The flat mite Tenuipalpus uvae De Leon (Acari: Tenuipalpidae): stages description, ontogeny of setae and morphometric analysis

Authors: NASCIMENTO, RENATA - Universidade Estadual De Santa Cruz; CASTRO, E. - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); TASSI, ALINE - Federal University Of Sao Paulo; MINEIRO, J. - Instituto Biologicio - Brazil; CARRILLO, DANIEL - University Of Florida; Ochoa, Ronald; OLIVEIRA, A. - University Of Santa Cruz - Brazil

Submitted to: Zootaxa
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/16/2024
Publication Date: 7/23/2024
Citation: Nascimento, R.S., Castro, E.B., Tassi, A.D., Mineiro, J.L., Carrillo, D., Ochoa, R., Oliveira, A.R. 2024. The flat mite Tenuipalpus uvae De Leon (Acari Tenuipalpidae)stages description, ontogeny of setae and morphometric analysis. Zootaxa. 5485(1):178-200. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5485.1.13.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5485.1.13

Interpretive Summary: All the members of the flat mite family are plant feeders, with many of them associated with forestry. Several species are of agriculture importance as they are considered pests on economically significant fruit trees worldwide. In this study a species associated with a native fruit tree known as "grape tree" from the Americas is revised, illustrated, and compared with other morphologically similar species. This species was described from Mexico and has been collected in Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and the USA (Florida) . The information will be used by scientists, botanists, fruit tree producers, ecologists, and plant inspectors.

Technical Abstract: The flat mite Tenuipalpus uvae De Leon, 1962 (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) is restricted to the Americas. The only available descriptions of this mite are based on the holotype and 12 paratype females and nymphs from Mexico. This paper focuses on redescribing the species based on the paratypes and new material from Florida (U.S.A.) and Brazil. Additionally, a new specific diagnosis with characterization of the male, larval stages and eggs, and an ontogenetic/morphometric analysis of all the specimens are provided. Three diagnostic features found in all stages of T. uvae are the seta v2 distinctly shorter than the strongly serrated and rodlike sc1–2, while the leg tibiae I–II have three setae each, which combined are unique to T. uvae. Intra and inter-specific morphometric population differences and similarities among females were also described. An important variation observed was a dorsal surface reticulated, with a different morphology of microplates. Interestingly, the female mites that exhibited this features on the tegument were only observed in the Florida population, and variation observed could be due to environmental conditions or host associations, so further study is needed.