Eutetranychus palmatus Attiah, 1967

Kamran, Muhammad, Khan, Eid Muhammad & Alatawi, Fahad Jaber, 2018, The spider mites of the genus Eutetranychus Banks (Acari, Trombidiformes, Tetranychidae) from Saudi Arabia: two new species, a re-description, and a key to the world species, ZooKeys 799, pp. 47-88 : 47

Eutetranychus palmatus Attiah, 1967 Figures 31, 32, 33, 34, 35−38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43-46

Eutetranychus palmatus Attiah, 1967: 12−13, Meyer 1974: 137, Meyer 1987: 78, Palevsky et al. 2010: 43−51, Ben-David et al. 2013: 129.

Material examined.

Eight females, Washingtonia sp. ( Arecaceae ), Taif, 21°17.220'N, 040°21.963'E, elevation 1736 m, 11 Oct 2016, leg. M Kamran and M Rehman; seven females, Washingtonia sp., Tabuk, 28°23.754'N, 036°32.81'E.

Known Hosts.

Date palm, Phoenix dactylifera L. ( Attiah 1967, Palevsky et al. 2010); the desert fan palm, Washingtonia filifera Lindley, Wendland; doum palm, Hyphaene thebaica L. Martius; Canary Island palm, Phoenix canariensis Chabaud; mountain date palm, Phoenix loureiroi ( Ben-David et al. 2007). Alatawi (2011) misidentified specimens of E. orientalis as E. palmatus collected from Cucurbita moschata Duchesne ex. Poiret ( Cucurbitaceae ).

Distribution.

Egypt, Iran, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.

Redescription

of female (n = 15) (Figures 31-38)

Body oval, color in life greenish yellow. Length of body (excluding gnathosoma) 414−425, (including gnathosoma) 435−455 and maximum width 325−345.

Dorsum (Figure 31). Dorsum with lobed striae, propodosoma medially with longitudinal striae, hysterosoma medially with transverse striae except area between setae d1 and e1 longitudinal or “V” shaped pattern; dorsal setae serrate, slightly lanceolate, setae c1, d1, e1 reaching less than half to the distance of next consecutive setae; all dorsal setae without tubercles, propodosomal setae v2 reaching about two third to the distance v2−v2 and reaching to the bases of setae sc1, setae c3, d2, e2, f2, h1 and all propodosomal setae relatively longer than dorsocentral setae c1, d1, e1. Length of dorsal setae: v2 47−52, sc1 30−33, sc2 30−34, c1 17−19, c2 20−22, c3 25−29, d1 20−23, d2 28−31, e1 21−25, e2 27−32, f1 25−30, f2 32−37, h1 32−37; distance between dorsal setae: v2−v2 63−70, sc1−sc1 125−133, sc2−sc2 234−245, c1−c1 67−73, c2−c2 184−195, c3−c3 280−296, d1−d1 123−140, d2−d2 245−255, e1−e1 55−62, e2−e2 172−181, f1−f1 44−47, f2−f2 116−130, h1−h1 48−52, v2−sc1 40−43, sc1−sc2 46−50, sc2−c3 79−84, sc2−c2 72−78, sc2−c1 116−127, c1−c2 57−60, c2−c3 53−57, c1−d1 59−63, c2−d2 93−97, d1−e1 66−74, d2−e2 88−94, e1−f1 47−50, e2−f2 62−66, f1−h1 62−67, f2−h1 42−45.

Venter (Figures 32, 34). Ventral integument with transverse striae between setae 1a to g1. Length of ventral setae; 1a 39−43, 3a 30−34, 4a 41−44, 1b 35−39, 1c 42−47, 2c 36−40, 3b 29−33, 4b 42−46; distance between intercoxal and coxae setae: 1a−1a 40−43, 1b−1c 10−11), 3a−3a 63−66, 4a−4a 82−88; aggenital setae: ag 29−32, ag−ag 51−55; genital setae: g1 30−34, g2 26−31, g1−g1 28−32, g2−g2 61−66; anal setae two pairs: ps1 11−13, ps2 10−11, ps1−ps1 16−18, ps1−ps2 22−26; para anal setae two pairs: h2 18−20, h3 23−27, h2−h2 16−17, h3−h3 46−50, para-anal setae h2 and h3 finely serrated. Spermatheca oval, elongated and sacculus terminally rounded or slightly pointed as shown in figure 34.

Gnathosoma (Figure 31). Subcapitular setae m 30−34, m−m 37−42 (Figure 32). Palp femur and genu each with one setae d 45−49, l" 32−37; palp tibia with three setae d 24−27, l" 21−24, l’ 15−16 and a palp tibial claw; palp tarsus 19 long, 14 wide, with 3 simple setae a 10−11, b 9−10, c 13−14, 3 eupathidia suζ 9, width 1.35−1.7, ul’’ ζ = ul’ζ 7−8, width 1.3−1.6 a solenidion ω 5 long, width 1.9−2.2 (Figure 33). Stylophore anteriorly slightly notched; peritremes ending with simple bulb (Figure 31).

