Aegyptobia bozaii, Kontschan, Jeno & Ripka, Geza, 2018

Kontschan, Jeno & Ripka, Geza, 2018, A new species of Aegyptobia and redescription of Tenuipalpusszarvasensis Bozai, 1970 (Acari, Tenuipalpidae), ZooKeys 785, pp. 99-115 : 99-101

Aegyptobia bozaii sp. n. Figures 1, 2-8, 9, 10-15, 16, 17-21, 22, 23-26

Material examined.

Holotype: female, Hungary, Pest county, Farmos, 47°22'30"N, 19°52'08"E, 10 m a.s.l, from the leaves of the Hungarian statice, Limonium gmelinii subsp. hungaricum, 2 August 2014, Ripka, G. coll. Paratypes: one female, three deutonymphs, three protonymphs and one larva, locality and date same as for holotype. Other paratypes: four females, Hungary, Farmos, 47°22'30"N, 19°52'08"E, 10 m a.s.l, from the leaves of Limonium gmelinii subsp. hungaricum, 2 August 2017, Kontschán, J. and Ripka, G. coll.

Diagnosis

(based on female). Tarsal claws uncinate. Anterior margin of prodorsal shield with paired projections, prodorsum weakly sculptured, with few irregular lines. Opisthosoma with polygonal reticulation. Propodosomal and opisthosomal setae smooth and simple; seta f2 present. Length of dorsal setae 6-14. Dorsal opisthosomal pores close to e1. Rostrum extending to middle of tibia I. Genital flap smooth. Intercoxal area between 3a and 4a smooth.

Description

(females; n = 6). Idiosoma reddish-brown (Figure 27), oval in shape, body measured from v2 to h1 240-245; from tip of rostrum 260-266; width 143-147 near setae sc2; distance between setae sc2 120-125; length of legs I–IV (without coxa), leg I 105-110, leg II 80-87, leg III 72-78, leg IV 80-88.

Dorsum (Figure 1): Anterior margin of prodorsal shield with paired projections, depth of notch 7-8. Propodosoma finely lineate. Opisthosoma with polygonal reticulations; polygons longitudinally elongate medially, transversally elongate anterolaterally. Propodosomal and opisthosomal setae simple and smooth. Opisthosomal pores present close to e1. Prodorsal setae v2 shorter than half distance between their bases. Length of dorsal setae: v2 11-12, sc1 12-14, sc2 11-13, c1 8-9, c2 8-9, c3 9-10, d1 9-10, d2 8-9, d3 7-8, e1 8-9, e2 7-8, e3 8-9, f2 7-8, f3 6-8, h1 6-7, h2 7-8.

Venter (Figure 2): Surface of ventral idiosoma smooth, except lateral to ag, genital and anal plates where longitudinal striations visible. Genital and anal plates smooth. Length of ventral setae, 1a 53-57, 3a 11-12, 4a 8-9, 1b 7-8, 2b 8-9, 3b 8-9, 4b 9-10, 1c 11-12, 2c 10-13, ag 8-9, g1 9-10, g2 7-8. Pseudanal setae, all 6-8. All ventral setae simple and smooth.

Gnathosoma (Figure 3): Rostrum extending to middle of tibia I; palp setal counts: tarsus with one solenidion and two eupathidia, tibia with two setae, genu without seta and femur with one simple dorsal seta. All setae smooth. Subcapitulum with setae m (4-5).

Legs (Figures 4-8): Setal formula for leg I-IV (coxae to tarsi): 3-1-4-3-3-9, 2-1-4-3-3-9, 2-2-2-1-3-5, 2-1-1-0-3-5. A supplementary lateral ( l’) seta present on femora I. Solenidia on tarsi I and II 8-10 long, broad, leaf-like. Tarsal claws uncinate and empodium pad-like.

Deutonymph

(n = 3; Figures 9-15). Idiosoma oval in shape, body measured from v2 to h1 190-200; width 130-140 near setae sc2.

Dorsum (Figure 9) covered with a few striae, all setae short, simple and needle-like. Length of all setae 5-7.

Venter covered with very few striae with one pair of setae 1a, 1b, 2b, 3a, 3b, 3c, 4a and 4b, one pair of aggenital, one pair of genital and three pairs of anal setae, all simple and smooth 1a 15-16, other setae on venter 5-7 (Figure 10). Palp setal counts: tarsus with one solenidion and two eupathidia, tibia with two setae, genu without seta and femur with one simple dorsal seta (Figure 11). Legs as Figures 12-15 and Table 1.

Protonymph

(n = 3; Figures 16-21). Idiosoma oval in shape, body measured from v2 to h1 149-155; width 94-100 near setae sc2.

Dorsum (Figure 16). Surface without striae, all setae short, simple and needle-like. All setae 4-6 in length.

Venter covered with very few striae with one pair of setae 1a, 1b, 2b, 3a and 3b, one pair of aggenital and three pairs of anal setae, all simple and smooth. 1a 13-15, other setae on venter 5-6 (Figure 17). Legs as Figures 18-21 and Table 1.

Larva

(n = 1; Figures 22-26). Idiosoma oval in shape, body measured from v2 to h1 109; width 82 near setae sc2.

Dorsum (Figure 22). Covered with a few striae, all setae short, simple and needle-like. Length of setae: v2 30-31; sc1 30-37; sc2 28-36; c1 29-38; c2 26-39; c3 31-37; d1 5; d3 37-43; e1 3; e3 40-54; f2 3-4; f3 64-66; h1 2-3; h2 2-5.

Venter covered with few striae with one pair of setae 1a and three pairs of anal setae, all simple and smooth (Figure 23). Legs as Figures 24-26 and Table 1.

Etymology.

We dedicate the new species to Dr. József Bozai, former Hungarian tenuipalpid specialist.

Notes on the host.

The host plant, Hungarian statice ( Limonium gmelinii subsp. hungaricum) ( Plumbaginaceae ), is an endemic subspecies occurring on salt meadows in Central-Hungary. The mites appeared to prefer leaves of the host plant that were lying close to the surface of the soil. The alkali steppe where the host plant was found is hot and dry in summer, typical habitat for tenuipalpid species, which prefer warm and dry conditions. Up until now, only one species has been reported from Limonium plants: Capedulia maritima Gerson & Smith Meyer, 1980 was found on the roots of Limonium meyeri in Israel ( Ueckermann et al. 2018).

Remarks.

The new species has uncinate claws and therefore belongs to the Aegyptobia tragardhi species group ( Khanjani et al. 2008). It is very similar to A. iranensis Khanjani et al., 2008 and A. wainsteini Bagdasarian, 1962 based on the claw-like empodium, the slender prodorsal setae, the deeply emarginated notch and the medially smooth prodorsum. The most important differences among three species are summarized in Table 2.

Only one species, Aegyptobia wainsteini Bagdasarian, 1962, was previously reported from Hungary from a Biota orientalis tree ( Cupressaceae ) close to the town Kecskemét ( Bozai 1969). Other new occurrences have not been given since this first report. The two Aegyptobia species reported from Hungary differ in the shape of the dorsal setae, which are short and smooth in A. bozaii sp. n. and longer and finely pilose on Aegyptobia wainsteini .