Aceria geniculatus, Flechtmann, Carlos H. W. & Etienne, Jean, 2003

Aceria geniculatus n. sp. ( Figs. 2­4 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURES 3 - 4 )

DIAGNOSIS ­ Six­rayed empodium; coxae and hypostome fused in a continuous plate, granulated; coxal seta III ( 2a) bent near basis at an obtuse angle, a character not previously reported for mites in the genus Aceria .

FEMALE (n = 6) ­ Elongate, cylindrical, 133 (132­156), 46 (45­48) wide. Gnathosoma: basal seta 2 (2­3); antapical seta 4 (4­5); chelicera 12 (12­14). Prodorsal shield 29 (29­32) including frontal lobe, 32 (31­33) wide; frontal lobe triangular, 5 (4­5). Shield design with a vestigial median line represented by two short segments near rear shield margin; one pair of arched admedian lines and a loopshaped pair of submedian lines anterolaterally to shield tubercles. Setiferous shield tubercles on rear shield margin, 18 (17­19) apart, directing scapular setae ( sc) divergently backwards; sc 21 (19­22). Legs with all usual segments and setae present. Leg I 24 (22­26); femur 6 (6­7), femoral seta ( bv) 7 (7­ 8); genu 3 (3­4), genual seta ( l") 17 (16­18); tibia 5 (4­5), tibial seta ( l') 5 (4­5); tarsus 5 (5), dorsal seta ( ft') 9 (8­11), lateral seta ( ft") 13 (13­16), unguinal seta ( u') 3 (3­4), solenidion 6 (5­6), empodium 5 (4­5), 6­rayed. Leg II 17 (17­21); femur 7 (5­7), bv 7 (6­8); genu 3 (3­4), l" 8 (6­9); tibia 4 (3­4); tarsus 4 (4), ft' 4 (4­5), ft" 14 (13­16), u' 4 (4­5), solenidion 6 (6­7), empodium 4 (4), 6­rayed. Coxigenital area: coxae I fused to hypostome into a granulated plate. Coxal seta I ( 1b) 7 (6­8), 8 (7­9) apart; coxal seta II ( 1a) 14 (14­18), 7 (7­ 9) apart; coxal seta III ( 2a) angulate, 31 (29­33), 17 (17­19) apart. A short internal sternal line 3 (3­5). Coxisternal area with 5 (5­6) annuli, microtuberculate. Genitalia 16 (16­18) wide, 8 (8­10) long; genital seta ( 3a) 9 (9­12). Epigynium with 12 (12­14) longitudinal distal lines and basally granulated. Opisthosoma evenly arched in transversal section; lateral seta ( c2) 18 (18­21), on annulus 5 (3­5) from genitalia rear margin. Ventral seta I ( d) 38 (38­47), 29 (26­33) apart, on annulus 17 (14­17); ventral seta II ( e) 7 (7­10), 17 (17­20) apart, on annulus 27 (25­28); ventral seta III ( f) 15 (14­16), 13 (11­15) apart, on annulus 44 (41­46) or 6 (6)th from rear. Total ventral annuli 49 (46­51), microtuberculate; total dorsal annuli 49 (49­55), anteriorly microtuberculate, posterior 45% smooth. Caudal seta ( h2) 34 (32­39); accessory seta ( h1) 1 (1­2).

MALE (n = 3) ­ Smaller than female, 92­130, 39­46 wide. Gnathosoma: basal seta 2­ 3; antapical seta 4­5; chelicera 11­12. Prodorsal shield: 25­28 including frontal lobe, 26­ 39 wide; frontal lobe 3­4; sc 17­18, 14­17 apart. Legs: leg I 19­20, bv 6­8; genu 3, l" 14­ 15; tibia 3­4, l' 3­4; tarsus 4, ft' 3 (3­4), ft" 13­14, u' 3, solenidion 6, empodium 4­5, 6­ rayed. Leg II 17­18; femur 5­6, bv 5­7; genu 3, l" 5­6; tibia 3; tarsus 3­5, ft' 3­4, ft" 12­14, u' 3, solenidion 5­6, empodium 4­5, 6­rayed. Coxigenital area: 1b 6­7, 7­8 apart; 1a 12­ 13, 6­8 apart; 2a 20­28, 14­18 apart. Sternal line internal, 2­3. Coxisternal area with 5­6 annuli, microtuberculate. Genitalia granulated, 11­13 wide, 8­9 long; 3a 8­9. Opisthosoma: c 2 15­17, on annulus 2; d 40­42, 23­28 apart, on annulus 4­12; e 5­7, 12­16 apart, on annulus 20­22; f 15­17, 13­14 apart, on annulus 38­40 or 6th from rear. Total ventral annuli 43­45, microtuberculate; total dorsal annuli 44­45, microtubercles as in female. Caudal seta ( h2) 33­37; h1 2.

TYPE MATERIAL - holotype female, 30 female and 6 male paratypes, from Inga laurina (Sw.) Willd. (Mimosaceae) , Morne à Louis, Pointe Noire, Guadeloupe, 25 July 2002, coll. J. Etienne, on 10 microscopic preparations in the collection of Departamento de Entomologia, Fitopatologia e Zoologia Agrícola, Universidade de São Paulo/ ESALQ, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.

RELATION TO HOST - The mites cause large deformations like witches broom ( Figs. 3, 4 View FIGURES 3 - 4 ).

ETYMOLOGY - The specific designation geniculatus , from the Latin meaning like the bent knee, refers to the aspect of coxal seta III ( 2a).