Neovittacus shitaicus, Xue, Wang, Song & Hong, 2009

XUE, XIAO-FENG, WANG, ZHEN, SONG, ZI-WEI & HONG, XIAO-YUE, 2009, Eriophyoid mites on Fagaceae with descriptions of seven new genera and eleven new species (Acari: Eriophyoidea), Zootaxa 2253 (1), pp. 1-95 : 56-59

Neovittacus shitaicus sp. nov.

(Figs 16, 17 & 18)

Description. FEMALE: (n = 9) Body fusiform, 198 (180–198), 83 (81–83) wide, 75 (75–77) thick; white. Gnathosoma 30 (28–30), projecting obliquely down, pedipalp coxal seta (ep) 3 (3–4), dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) 7 (7–8), cheliceral stylets 20 (18–20). Prodorsal shield 57 (55–57), 85 (85–86) wide; anterior shield lobe broad, with 4 spines anteriorly; broken line present at center and laterally. Scapular tubercles ahead of rear shield margin, 23 (23–24) apart, scapular setae (sc) 14 (14–15), projecting forward. Coxal plates I separate, smooth, with a wide plate, 73 (73–75) wide, anterolateral setae on coxisternum І (1b) 6 (6–7), 14 (14–15) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum І (1a) 12 (12–14), 10 (10–11) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum І (2a) 22 (22–23), 23 (22–23) apart. Legs with genu II seta absent. Legs І 24 (23–26), femur 7 (7–8), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 10 (10–11); genu 4 (4–5), antaxial genual seta (l'') 27 (25–27); tibia 5 (5– 6), paraxial tibial seta (l') 15 (14–15), located at center from proximal tibial margin; tarsus 5 (4–5), seta ft' 13 (12–13), seta ft'' 17 (16–17), seta u' 3 (3–4); tarsal empodium (em) 3 (3–4), simple, 4-rayed, tarsal solenidion

(ω) 4 (3–4), slightly knobbed. Legs І 22 (20–23), femur 7 (6–7), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 11 (10–11); genu 4 (3–4), antaxial genual seta (l'') absent; tibia 3 (3–4); tarsus 5 (4–5), seta ft' 5 (4–5), seta ft'' 15 (14–15), seta u' 3 (3–4); tarsal empodium (em) 4 (3–4), simple, 4-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 5 (4–5), slightly knobbed. Opisthosoma: opisthosoma dorsally with 12 (12–13) annuli, anterior 8 annuli forming thickened bands, with round broken tubercles between them, ventrally with 26 (25–26) annuli, with spiny microtubercles. Setae c2 15 (14–15) on ventral annulus 1 (1–2), 61 (60–61) apart; setae d 18 (16–21) on ventral annulus 5 (5–6), 35 (34–36) apart; setae e 6 (6–7) on ventral annulus 10 (10–11), 23 (23–25) apart; setae f 14 (14–15) on 6th ventral annulus from rear, 16 (15–16) apart. Setae h1 absent, h2 42 (40–48). Female genitalia 8 (8–9), 25 (25–26) wide, coverflap smooth, setae 3a 6 (6–7), 18 (17–18) apart.

MALE: Unknown.

Type material. Holotype, female (slide number NJAUAcariEriW29b, marked Holotype), from Quercus sp. (Fagaceae) , The Guniujiang National Natural Reserve, Shitai County, Anhui Province, P. R. China, 30°05'23" N, 117°28'57" E, elevation 183m, 1 October 2008, coll. Zi-Wei Song and Zhen Wang. Paratypes, 8 females (slide number NJAUAcariEriW29b) with the same data as holotype.

Additional material examined. 5 females (slide number NJAUAcariEriQ222), from Cyclobalanopsis champiaonii (Fagaceae) , The Diaoluo Mountain, Lingshui County, Hainan Province, P. R. China, 18°43'30" N, 109°52'06" E, elevation 909m, 15 December 2008, coll. Zi-Wei Song and Zhen Wang.

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

Etymology. The specific designation shitaicus is from name of location, Shitai, where the species were collected.