Tetranychus caricae, Samanta & Karmakar & Ueckermann, 2024

Tetranychus caricae sp. nov.

Diagnosis:

Male: Empodia of legs I and II with fused proximoventral hairs, appearing tridigitate; empodia of legs III and IV with free proximoventral hairs 3−4, with minute mediodorsal spur. Aedeagus knob lacking anterior projection, posterior projection with a pointed tip, dorsal margin slanting upward; axis of knob forming a 40 ⁰ angle with the shaft.

Female: Hysterosomal striation between setae e1−f1 forming a diamond-shaped pattern. Pregenital striae longitudinal, mostly entire, with some broken medially. Peritreme hook length 8−11. Tarsus I with one seta positioned behind proximal duplex setae; tarsus II with bases of 2–3 setae proximal to duplex setae; tarsus III 9+1. Empodia split into 6 proximoventral hairs with minute dorsomedian spurs. Spinneret is about as long as wide 4–6 x 4–6.

Material Examined: Holotype male (Acarol. lab/ BCKV/1009 /23) and 10 paratypes (2 males, 8 females, Acarol. lab/ BCKV/1010−1015 /23), Ficus carica L. ( Moraceae ) from College More (22°53’53.2” N 87°38’58.1” E), Kamarpukur, Hooghly, West Bengal, India, 31 May 2022, coll. Subhra Samanta.

Description: Male (n = 3) ( Figures 10-13 View Figures 10-13 ; 14-23 View Figures 14-21 View Figures 22-27 )

Dorsum ( Figure 22 View Figures 22-27 ): Length of idiosoma 245 (227−255), width at the level of c setae 171 (158−184). Length of dorsal setae: v2 38 (34−42), sc1 88 (83−92), sc2 62 (58−67); c1 85 (81−90), c2 74 (68−81), c3 69 (64−75), d1 72 (67−79), d2 69 (63−74), e1 69 (62−76), e2 68 (62−74), f1 38(34−43), f2 31 (26−35), h 2 9 (8−11), h3 18 (16−20). Distance between dorsal setae: v2−v2 51(45−57), v2−sc1 15 (13−17), sc1–sc2 between intercoxal setae: 1a −1a 33 (29−37), 3a −3a 77 (71−83), 4a −4a 77 (72−83), ag −ag 60 (56−64), g1−g1 17 (15−19), g2−g2 33 (27−39), g1−g2 10 (8−12), ps1−ps1 27 (23−32), ps2−ps2 23 (19−27), h3−h3 103 (97−110).

Aedeagus ( Figures 13 View Figures 10-13 ; 15−17 View Figures 14-21 ): Knob lacking anterior projection, posterior projection with a pointed tip, dorsal margin of knob slanting upward, main shaft maximum length 8, maximum width 4, maximum neck length 1, neck width 0.5, head length 1, the axis of the head forming a 400 angle with the shaft.

Legs ( Figures 10, 11 View Figures 10-13 ; 18-21 View Figures 14-21 ): Leg I length 221 (210−230), leg II length 167 (155−176), leg III length 171 (160−180), leg IV length 211 (201−221), (from trochanter to tarsus). Setal pattern on leg I–IV coxae 2−2−1−1, trochanters 1−1−1−1, femora 10−6−4−4, genua 5−5−4−4, tibiae 9 (4) −7−6−7, tarsi 13(3) +2 duplex setae−13(1) + 1 duplex setae−9(1) −10(1). Tarsus I with 10 tactile setae, 3 solenidia, 3 eupathidia, and 2 sets of duplex setae. Tibia I with 4 solenidia, and 9 tactile setae. Tarsus II with 10 tactile setae, 1 solenidion, 3 eupathidia, and 1 set of duplex setae. Tibia II with 7 tactile setae. Empodia of legs I and II tridigitate with prominent mediodorsal spurs. Mediodorsal spurs are also present on legs III and IV.

42 (38−46), sc1−sc1 62 (56−68), sc2−sc2 162 (151−170), c1−c1 51 (46−56), c1−c2 22 (18−26), c2−c3 40 (37−43), c2−c2 92 (86−98), c3−c3 163 (152−170), d1−d1 62 (57−67), d1−d2 28 (24−32), d2−d2 112 (103−121) c1−d1 28 (23−33), c3−d2 35 (31−39), e1− e1 28 (24−32), e1− e2 28 (25−31), e2−d2 35 (30−40), e2−e2 82 (75−89), f1−f1 28 (23−33), f2−f2 49 (45−54), f1−f2 18 (15−22), f1−d1 65 (61−72).

Venter ( Figure 23 View Figures 22-27 ): Ventral setae are slender and smooth. Lengths: 1a 57 (51−64), 1b 90 (84−95), 1c 77 (71−83), 2b 63 (57−69), 2c 90 (83−97), 3a 67 (61−73), 3b 60 (55−64), 4a 83 (77−90), 4b 80 (74−89), ag 73 (67−79), g1 40 (35−45), g2 30 (27−33), ps1 17 (14−20), ps2 13 (11−15), h3 30 (27−33). Striation pattern between intercoxal region simple, transverse; striation in the pregenital region longitudinal, oblique, broken medially. Distance Gnathosoma : Palpal ( Figures 12 View Figures 10-13 , 14 View Figures 14-21 ) setation from femur to tibiae d PFe 8 (7−9), l’’ PGe 24 (19−27), d PTi 21 (18−24), l’ PTi 10 (8−12), l” PTi 9 (7−10). Palpfemur setae d PFe clavate. Palptarsus length 15 (13−17), wide 12 (10−15); palptarsus with 3 setae, a 5 (4−6), b 6 (5−7), c 6 (5−7), spinneret suζ length 6 (5−6), width 2 (2−3), solenidion ω 4 (3−5), and 2 eupathidia ul’ζ 7 (7−8), ul”ζ 7 (7−8).

