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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #311507
Title: Review of the genus Tenuipalpus (Acari: Tenuipalpidae)

Author
item CASTRO, E. - Universidad De Sao Paulo
item Ochoa, Ronald - Ron
item FERES, R. - Universidad De Sao Paulo
item BAUCHAN, G. - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)

Submitted to: Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/5/2014
Publication Date: 11/5/2014
Citation: Castro, E., Ochoa, R., Feres, R.J., Bauchan, G.R. 2014. Review of the genus Tenuipalpus (Acari: Tenuipalpidae). Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting. (MEETING ABSTRACT ONLY).

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Tenuipalpus Donnadieu is the most speciose genus of the family Tenuipalpidae, with over 300 described species. The descriptions of many of these species are incomplete, and lack important information necessary for accurate species identification. The objective of this study was to re-describe species of Tenuipalpus, with a standard morphological format that facilitates identification and cladistic analysis of the species. The majority of the specimens examined in the study are deposited in the Smithsonian USNM Insect & Mite Collection, and included species described from different regions of the world. Phase Contrast, Differential Interference Contrast and Low Temperature Scanning Electron Microscopy (LT-SEM) techniques were used to observe, analyze and identify new morphological characters of the mites. We determined that Tenuipalpus caudatus Dugès, the type species of the genus, and a group of other described species, share similar features such as the presence of projections anterior to the sce setae and posterior to the c3 setae, and have two crests on the opisthosoma ( one transversal and one longitudinal). Based on these characters, Tenuipalpus sensu stricto can be defined. In addition, we examined the type specimens of Tenuipalpus matthyssei (Pritchard & Baker), which is the type species of the genus Colopalpus Pritchard & Baker (1958), a synonym of Tenuipalpus. This species does not belong to Tenuipalpus sensu stricto., but rather has some characteristics similar to Tenuipalpus and other characteristics similar to Brevipalpus. The elongate-ovate body shape, the femora, gena and tibiae with d setae inserted in the dorsal position, and the relatively broad hysterosoma of the male are more similar to Brevipalpus, whereas and the presence of the long flagellate hysterosomal setae (h2) is shared with Tenuipalpus