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

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)