Cavariella gilgiana Zhang, Chen, Zhong & Li, 1999

Figs 10, 11, 32H

Cavariella gilgiana Zhang, Chen, Zhong & Li, 1999: 370.

Types examined.

Holotype: one ap. viv. fem., China: Ningxia (Yinchuan City), 10.VI.1976, No. Y1156-1-1-2, on Salix, coll. Unknown. Paratypes: four ap. viv. fems., with the same collection data as holotype (Zhang et al 1999).

Other specimens examined.

Five ap. viv. fems. (slides) and one ap. viv. fem. (COI: OP956147), Sichuan (Ganzi City), 15.VI.2021, No. 51429, on Salix, coll. T.Y. Liu and S. Xu ; six ap. viv. fems., Qinghai (Huangyuan County), 9.VI.1997, No. 11400, on Salix, coll. X.L. Chen.

Diagnosis.

Body dorsum covered with densely papillate tubercles (Figs 10F, 11F, H); antennae 5-segmented (Figs 10B, 11B), PT short, 0.36-0.40 × Ant. Vb; dorsal setae of body long, thick, and capitate (Figs 10E, 11G); ABD TERG VIII produced caudad into triangular spinal supra-caudal process (Figs 10H, 11J); cauda pentagonal, constricted at base and distal part (Figs 10I, 11K) (Zhang et al. 1999).

Re-description.

Apterous viviparous females: body oval, pale yellowish in life (Fig. 32H).

Mounted specimens. Body pale, unsclerotized; Ant. V, distal part of rostrum, HT II brown, other parts pale in color. Body dorsum covered with densely papillate tubercles (Fig. 11A). See Table 2 for general measurements.

Head. Ocular tubercles indistinct. Dorsum of head covered with semicircular and wavy sculptures on median area, marginal area with papillate tubercles (Figs 10A, 11C). Frons convex (Figs 10A, 11C). Dorsal setae of head long, thick, and capitate, with distinct setal tubercles. Head with one pair of cephalic setae, one or two pairs of dorsal setae between antennae, two pairs of dorsal setae between compound eyes arranged transversely. Antennae 5-segmented, Ant. I and II slightly imbricated at inner side, Ant. III-V with slight imbrications (Figs 10B, 11B). Antennal setae long, thick, and blunt or capitate on Ant. I and II, 0.02-0.05 mm, short and blunt on Ant. III-V. Ant. I-V each with 3 or 4, 2 or 3, 2 or 3, 1 or 2, 2 or 3+0 setae; apex of PT with two or three setae. Primary rhinaria ciliated. Rostrum reaching mid-coxae; URS wedge-shaped (Figs 10C, 11E), with two pairs of primary setae, without accessory setae.

Thorax. Thoracic nota with circular and semicircular sculptures on spino-pleural areas, marginal areas with papillate tubercles. Mesosternal furca separated (Figs 10D, 11D). Dorsal setae of thorax long, thick and capitate; pronotum with two pairs of spinal setae, arranged anteriorly and posteriorly, one pair of pleural and one pair of marginal setae; mesonotum with 5-7 spino-pleural setae and two pairs of marginal setae; metanotum with 2-4 spino-pleural setae and two pairs of marginal setae. Legs short. Femora thick and short. Outsides of femora and tibiae imbricated. Setae on legs long, thick and capitate. First tarsal chaetotaxy: 3, 2, 2. Second tarsal segments with imbrications.

Abdomen. Abdominal tergites with circular and semicircular sculptures on spino-pleural areas, marginal areas with papillate tubercles (Figs 10F, 11F, H). ABD TERG VIII produced caudad into triangular spinal supra-caudal process and covered with papillate tubercles, constricted and blunt at distal part, exceeding to the end of cauda (Figs 10H, 11J). Dorsal setae of abdomen long, thick, and capitate (Figs 10E, 11J); abdominal tergites I-V each with two or three pairs of spino-pleural setae and one or two pairs of marginal setae, tergite VI with one pair of spinal and one pair of marginal setae, tergite VII with one pair of spinal, pleural and marginal setae, respectively; tergite VIII with two setae at apex and 2-4 marginal setae of supra-caudal process. Spiracles reniform and open. SIPH long clavate, basal 1/2 cylindrical and then gradually swollen towards apical part but constricted at apex (Figs 10G, 11I); basal part smooth, distal part with imbrications, with flange. Cauda pentagonal (Figs 10I, 11K), constricted at base and distal part, with spinulose imbrications and 2-5 setae. Anal plate semicircular, spinulose, with 8-12 setae. Genital plate transversely oval, with sparse spinules in transverse rows, with two anterior setae and six or seven setae along the posterior margin.

Comment.

The species was first described by Zhang et al. (1999), but the description was brief and incomplete. So, a detailed description, character illustration, ecological photographs, and DNA barcoding are supplied in this work.

Biology.

The species feeds on young leaves of Salix (Fig. 32H).

Distribution.

China (Ningxia, Sichuan, Qinghai).