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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #328385
Research Project: Plant Feeding Mite (Acari) Systematics

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: Description of two species of Tenuipalpus (Acari: Trombidiformes) from succulent plants

Author
item WELBOURN, W - Florida Department Of Agriculture
item BEARD, JENNY - Queensland Museum
item Bauchan, Gary
item Ochoa, Ronald - Ron

Submitted to: International Journal of Acarology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/10/2016
Publication Date: 3/10/2016
Citation: Welbourn, W.C., Beard, J.J., Bauchan, G.R., Ochoa, R. 2016. Description of two species of Tenuipalpus (Acari: Trombidiformes) from succulent plants. International Journal of Acarology. 4088(3):355-378.

Interpretive Summary: Flat mites in the family Tenuipalpidae are plant feeding mites of increasing economic significance across the world. We describe 1 new species, and redescribed another species. These mites were found on horticulturally important succulent plants such as stone-crop, hens and chickens, mini-pine tree, moon stones, and Aloe the “first aid plant”. This is the first study in the world to examine these mites using scanning electron microscopy, the first to provide details of plant species relationships and descriptions of all stages of development of the mites. Research scientists, growers, and USDA-APHIS will use this information for the identification of potential pests in the U.S.

Technical Abstract: A new species of Tenuipalpus, T. sarcophilus n. sp., (Tenuipalpidae) is described from specimens collected from several species of ornamental succulent plants in Florida, including Crassula tetragona L, Sedum spp., Echeveria spp., Pachyphytum spp. (Crassulaceae) and Aloe spp. (Asphodelaceae), and from specimens intercepted in USA on Echeveria gibbiflora from Guatemala. The feeding damage and possible origin of T. sarcophilus n. sp. is discussed. Tenuipalpus crassulus Baker and Tuttle 1972 is redescribed based on females, deutonymphs and a protonymph remounted from the original type series. A list of Tenuipalpus currently known from Florida is presented.