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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #402897
Research Project: Systematics of Acari and Hemiptera: Plant Pests, Predators, and Disease Vectors

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: A new species of Ultratenuipalpus (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) from Brazil and re-description of Ultratenuipalpus meekeri (De Le-on), the type species of the genus, with DNA barcodes

Author
item CASTRO, E. - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
item BEARD, J. - University Of Maryland
item Ochoa, Ronald - Ron
item BAUCHAN, G. - Retired ARS Employee
item OTERO-COLINA, GABRIEL - University Of Mexico
item DOWLING, A.P. - University Of Arkansas
item LOFEGO, ANTIONIO - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
item FERES, R.J. - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)

Submitted to: Animals
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/23/2023
Publication Date: 6/1/2023
Citation: Castro, E.B., Beard, J.J., Bauchan, G.R., Otero-Colina, G., Dowling, A.G., Lofego, A., Feres, R.F. 2023. A new species of Ultratenuipalpus (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) from Brazil and re-description of Ultratenuipalpus meekeri (De Le-on), the type species of the genus, with DNA barcodes. Animals. 13(11):1838. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13111838.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13111838

Interpretive Summary: The flat mite family is made up of more than 1100 species worldwide, categorized into 41 genera, and they are all obligate plant feeders. This Family is considered one of the most important groups of phytophagous mites, and all their instars have the ability to feed on plants, displaying vibrant and striking colors. One particular flat mite genus with 25 species occurs in almost all zoogeographic regions and is primarily associated with ferns. In this study a known species is redescribe and a new species is also described, illustrated, and compared with specimens from Mexico, USA, and Brazil. The information will be used by scientists, botanists, ecologists, and plant inspectors.

Technical Abstract: Species of the genus Ultratenuipalpus bear a broad subquadrate propodosoma with many large, flattened, lanceolate and/or obovate to ovate dorsal setae. They also bear some plesiomorphic character states, such as the presence of three pairs of ventral ps setae. Here, we describe Ultra-tenuipalpus parameekeri Castro, Ochoa & Feres sp. nov. based on adult females, males, and imma-tures, collected on ferns from Brazil. We also re-describe Ultratenuipalpus meekeri (De Leon), the type species of the genus, based on types and newly collected material from Mexico, and include additional novel data (e.g., dorsal and ventral ornamentation, leg chaetotaxy, and setal meas-urements) in a standardized form. We include highly detailed images obtained using LT-SEM, accompanied by DNA barcodes, for both species. The ontogenetic additions of leg chaetotaxy are presented and discussed.