Tetranychus urticae Koch, 1836

Alatawi, Fahad Jaber & Kamran, Muhammad, 2018, Spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) of Saudi Arabia: two new species, new records and a key to all known species, Journal of Natural History 52 (7 - 8), pp. 429-455 : 451-453

Tetranychus urticae Koch, 1836 (= Tetranychus cinnabarinus )

Tetranychus urticae Koch 1836: 10 .

Records

Martin 1972; Al-Atawi 2011.

Hosts

Wide range of host plants.

Distribution

Worldwide including SA.

Key to species of Tetranychidae of Saudi Arabia

1. Empodium with tenant hairs; female with 2 – 3 pairs of anal (ps) setae; male with five pairs of genito-anal setae.................. .................. subfamily Bryobiinae Berlese −2

– Empodium absent or if present without tenant hairs; female with 1 – 2 pairs of anal (ps) setae; male with four pairs of genito-anal setae subfamily Tetranychinae Berlese −13

2. Empodium pad-like, true claws uncinate........................................ Tribe Bryobiini Reck −3

– Empodium pad-like or uncinate, true claws pad-like..................................................... 7

3. Prodorsum with two anterior pairs of setae (v1, v2) present on lobes over gnathosoma 4

– Prodorsum without lobes over gnathosoma, setae v1 much shorter than v2 and other dorsal setae........ Genus Pseudobryobia McGregor , P. abbatielloi Smiley and Baker Prodorsum with short, inconspicuous lobes over gnathosoma................................................ ...................................................................................................... Bryobia tuttlei Smiley and Baker

− Prodorsum with conspicuous lobes over gnathosoma............................................................. 5

5. Femur I with four long setae present on its interior dorsal row.............................................. ................................................................................................ B. alveolata Auger and Flechtmann

– Femur I without four long setae present on its interior dorsal row ........................... 6

6. Tarsus IV dorsally without duplex setae (fastigial seta well separated from the solenidion), femur I with 15 – 18 setae*............................ ............................ B. rubrioculus (Scheuten)

– Tarsus IV dorsally with duplex setae (base of fastigial seta very close to the solenidion), femur I with 20 – 23 setae*...................................................... B. praetiosa Koch

7. Claws and empodium pad-like.......... Tribe Hystrichonychini Pritchard and Baker −9

− Claws pad-like and empodium uncinate (Tribe Petrobiini Reck ); two sets of duplex setae on tarsus I, empodium with two rows of tenant hairs.............................................. ................................................................................................................. Genus Petrobia Muray −8

8. Dorsal setae not set on tubercles and shorter than distance between their base and the base of the next setae behind.......................... P. (Petrobia) latens (Müller)

− All dorsal setae set on prominent tubercles and longer than the distance between their base and the base of the next setae behind.................................................................. ............................................................................................ P. (Tetranychina) nocitus Chaudhri

9. Prodorsum with two lobes over gnathosoma................................................................................ ............................................................... Genus Mesobryobia Wainstein , M. parmata Meyer

− Prodorsum without lobes over gnathosoma............................................................................ 10

10. Setae f 1 in normal dorsal position................................ Genus Paraplanobia Wainstein −11

− Setae f 1 widely spaced as compared to other dorsomedian setae...................................... ........................... Genus Neopetrobia Wainstein , N. mcgregori (Pritchard and Baker)

11. First pair of dorsocentral setae c1 2/3 as long as distances to the bases of the next setae behind, dorsal striations widely spaced*.............................................................................. ............................................................................ P. (Anaplonobia) arabica Mirza and Alatawi

– First pair of dorsocentral setae c1 less than half as long as distances to the bases of the next setae behind........................................................................................................................ 12

12. Peritremes branched distally (not anostomosed distally), femur III and IV each with four setae*............................................ P. (Anaplonobia) haloxylonia Alatawi and Mirza

− Peritremes complex anostomosed distally, femur III and IV each with three setae (antero-lateral setae absent) *................................................................................................... ...................................................... P. (Anaplonobia) tabukensis Kamran and Alatawi

13. Empodium and claws absent, opithosoma with 10 pairs of dorsal setae; two pairs of anal setae.... .... Tribe Eutetranychini Reck , Genus Eutetranychus Banks −14

− Empodium claw-like or split distally, opithosoma with f 1 in normal position................. ........................................................................................................................ Tribe Tetranychini – 17

14. Coxae II with two setae.................................................................................................................... 15

− Coxae II with one seta........................................................................................................................ 16

