) 27 (25–27); tibia 11 (10–11), paraxial tibial seta (l ʹ) 7 (7–8), located 1/3 from dorsal base; tarsus 7 (7–8); paraxial fastigial tarsal seta (ft ʹ) 15 (13–16), antaxial fastigial tarsal setae (ft ʺ) 16 (15–18), paraxial unguinal tarsal seta (u ʹ) 5 (4–5); tarsal empodium 7 (6–7), simple, 4-rayed, tarsal solenidion 7 (6–7), knobbed. Leg II 42 (40–42), femur 11 (11–12), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 12 (11–12); genu 5 (5– 6), antaxial genual seta (l ʺ) 11 (11–12); tibia 7 (7–8); tarsus 7 (7–8); paraxial fastigial tarsal seta (ft ʹ) 7 (7–8), antaxial fastigial tarsal setae (ft ʺ) 15 (13–16), paraxial unguinal tarsal seta (u ʹ) 5 (4–5); tarsal empodium 7 (6–7), simple, 4-rayed, tarsal solenidion 7 (6–7), knobbed. Opisthosoma dorsally with 40 (38–42) annuli, with elliptical microtubercles on annular rear margins; ventrally with 69 (61–70) annuli, with round microtubercles. Setae c2 32 (30–32) on ventral annulus 12 (12–14); setae d 60 (55–60) on ventral annulus 28 (24–30), 39 (38–41) apart; setae e 27 (22–27) on ventral annulus 45 (38–45), 22 (22–24) apart; setae f 36 (36– 40) on 6th ventral annulus from rear, 27 (25–28) apart. Setae h1 4 (3–4), setae h2 74 (73–74). Female genital coverflap 16 (13–16), 25 (25–27) wide, with 12–14 longitudinal ridges, setae 3a 50 (45–50), 19 (18–19) apart.

MALE: Not seen.

Type material. Holotype, female (slide No. NJAUAcariEri983, marked holotype), from Salix sp. ( Salicaceae ), Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region, P. R. China, 23 August, 2007, coll. Zi-Wei Song, Xiao- Feng Xue & Zhen Wang. Paratypes, 13 females (slides No. NJAUAcariEri983) with the same data as holotype.

Relation to host. Vagrant on leaf undersurface. No damage to the host was observed.

Etymology. The specific designation tibetsalicinus is from the location of the species in “Tibet” and the host genus name “ Salix ”.

Differential diagnosis. This species is similar to A. salicis Kuang & Luo, 1997 , but can be differentiated by the prodorsal shield with only admedian and submedian lines complete, subparallel (prodorsal shield with all lines complete, median and admedian lines connected with a transverse line at 2/5 from posterior in A. salicis ); coxal plates with short lines and granules (coxal plates with only short lines in A. salicis ); dorsal annuli with elliptical microtubercles except 7 to 8 annuli from area smooth (dorsal annuli with microtubercles all over the dorsal opisthosoma in A. salicis ).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Aculus tibetsalicinus sp. nov. D, dorsal view of female; LO, enlarged lateral view of opisthosoma; CG, coxae and genitalia of female.

FIGURE 8. Aculus tibetsalicinus sp. nov. L, lateral view of female; L 1, leg I; L 2, leg II; em, empodium.