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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Invasive Species and Pollinator Health » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #259308
Title: A new species of Aculops (Acari: Prostigmata: Eriophyidae) from Serbia on Dipsacus laciniatus L. (Dipsacaceae), a weed target of classical biological control in the United States of America

Author
item Rector, Brian
item PETANOVIC, RADMILA - University Of Belgrade

Submitted to: Zootaxa
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/9/2011
Publication Date: 2/14/2012
Citation: Rector, B.G., Petanovic, R.U. 2012. A new species of Aculops (Acari: Prostigmata: Eriophyidae) from Serbia on Dipsacus laciniatus L. (Dipsacaceae), a weed target of classical biological control in the United States of America. Zootaxa. 3192:59-66.

Interpretive Summary: Invasive teasels (Dipsacus spp.) are listed as noxious weeds in 5 states and have been targeted for classical biological control by USDA-ARS. Surveys for candidate biological control agents were conducted in areas of Europe and Asia within the native range of D. laciniatus and D. fullonum. As a result of one of these surveys in Serbia, a new species of plant-feeding mite was discovered on D. laciniatus. That new species, Aculops dipscaci, is described in this article. More populations of this mite are being sought in order to test its suitability as a biological control agent of invasive teasels in the USA.

Technical Abstract: The new eriophyid mite species Aculops dipsaci n. sp. (Acari: Prostigmata: Eriophyidae) collected from Dipsacus laciniatus L. (Dipsacaceae) in northern Serbia is described and illustrated. Differential diagnosis is provided in comparison with Aculops salixis Xue, Song and Hong. This is the first eriophyoid mite species in the genus Aculops described from plant species of the family Dipsacaceae. Subsequent surveys for A. dipsaci at the original collection site and in the surrounding region have been unsuccessful and it is presumed that this species is relatively rare, at least in northern Serbia.