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Traditional and geometric morphometrics supporting the differentiation of two new Retracrus (Phytoptidae) species associated with heliconias

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Abstract

Cryptic diversity has been confirmed for several phytophagous mites in the Eriophyoidea superfamily previously considered as presenting low host specificity. Among generalist eriophyoids is the phytoptid Retracrus johnstoni Keifer, which has been reported in 19 palm species belonging to 11 genera, causing severe damage on some of them. Surprisingly this species was recently reported on another monocot family, Heliconiaceae, infesting Heliconia plants in Costa Rica and Brazil, being the only in the tribe Mackiellini to not be associated with palm trees. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of cryptic species in R. johnstoni and to clarify the taxonomic status of populations associated with heliconias in the Americas. With this purpose traditional and geometric morphometric analyses were conducted as well as a detailed morphological study. Measurable trait data were analysed via univariate and multivariate analyses. Shapes of specimens from different populations were compared via geometric morphometric landmark methods. Morphometric analysis supported occurrence of at least two cryptic species previously identified as R. johsntoni and suggested occurrence of cryptic species among populations associated with different palm trees. Taxonomic descriptions of two new taxa associated with heliconias, namely Retracrus costaricensis n. sp. Ferreira and Navia and Retracrus heliconiae n. sp. Ferreira and Navia are presented. Morphometric traits that can be useful in the taxonomic identification are noted and their value is discussed. Results of the traditional morphometry and geometric methods were compared and the advantages of their joint use for Eriophyoidea systematics are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

To National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brazil and FACEPE, Pernambuco, Brazil, by the financial support. Authors DN and MGC Gondim Jr. are also grateful to CNPq for research fellowships. We sincerely thank Prof. Dr. Hugo Aguilar (Universidad de Costa Rica, São José, Costa Rica) and Prof. Dr. Anibal Ramadan Oliveira (Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil) for being the first to discover the new species described in this manuscript, collecting and sending samples for identification. We also would like to thank Prof. Dr. Philipp Chetverikov (Saint-Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia) for examining and providing detailed information on Retracrus johnstoni specimens; Prof. Dr. José Wagner da Silva Melo (Federal University of Ceará, Ceará, Brazil), for statistical support and valuable suggestions for revision of the manuscript; and Dr. Norton Polo Benito (Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia) for support in graphs edition.

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  1. Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Embrapa, Parque Estaçao Biológica, Final Av. W5 Norte, Asa Norte, 70, Brasília, Distrito Federal, 770-900, Brazil

    Denise Navia

  2. Departamento de Agronomia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Bairro dois Irmãos, Recife, Pernambuco, CEP 52171-900, Brazil

    Cecília B. S. Ferreira, Aleuny C. Reis & Manoel G. C. Gondim Jr.

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  1. Denise Navia
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  2. Cecília B. S. Ferreira
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  3. Aleuny C. Reis
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  4. Manoel G. C. Gondim Jr.
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Correspondence to Denise Navia.

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Suppl. material 1

Deformation grids of the ventral region of Retracrus females from population associated with palm trees and heliconias in the Americas. a. Cocos nucifera, Alagoas, Brazil; b. Cocos nucifera, Paraíba, Brazil; c. Cocos nucifera, Pernambuco, Brazil; d. Cocos nucifera, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil; e. Heliconia latispatha, San José, Costa Rica; f. Heliconia pendula, Bahia, Brazil; g. Syagrus romanzoffiana, São Paulo, Brazil (TIFF 1877 kb)

Suppl. material 2

Deformation grids of the coxigenital region of Retracrus females from population associated with palm trees and heliconias in the Americas. a. Cocos nucifera, Alagoas, Brazil; b. Cocos nucifera, Paraíba, Brazil; c. Cocos nucifera, Pernambuco, Brazil; d. Cocos nucifera, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil; e. Heliconia latispatha, San José, Costa Rica; f. Heliconia pendula, Bahia, Brazil; g. Syagrus romanzoffiana, São Paulo, Brazil (TIFF 2335 kb)

Suppl. material 3

Deformation grids of the prodorsal shield of Retracrus females from population associated with palm trees and heliconias in the Americas. a. Cocos nucifera, Alagoas, Brazil; b. Cocos nucifera, Paraíba, Brazil; c. Cocos nucifera, Pernambuco, Brazil; d. Cocos nucifera, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil; e. Heliconia latispatha, San José, Costa Rica; f. Heliconia pendula, Bahia, Brazil; g. Syagrus romanzoffiana, São Paulo, Brazil (TIFF 2127 kb)

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Navia, D., Ferreira, C.B.S., Reis, A.C. et al. Traditional and geometric morphometrics supporting the differentiation of two new Retracrus (Phytoptidae) species associated with heliconias. Exp Appl Acarol 67, 87–121 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-015-9934-z

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