Aculus lhasasorbariae, 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 : 16-19

Aculus lhasasorbariae sp. nov.

( Figs 9 & 10 )

Description. FEMALE: (n = 7) Body fusiform, 200 (196–210), 58 (58–65) wide, 70 (65–70) thick; light yellow. Gnathosoma 26 (25–26), projecting obliquely down, pedipalp coxal seta (ep) 4 (3–4), dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) 6 (5–6), cheliceral stylets 22 (22–23). Prodorsal shield sub-quadrilateral, 40 (40–42), 46 (46– 50) wide, prodorsal shield with lobe rounded; shield with incomplete median and admedian lines, a semicircle line at posterior. Scapular tubercles on shield rear margin, 30 (30–32) apart, scapular setae (sc) 27 (27–30) projecting posteriorly. Coxal plates with short lines and granules; anterolateral setae on coxisternum I (1b) 12 (10–12), 13 (12–13) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum I (1a) 25 (25–30), 11 (10–11) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum II (2a) 40 (40–50), 26 (25–26) apart. Prosternal apodeme present. Legs with usual series of setae. Leg I 44 (42–44), femur 10 (9–10), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 10 (8–10); genu 5 (5–6), antaxial genual seta (l ʺ) 22 (22–24); tibia 10 (9–10), paraxial tibial seta (l ʹ) 5 (4–5), located 1/3 from dorsal base; tarsus 9 (8–9); paraxial fastigial tarsal seta (ft ʹ) 20 (16–20), antaxial fastigial tarsal setae (ft ʺ) 20 (20–22), paraxial unguinal tarsal seta (u ʹ) 5 (4–5); tarsal empodium 7 (6–7), simple, 4-rayed, tarsal solenidion 7 (6–7), slightly knobbed. Leg II 42 (40–42), femur 10 (9–10), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 10 (9–10); genu 5 (4–5), antaxial genual seta (l ʺ) 10 (8–10); tibia 8 (7–8); tarsus 8 (7–8); paraxial fastigial tarsal seta (ft ʹ) 7 (7–8), antaxial fastigial tarsal setae (ft ʺ) 20 (20–22), paraxial unguinal tarsal seta (u ʹ) 5 (4–5); tarsal empodium 7 (6–7), simple, 4-rayed, tarsal solenidion 7 (6–7), slightly knobbed. Opisthosoma dorsally with 57 (55–58) annuli, with bead microtubercles on annular rear margins; ventrally with 61 (59–61) annuli, with bead microtubercles. Setae c2 20 (18–20) on ventral annulus 11 (9–11); setae d 53 (50–55) on ventral annulus 23 (20–23), 30 (30–31) apart; setae e 12 (10–12) on ventral annulus 37 (34–37), 17 (15–17) apart; setae f 27 (25– 27) on 5th ventral annulus from rear, 24 (22–24) apart. Setae h1 5 (4–5), setae h2 42 (40–45). Female genital coverflap 13 (12–13), 24 (22–24) wide, with 8 longitudinal ridges, setae 3a 17 (15–20), 16 (15–16) apart.

MALE: Not seen.

Type material. Holotype, female (slide No. NJAUAcariEri988B, marked holotype), from Sorbaria sp. ( Rosaceae ), 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. NJAUAcariEri988B) with the same data as holotype.

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

Etymology. The specific designation lhasasorbariae is from the location of this species in “Lhasa” and the host genus name “ Sorbaria ”.

Differential diagnosis. This species is similar to A. parafockeui Liu & Kuang, 1998 , but can be differentiated by the prodorsal shield with incomplete median and admedian lines, a semicircle line at posterior (prodorsal shield with incomplete median line, complete admedian and submedian lines in A. parafockeui ); coxal plates with granules and short lines (coxal plates with only granules in A. parafockeui ); female genital coverflap with 8 longitudinal ridges and three transverse lines at base (female genital coverflap with 10–12 longitudinal ridges in A. parafockeui ).

Figures

FIGURE 9. Aculus lhasasorbariae sp. nov. D, dorsal view of female; CG, coxae and genitalia of female; LO, enlarged lateral view of opisthosoma.

FIGURE 10. Aculus lhasasorbariae sp. nov. L, lateral view of female; em, empodium; L 1, leg I; L 2, leg II.