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Redescription of an early-derivative mite, Pentasetacus araucariae (Eriophyoidea, Phytoptidae), and new hypotheses on the eriophyoid reproductive anatomy

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Abstract

A unique set of plesiomorphic characters, and its association with an ancient gymnosperm, Araucaria araucana, have made Pentasetacus araucariae a putative relict of a lineage of gymnosperm-associated mites, itself possibly basal to all extant eriophyoids. However, the suboptimal description of this species is impeding morphological comparisons with other species, which are fundamental to eriophyoid systematics. Herein, we designate a female lectotype from syntype specimens and use additional non-type material to redescribe P. araucariae based on external and internal anatomy using different microscopic and 3D reconstruction techniques. Contrarily to statements in the literature, P. araucariae has undivided empodia in all instars, short spermathecal tubes, and large, globose spermathecae in females, as well as rudimentary genital fovea in immatures. In addition, males of P. araucariae were shown to have genitalic attributes similar to a species of Trisetacus studied in parallel, including two reservoir-like structures, which may represent parts of the genital chamber and of the ductus ejaculatorius, respectively, as well as paired testes and ducti deferentes. This is contrary to previous, limited knowledge on eriophyoids indicating that they possess a single testis. Although their short spermathecal tubes weaken the cladistic relationship between P. araucariae (Pentasetacinae) and conifer-associated Nalepellinae (e.g. Trisetacus) having long tubes, the structural similarities in male genitalia may reinforce it.

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Notes

  1. Within their important key to eriophyoid genera, Amrine et al. (2003) wrongly indicated that c1 was absent in Pentasetacus.

  2. Trisetacus juniperinus specimens were collected at the very place where the late Dr. V. G. Shevchenko had studied populations of this species during over 20 years (Shevchenko 1997, Fig. 1, mark #4; Sukhareva, Chetverikov 2010). This is currently the most northern known record for T. juniperinus.

  3. Sometimes the coverflap alone is considered as the epigynium (e.g. Lindquist 1996). Herein, we use the terms epigynium and epiandrium for all external genitalic structures covering and surrounding the female and male gonopores, respectively. However, for usefulness, we herein provide length and width of the female coverflap only (not of the entire epigynium, which also include the pregenital plate) and the width of the epiandrium, and length of the anterior part of the epiandrium, which comprise a bilobed plate surrounding the gonopore, anterior to setae 3a.

  4. Although DIC microscopy of male external genitalia shows two structures that may appear as minute setae inserted on the bilobed plate (Fig. 8), CLSM indicates that these are two areas of thick cuticle, which are devoid of setae (Fig. 7).

  5. We propose, at least provisionally, to call the space between the two plates of the longitudinal bridge the ‘genital channel’, which is slit-like at rest, and can expand substantially, leading inwards to the genital chamber.

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Acknowledgments

We sincerely thank Prof. James W. Amrine (West Virginia University, Morgantown, USA), Prof Radmila U. Petanović (University of Belgrade, Serbia), Drs. Evert E. Lindquist (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa), Charnie Craemer (ARC-Plant Protection Research Institute, Pretoria, South Africa) and Prof. E. de Lillo (University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy) for their critical comments on earlier drafts of the manuscript, particularly about the internal genitalia of mites. We are grateful to Dr. H. Dastych (Zoologisches Museum of Universität Hamburg, Deutschland) for loaning syntypes of Pentasetacus araucariae.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Nab., 7/9, 199034, St. Petersburg, Russia

    Philipp E. Chetverikov, Alexandra Y. Beliavskaia, Maria S. Rautian & Sogdiana I. Sukhareva

  2. Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya Nab., 1, 199034, St. Petersburg, Russia

    Philipp E. Chetverikov

  3. Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 960 Carling Ave., K.W. Neatby Bldg, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Frédéric Beaulieu

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  1. Philipp E. Chetverikov
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Correspondence to Philipp E. Chetverikov.

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Chetverikov, P.E., Beaulieu, F., Beliavskaia, A.Y. et al. Redescription of an early-derivative mite, Pentasetacus araucariae (Eriophyoidea, Phytoptidae), and new hypotheses on the eriophyoid reproductive anatomy. Exp Appl Acarol 63, 123–155 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-014-9774-2

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