Flat Mites of the World

Authority

Previously listed as Brevipalpus phoenicis species group sp. E.

Beard, J.J., Ochoa, R., Braswell, W.E. & Bauchan, G.R. (2015) Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes) species complex (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) — a closer look. Zootaxa, 3944(1), 1-67. (open access: http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/list/2015/3944%281%29.html)

Species group characters

Brevipalpus phoenicis species group

Dorsal opisthosomal setae f2 absent; tarsi II with 2 solenidia (one adaxial, one abaxial). Palps four segmented, setal formula 0-1-2-3(1s+2e) (s = solenidion, e = eupathidium).

Setal formula for legs I-IV (coxae to tarsi): 2-2-1-1, 1-1-2-1, 4-4-2-1, 3-3-1-1, 5-5-3-3, 9(1)-10(1)-5-5. Leg chaetotaxy: feI-II d, l', v', bv", fe III d, ev', fe IV ev'; ge I-II d, l', l", ge III-IV l'; ti I-II d, l', l", v', v", ti III-IV d, v', v".

Distribution based on confirmed specimens

Brazil

Species characters

Adult female habitus

Figures 1, 2

Prodorsum

Central (Fig. 3): cuticle with strong, broad areolae

Sublateral (Fig. 3): posterior region with reticulation forming broad rounded cells; anterior region mostly smooth

Opisthosoma

c1-c1 to d1-d1: cuticle smooth to wrinkled (Fig. 4)

d1-d1 to e1-e1: cuticle with irregular folds (Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7)

e1-e1 to h1-h1: cuticle with a short series of transverse folds, becoming longitudinal folds towards h1-h1 (Figs. 4, 5, 6, 8)

Sublateral: cuticle reticulate with large, uniform, distinctly rounded cells (Fig. 7); may be somewhat elongate towards h1

Dorsal microplates

Separate individual, rounded to irregularly rounded plates, with multiple short irregular ridges on dorsal surface aligned in apparently random directions; no series of parallel ridges present (Fig. 9)

Palp

palp femurogenu with barbed, broad flat dorsal seta (Fig. 10)

Venter

Setae 4a-ventral plate (Figs. 11, 12, 13): cuticle verrucose, with separately formed rounded "warts"; central cuticle with transverse bands (formed by fused "warts") (Fig. 11); bands maybe weakly developed (Fig. 12) or broken into elongate "warts" (formed by fused "warts") (Fig. 13); central cuticle without separately formed "warts"

Ventral plate (Figs. 14, 15, 16, 17): cuticle weakly verrucose, with little or no separately formed "warts"; "warts" are fused to form transverse bands

Genital plate (Figs. 14, 15, 16, 17): uniformly verrucose or verrucose-reticulate, with large transversely elongate cells formed by fused or conglomerate "warts"

Spermatheca

A long narrow convoluted duct terminates distally in a small rounded vesicle with a weakly formed crown of short projections (Fig. 18)

Hosts based on confirmed specimens

Croton floribundus (Euphorbiaceae)

Remarks

Croton floribundus (Euphorbiaceae)