Female (n = 8): ( Figures 1-9 View Figures 1-5 View Figures 6-9 ; 24-27 View Figures 22-27 )

Dorsum ( Figure 1 View Figures 1-5 ): Length of idiosoma 355−384, width at the level of c setae 247−268, propodosoma with longitudinal striation forming a lobe between setae sc1 and c1. Hysterosomal striation transverse medially and longitudinal posteriorly, between e1−e1 and f1− f1 striation pattern longitudinal or oblique, striation between dorsocentral setae e1−f1 forming a diamond-shaped pattern. Length of dorsal setae: v2 55−65, sc1 110−120, sc2 67−77; c1 110−120, c2 99−110, c3 89−99, d1 104−115, d2 97−109, e1 101−110, e2 107−115, f1 89−99, f2 70−80, h 2 36−45 (situated posteroventrally). Distance between dorsal setae: v2−v2 46−56, v2−sc1 46−55, sc1–sc2 42−52, sc1−sc1 65−74, sc2−sc2 161−169, c1−c1 51−59, c1− c2 35−42, c2−c3 66−77, c2−c2 115−124, c3−c3 251−264, d1−d1 67−75, d1−d2 35−44, d2−d2 161−178, c1−d1 41−47, c3−d2 88−99, e1− e1 36−48, e1− e2 43−51, e2−d2 55−67, e2−e2 131−143, f1−f1 43−52, f2−f2 105−114, f1−f2 27−35, f1−d1 99−112.

Venter ( Figures 2 View Figures 1-5 , 24 View Figures 22-27 ): Ventral setae slender, smooth. Lengths: 1a 45−55, 1b 51−60, 1c 46−57, 2b 57−63, 2c 66−75, 3a 49−57, 3b 58−67, 4a 59−68, 4b 48−57, ag 56−64, g1 33−41, g2 28−37, ps1 9−14, ps2 7−12, h 2 36−45, h3 37−46. Striation pattern between intercoxal region simple, transverse; striation in pregenital region longitudinal and entire, slightly broken medially. Distance between intercoxal setae: 1a −1a 26−35, 3a −3a 62−71, 4a −4a 56−65, ag−ag 59−68, g1−g1 19−26, g2−g2 29−37, g1−g2 29−38, ps1−ps1 22−29, ps2−ps2 19−26, h3−h3 75−88.

Gnathosoma ( Figures 3, 4 View Figures 1-5 ): Stylophore rounded, with only longitudinal striations. Peritreme distally hooked, hook length 8−11; palpfemur and palpgenu each with one seta, palpfemur d PFe 38−44, palpgenu l’’ PGe 27−34, palptibia with three setae, d PTi 23−27, l’ PTi 8−10, l” PTi 8−10 and a claw; palptarsus length 14−18, width 14−19 with three setae a 5−7, b 6−8, c 6−8; spinneret suζ roundish length 4−6, width 4−6; solenidion ω 4−6; 2 eupathidia ul’ζ 6−8, ul”ζ 6−8. Spinneret length is slightly shorter than two eupathidia. The ratio of length and width of the palptarsus is equal.

Legs ( Figures 6-9 View Figures 6-9 , 25-27 View Figures 22-27 ): Leg I length 275−290, leg II length 202−218, leg III length 211−227, leg IV length 254−273. Setal pattern on leg I–IV coxae 2−2−1−1, trochanters 1−1−1−1, femora 10−6−4−4, genua 5−5−4−4, tibiae 9(1)−7−6−7, tarsi 13(1) +2 duplex setae−13(1) + 1 duplex setae− 9(1)−10(1). Tarsus 1 with 10 tactile setae, 3 eupathidia, 1 solenidion and 2 sets of duplex setae; 3 proximal tactile setae aligned in line with proximal duplex setae, one seta (l” 1) proximal to proximal duplex setae; tarsus II with 9 tactile setae, 3 eupathidia,1 solenidion, 1 set of duplex setae, 1 tactile seta adjacent to duplex setae, 2 setae well-proximal to proximal duplex setae. Empodia of legs I–IV split into 3 pairs of proximoventral hairs with minute dorsomedian spurs.

Etymology: The species name “ caricae ” is derived from the host plant, Ficus caricae ( Moraceae ).

Differential diagnosis: Following Flechtmann and Knihinicki (2002), Tetranychus caricae sp. nov. closely resembles, Tetranychus riopretensis Feres & Flechtmann, 1996 as having the following combination of characteristics: diamond-shaped strial pattern between e1−f1, just one seta proximal to the proximal pair of duplex setae, and the very small or absent empodial spurs in female. Tetranychus caricae sp. nov. differs from T. riopretensis in that the spinneret of the female is as long as broad (opposed to twice as long as broad in T.riopretensis ); aedeagus knob of male with acute posterior projection forming a 40 ⁰ angle with shaft (posterior projection not acute and parallel to shaft in T. riopretensis ) and according to Feres and Flechtmann (1996) male empodium I has a reduced dorsomedian spur and the empodia on the other legs are like that of the female. In the new species both male and female, legs I−IV with minute dorsomedian spurs. The new species also differs from T. hypogaeae Gupta, 1976 by the shape of the aedeagus, the tip of which is upward and without posterior projection while the new species are with clear posterior projection. Tarsus I of the female of T. hypogaeae Gupta, 1976 also has 2 tactile and 2 sensory setae proximal to the proximal duplex setae in contrast the female of the new species has 3 proximal tactile setae aligned in line with proximal duplex setae and one seta (l” 1) proximal to proximal duplex setae.