15. Distance f1–f1 equal to distance e1–e1, setae v2 as long as distance v2–v2 .................... ............................................................................................................................... E. africanus (Tucker)

− Distance f1–f1 twice distance e1–e1, setae v2 shorter than half of distance v2–v2 ....... .............................................................................................................................. E. banksi (Mcgregor)

16. No idiosomal setae set on tubercles, dorsal setae lanceolate with tapering tips........... ................................................................................................................................... E. palmatus Attiah

− Most dorsal setae set on tubercles, dorsal setae mostly subspatulate with blunt tips .................................................................................................................................. E. orientalis (Klein)

17. Para-anal setae two pairs (h 2-3) ...................................................................................................... 18

− Para-anal setae one pair (h 2) ............................................................................................................. 22

18. Empodium single claw-like .............................................................................................................. 19

− Empodium split distally.................................................... Genus Eotetranychus Oudemans

19. Empodium claw thin, dorsal setae fine, dorsal integument with simple striations (Genus Sonotetranychus Tuttle et al. ), empodium claw without dorsal hair, dorsal setae long, barbed, setiform, setae f 1 well separated, striations between setae f 1 transverse*.............................................................................................. S. madinahensis sp. nov.

− Empodium claw strong, dorsal setae stout, dorsal integument forming reticulate pattern. (Genus Mixonychus Ryke and Meyer ); dorsal body setae longer than half the longitudinal distance between them............................ M. acacia Ryke and Meyer

20. Dorsal setae much shorter than the intervals between their bases..................................... ......... Eotetranychus (= Platytetranychus ) sp. (one unidentified species recorded)

− Dorsal setae as long or longer than the intervals between their bases.......... .......... 21

21. Aedeagal knob slightly sigmoid, strongly tapering posteriorly and with the last segment ending approximately parallel to the main shaft..................................................... ........................................................................................................... E. fallugiae Tuttle and Baker

− Aedeagal knob strongly sigmoid and at an acute angle with the shaft........................... .......................................................................................................................... E. hicoriae (McGregor)

22. Duplex setae on tarsus I well separated, empodium split distally with free proximoventral hairs................................................................................ Genus Tetranychus Dufour −23

− Duplex setae on tarsus I close to each other, empodium claw like with proximoventral hairs, as long as or longer than claw............................................................. ............................................................................................ Genus Oligonychus Berlese −27

23. Dorsal hysterosomal striations entirely transverse (not longitudinal between setae e 1); male aedeagus with head posteriorly hooked downward*...................................... ................................................................................................................. T. salicornicus sp. nov.

− Dorsal hysterosomal striations with at least some longitudinal or oblique striae, usually between setae f1–f1 and/or e1–e1 .............................................................................. 24

24. Male aedeagus with a small distal knob forming a clear angle with the shaft, with a small anterior angulation and an acute posterior tip; in female proximal tactile setae on tarsus I more or less in a line with proximal duplex setae............................................... ......................................................................................................... T. evansi Baker and Pritchard

− Male aedeagal knob not angular, small and set at right angle to the shaft or at (small) acute angle............................................................................................................................................. 25

25. Male empodia I – II with dorsal spurs minute or absent, ≤ 1 µm long, dorsal margin of aedeagus knob with median indentation........................................ T. neocaledonicus Andre

− Male empodia I – II with larger spurs,, ≥ 2 µm long, dorsal margin of aedeagus knob without median indentation .......................................................................................................... 26

26. Knob of aedeagus with large posterior projection, its length approximately equal to the width of the neck.................................... T. turkestani (Ugarov and Nikolski)

− Knob of aedeagus with smaller posterior projection, its length shorter than the width of the neck................................................................................................................................ T. urticae Koch

27. Male aedeagus turned down, hysterosomal striations transverse between dorsocentral setae f 1 (Subgenus Oligonychus Pritchard and Baker ); aedeagus ‘ head ’ positioned ventrally, with distal end abruptly narrowed into a finger-like projection........ ........................................................................................................................... O. (O.) punicae (Hirst)

– Aedeagus turned upward; hysterosomal striations longitudinal between dorsocentral setae f 1.......................................................................... Subgenus Reckiella Tuttle and Baker −28

28. Terminal knob of aedeagus parallel to that of shaft, anterior part of the knob broadly rounded........................................................................................ O. (R.) afraciaticus (McGregor)

− Terminal knob of aedeagus at an angle with the shaft, anterior part of the knob not broadly rounded.................................................................................... O. (R.) pratensis (Banks) Most of the characters used in the key are based on the literature, except for characters of some species based on our observations, indicated with an asterisk (*).