Legs (Figures 35-38). Length of legs I−IV (trochanter to pretarsus): 320−340, 285−300, 280−295, 335−350 respectively; leg I 320−340: trochanter 30−33, femur 112−125, genu 61−68, tibia 63−72, tarsus 61−67; leg II 285−300: trochanter 30−33, femur 88−93, genu 50−55, tibia 46−50, tarsus 67−72; leg III 280−295: trochanter 25−30, femur 95 93−99, genu 30−33, tibia 58−63, tarsus 76−80; leg IV 335-350: trochanter 25−29, femur 110−117, genu 48−55, tibia 73−79, tarsi 77−82; legs chaetotaxy I−IV (solenidia in parenthesis): coxae 2−1−1−1, trochanters 1−1−1−1; femora 8−7−4−1; genua 5−5−2−2; tibiae 9(1) −6−6−7; tarsi 12 (3ζ, 3ω) −10(3ζ, 1ω) −10(1ω) −10(1ω).

Male (n= 4) (Figures 39-46)

Body oval, length of body (excluding gnathosoma) 340−355, (including gnathosoma) 405−425 and maximum width 206−220.

Dorsum (Figure 39). Propodosoma medially with longitudinal striae, area between setae c1−d1 with transverse striae and e1−h1 with oblique striae; all dorsal setae short and slightly lanceolate, and without tubercles; length of dorsal setae: v2 30−32, sc1 28−33, sc2 21−24, c1 15−17, c2 19−22, c3 20−24, d1 14−16, d2 14−17, e1 16−19, e2 19−22, f1 16−18, f2 19−22, h1 25−28, h2 9−12, h3 11−13; distance between dorsal setae: v2−v2 60−68, sc1−sc1 90−103, sc2−sc2 180−195, c1−c1 45−52, c2−c2 115−125, c3−c3 180−196, d1−d1 80−89, d2−d2 130−142, e1−e1 38−44, e2−e2 80−89, f1−f1 35−40, f2−f2 65−70, h1−h1 25−30, h2−h2 11−13, h3−h3 41−48, v2−sc1 36−42, sc1−sc2 30−34, sc2−c3 75−84, sc2−c2 64−70, sc2−c1 86−96, c1−c2 38−42, c2−c3 33−37, c1−d1 45−50, c2−d2 55−61, d1−e1 46−54, d2−e2 55−60, e1−f1 39−45, e2−f2 38−43, f1−h1 32−35, f2−h1 25−31.

Venter (Figure 40). Idiosoma ventrally with transverse striae; length of ventral setae; 1a 30−32, 3a 20−24, 4a 24−28, 1b 35−39, 1c 42−47, 2b 28−30, 3b 39−43, 4b 42−46, distance between setae: 1a−1a 34−38, 1b−1c 10−11, 3a−3a 38−45, 4a−4a 38−42; aggenital setae: ag 20−22, ag−ag 6−7; genital setae: g1 9−11, g2 10−11, g1−g1 16−17, g2−g2 25−28; anal setae two pairs: ps1 9−11, ps2 11−12, ps1−ps1 19−21, ps1−ps2 7.

Gnathosoma (Figure 41). Subcapitular setae m 27−29, m−m 30−33 (Figure 40); palp femur and genu each with one setae de 38−41, l" 21−25; palp tibia with three setae d 16−20, l" 21−25, l’ 13−14 and a palp tibial claw; palp tarsus 9−10 long, 12 wide, with 3 simple setae a 7 −8, b 8, c 9−10, 3 eupathidia ul’’ ζ = ul’ζ 6.5−7, width 1 (0.9−1) suζ 4, width 0.7−0.9 a solenidion ω 3 long, width 1.2−1.7 (Figure 41). Stylophore notched; peritremes ending with simple bulb (Figure 39).

Aedeagus (Figure 42) bends dorsad at an angle of 70°; aedeagal knob pointed distally, shaft 10 long, 3.4 wide, bent portion 2.8 long.

Legs (Figures 43-46). Length of legs I−IV (trochanter to pretarsus): 470−485, 385−400, 402−425, 399−420 respectively; legs I−IV chaetotaxy (solenidia in parenthesis): coxae 2−1−1−1, trochanters 1−1−1−1; femora 8−7−4−1/2; genua 5−5−2−2; tibiae 9(3) −6(2)−6(1)−7; tarsi 12 (2ζ, 3ω)−10(3ζ, 2ω) −10(1ω)−10(1ω).

Remarks.

Eutetranychus palmatus Attiah, 1967 is different from all other species of the genus Eutetranychus by having all dorsal body setae without tubercles. It was described and illustrated from date palm trees in Egypt ( Attiah 1967), but its original description was briefly and incomplete i.e. leg chaetotaxy, length and distance of dorsal setae were not provided. Meyer (1987) identified some specimens as E. palmatus from date palms from Israel and provided legs chaetotaxy without illustrations. Chaetotaxy of E. palmatus specimens collected from Washingtonia sp. from Saudi Arabia is same as mentioned by Meyer (1987) except differences on femora II and III 7−4 vs. 6−2 in the specimens from Israel. However, femur III with three setae was illustrated in original illustrations ( Attiah 1967). Moreover, Attiah (1967) and Meyer (1987) observed striations of prodorsum longitudinal and undulating in this species. Undulation in prodorsal striations usually happened during mounting is not important diagnostic character to differentiate the species of the genus Eutetranychus . Also, in this species striae between setae d1 and e1 were either longitudinal (Figure 31A) or “V” shaped (Figure 31B).