Tegolophus parietariae, Honarmand & Lotfollahi, 2025

Honarmand, Arash & Lotfollahi, Parisa, 2025, Tegolophus parietariae sp. nov. (Acari: Eriophyidae) from Dor Badam Village, Quchan County, Iran, Persian Journal of Acarology 14, pp. 447-454 : 448-452

Tegolophus parietariae sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:38811D24-05C1-4A4C-9F65-DBEA62B6444E

Description

FEMALE (measured specimens = 8) – Body vermiform, 240 (225–255, including gnathosoma), 64 (61–65) wide, 60* (56–60) thick. Gnathosoma projecting obliquely downwards, cheliceral stylets 17 (17–20), palp 18 (18–20), palp coxal setae ep 3 (3–4), dorsal palp genual setae d 6 (5–7), unbranched, subapical palp tarsal setae v 1* (no variation). Suboral plate rhomboidal with some granules. Prodorsal shield subtriangular 35 (35–39), including frontal lobe, 47 (47–50) wide; with a rounded frontal lobe 4 (4–5), over gnathosomal base. Prodorsal shield pattern composed by complete and waving admedian lines and one pair of arched submedian lines distally connected to the middle of admedian lines; median and submedian lines absent; many granules present on lateral sides between shield and coxal region. Tubercles of scapular setae sc on rear shield margin, 21 (20– 24) apart, scapular setae sc 30 (30–36), directed backward divergently. Leg I 29 (29–31), trochanter 3 (3–4), femur 9 (8–10), genu 5 (4–5), tibia 5 (5–6), tarsus 7 (6–7), tarsal solenidion ω 13 (12–14), curved down, distally rounded, empodium 5 (5–6), simple, 5-rayed; basiventral femoral setae bv 11 (10–12), antaxial genual setae l′′ 22 (22–24), paraxial tibial setae l′ 5 (5–6), paraxial fastigial tarsal setae ft′ 18 (17–22), antaxial fastigial tarsal setae ft′′ 25 (24–27), paraxial unguinal tarsal setae u' 4 (4–6). Leg II 27 (26–30), trochanter 3 (3–4), femur 8 (8–9), genu 3 (3–4), tibia 3 (3–4), tarsus 6 (6– 7), tarsal solenidion ω 11 (11–12), curved down, distally rounded, empodium 5 (5–6), simple, 5– rayed; femoral setae bv 10 (8–11), genual setae l′′ 6 (6–8), tarsal setae ft′ 8 (7–9), setae ft′′ 28 (25–

28), setae u' 3 (3–4). Coxae ornamented with many short lines and few granules; anterolateral setae on coxisternum І (1b) 8 (8–9), tubercles 1b 9 (9–10), proximal setae on coxisternum І (1a) 25 (25– 32), tubercles 1a 7 (6–7) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum ІІ (2a) 45 (42–46), tubercles 2a 22 (20–22) apart, prosternal apodeme 6 (6–8). Opisthosoma with 34 (32–36) dorsal semiannuli, dorsally with a median and two dorsolateral longitudinal ridges ornamented with rounded microtubercles on rear margin of annuli, and 58 (57–62) ventral semiannuli with small and rounded microtubercles; 5 (5–6) semiannuli with fine microtubercles between coxae and genital coverflap; last 6 (5–7) dorsal semmianuli with spines and last 11 (9–12) ventral semiannuli with elongated microtubercles. Setae c2 24 (22–26), on ventral semiannulus 8 (7–9); setae d 53 (53–59), on ventral semiannulus 19 (19–22); setae e 19 (18–21), on ventral semiannulus 34 (33–36); setae f 27 (26–31), on ventral semiannulus 53 (52–56), 5 (5–6) annuli after setae f. Setae h2 65 (60–70), setae h1 4 (3– 4). External genitalia 17 (15–17), 22 (20–22) wide, coverflap with one rank of 11 (9–11) longitudinal striae, proximal setae on coxisternum III (3a) 16 (14–17), 16 (14–17) apart; with 3 (2– 3) transversal rows of lines at the genital coverflap base sometimes interrupted at the middle. Internal genitalia: spermathecae ovoid, oriented posterolaterad; spermathecal tubes short; transverse genital apodeme trapezoidal, distally folded.

NYMPH (measured specimen = 1) – Body vermiform, 170 (including gnathosoma), 48 wide. Gnathosoma projecting obliquely downwards, palp 13, chelicerae 12, palp coxal setae ep not detectable, palp genual setae d 3, unbranched, palp tarsus setae v not detectable. Prodorsal shield 28, including rounded frontal lobe, 36 wide, frontal lobe 3. Prodorsal shield pattern similar to female except extra transversal line that connect admedian lines at the middle of the shield ( Fig. 1 - NAD). Tubercles of scapular setae sc on rear shield margin, 20 apart, setae sc 16. Leg I 21, trochanter 2, femur 6, genu 3, tibia 3, tarsus 5, solenidion ω 9, curved down, distally rounded, empodium 4, simple, 4–rayed; femoral setae bv 8, genual setae l′′ 13, tibial setae l′ 3, tarsal setae ft′ 13, setae ft′′ 16, paraxial unguinal tarsal setae u' 4. Leg II 18, trochanter 3, femur 5, genu 3, tibia 2, tarsus 4, solenidion ω 9, curved down, distally rounded, empodium 4, simple, 4–rayed; femoral setae bv 6, genual setae l′′ 4, tarsal setae ft′ 3, setae ft′′ 10, paraxial unguinal tarsal setae u' not detectable. Coxae similar to those of female; setae 1b 5, tubercles 1b 9 apart, setae 1a 13, tubercles 1a 5 apart, setae 2a 27, tubercles 2a 18 apart. Prosternal apodeme absent. Opisthosoma dorsally arched with 49 dorsal semiannuli and 44 ventral semiannuli. Setae c2 15 on ventral semiannulus 7, setae d 22 on ventral semiannulus 16; setae e 14 on ventral semiannulus 25; setae f 28 on ventral semiannulus 40, 4 semiannuli after setae f. Setae h2 39; setae h1 2; setae 3a 8, 7 apart on annulus 6 after coxae.

Type host plant Parietaria judaica L. ( Urticaceae ) ( Fig. 2 ); ‘Goosh moosh-e afshan’ in Persian.

Relation to the host plant Vagrant; no apparent symptom was observed.

Type locality

Dor Badam village , Quchan County, Razavi Khorasan Province, northeast Iran, (37° 32' 17.1" N, 58° 25' 09.6" E), 1858 m above sea level, coll. A. Honarmand, 7 July 2023 .

Type material

Holotype: single female on a microscope slide (PJ-IRK-QN-DM-Y02-1); paratypes: seven females (PJ-IRK-QN-DM-Y02-2–8), and one nymph (PJ-IRK-QN-DM-Y02-9) mounted on separate microscope slides.

Other material Mites extracted from the same sample as the type specimens were preserved in the tubes (PJ-IRK-QN-DM-Y02).

Etymology The specific epithet parietariae is derived from the genus host plant name, Parietaria .

Differential diagnosis

The new species, Tegolophus parietariae sp. nov. is not morphologically similar to the T. huanjiangensis , the only species reported in association with Urticaceae plant species. The most prominent difference includes the prodorsal shield of T. huanjiangensis , which is composed of complete median and admedian lines forming eight closed cells with three transverse lines; in contrast, the new species diplays complete admedian lines and a pair of arched submedian lines. In addition, the length of scapular setae sc (30–36 in new species versus 7.5 in T. huanjiangensis ) and genital setae 3a (14–17 in new species versus 3.5 in T. huanjiangensis ) are diffrent. The prodorsal shield pattern of the new species exhibited some similarities with T. rubrae Huang, 2004 , which has been reported as vagrant mite on Psychotria asiatica L. ( Rubiaceae ) from Taiwan. The median line is absent in both species, and a pair of admedian lines is present in both species, but they differ in a transverse line in the middle of the shield in T. rubrae , which is absent in the new species. Moreover, the number of dorsal semiannuli (32–36 in new species and 32 in T. rubrae ) and ventral semiannuli (57–62 in new species and 57 in T. rubrae ) are similar. The new species is distinguishable by length of scapular setae sc (30–36 in new species versus 8 in T. rubrae ), genital setae 3a (14–17 in new species versus 7 in T. rubrae ), and coverflap ornamentation (9–11 longitudinal striae in new species versus granules in T. rubrae ).

Remarks

This is the first eriophyoid mite from the plant genus Parietaria and second Tegolophus species found on the plant family Urticaceae .

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was funded by Iran National Science Foundation (4001458).

Figures

Figure 1. Line drawings of Tegolophus parietariae sp. nov. – AD. Prodorsal shield of female; D. Female dorsal view; AL. Lateral view of female anterior body region; CG. Female coxigenital region; em. Female empodium; IG. Internal female genitalia; LO. Lateral view of female annuli; L1. Female leg I; NAD. Nymph prodorsal shield; PM. Lateral view of posterior opisthosoma of female; Scale bars: 15 μm for D, 10 μm for AD, ADN, AL, CG, IG, PM; 5 μm for LO, L1; 2.5 μm for em.

Figure 2. Parietaria judaica L. (Urticaceae) from northeast Iran as type host of Tegolophus parietariae sp. nov.; Scale bar: 20 mm.