# First record of Linotetranidae (Acari: Tetranychoidea) from Russia, with description of a new species

Alexander A Khaustov, Vladimir A Khaustov

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Alexander A Khaustov, Vladimir A Khaustov. First record of Linotetranidae (Acari: Tetranychoidea) from Russia, with description of a new species. Acarologia, 2023, 63 (1), pp.67-76. 10.24349/dxkj-4dl4. hal-03942550

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# First record of Linotetranidae (Acari: Tetranychoidea) from Russia, with description of a new species

Alexander A. Khaustov IDª, Vladimir A. Khaustov IDª

ªTyumen State University, Tyumen, 6 Volodarskogo Str., 625003 Russia.

## Original research

### ABSTRACT

Adult female of *Linotetranus sibiriensis n. sp.* (Acari: Tetranychoidea) collected from soil sample in Kurgan Region of Russia is described. This is the first record of the family Linotetranidae from Russia and northernmost in Palaearctic. Thanks to the use of a scanning electron microscope, three pairs of adoral setae were detected in Linotetranidae. A key to species of *Linotetranus* is also provided.

**Keywords** Prostigmata; systematics; morphology; phytophagy; SEM microscopy; Western Siberia

**Zoobank** http://zoobank.org/739617CE-53BB-4AAE-BF15-D741D75D8F1D

### Introduction

Linotetranidae is a small group of phytophagous mites distributed on all continents, except Antarctica. Linotetranidae inhabit mostly dryland soils and associated with crown and roots of grasses (Walter *et al.* 2009). Until now, the family Linotetranidae comprises four genera and 18 described species (Meyer and Ueckermann 1997; Beard and Walter 2004; Tassi *et al.* 2020). The genus *Linotetranus* Berlese, 1910 is the largest in the family and includes 14 described species, namely: *L. cylindricus* Berlese, 1910; *L. achrous* Baker and Pritchard, 1953; *L. protractulus* Athias-Henriot, 1961; *L. mirabebensis* André, 1996; *L. amicus* Meyer and Ueckermann, 1997; *L. annae* Meyer and Ueckermann, 1997; *L. edenvillensis* Meyer and Ueckermann, 1997; *L. ramosus* Meyer and Ueckermann, 1997; *L. niknami* Bagheri and Haddad, 2008; *L. anatolicus* Doğan and Dönel, 2010; *L. astragalus* Khanjani *et al.*, 2011; *L. iraniensis* Khanjani *et al.*, 2011; *L. eghbaliani* Khanjani *et al.*, 2012; and *L. faemensis* Tassi and Duarte, 2020 (Berlese 1910; Baker and Pritchard 1953; Athias-Henrio 1961; André 1996; Meyer and Ueckermann, 1997; Bagheri *et al.* 2008; Doğan *et al.* 2010; Khanjani *et al.* 2011, 2012; Tassi *et al.* 2020). In the Palaearctic Linotetranidae is currently known only from southern regions: Italy, Turkey and Iran (Berlese 1910; Bagheri *et al.* 2008; Doğan *et al.* 2010; Khanjani *et al.* 2011, 2012).

Here we describe and illustrate the first representative of the family Linotetranidae from Russia and northernmost in Palaearctic.

### Material and methods

The mite specimens were collected from a soil sample using Berlese funnels. Most of collected mite specimens were cleared in lactic acid and mounted in Hoyer's medium. Several specimens were preserved in 96% ethanol. The terminology follows that of Lindquist (1985). All measurements are given in micrometers (µm) for holotype and range of measurements for five paratypes (in parentheses). For leg chaetotaxy, the number of solenidia is given in parentheses. For SEM microscopy several alcohol-preserved mites were dried in a JFD 320

<figure><img src="image_7.png" /></figure>
<figure><img src="image_8.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 1** *Linotetranus sibiriensis* n. sp., female: A – dorsum of body, B – venter of body. Legs omitted.</figcaption></figure>
<figure><img src="image_9.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 3** *Linotetranus sibiriensis* n. sp., female: A-D – right legs I-IV, dorsal aspect.</figcaption></figure>

having seta *d* of tibia I very long, subequal to *l''* of tibia I (*d* almost twice shorter than *l''* in *L. eghbaliani*); and in having different setal lengths *sc2* 88–95, *d2* 32–41, *d3* 72–79, *e2* 34–45, *f2* 24–25, *h1* 29–33, *h4* 30–34 (vs. *sc2* 75–79, *d2* 50–57, *d3* 87–89, *e2* 55–60, *f2* 32–34, *h1* 41–45, *h4* 41–43 in *L. eghbaliani*). The new species differs from *L. astragalusi* in having seta *ft'* on tarsi III and IV more than twice longer than *ft''* (vs. setae *ft'* and *ft''* on tarsi III and IV subequal in *L. astragalusi*); in having seta *pl''* on tarsus II distinctly longer than combined length of tibia and tarsus II (vs. seta *pl''* on tarsus II approximately as long as tarsus II in *L. astragalusi*); in having seta *v'* on femur II shorter than length of femur II (vs. seta *v'* on femur II almost as long as combined length of femur and genu II in *L. astragalusi*); and in having different setal lengths *v2* 43–46, *c1* 23–28, *d1* 20–24, *e2* 34–45, *e4* 33–43, and *h2* 126–135 (vs. *v2* 32–34, *c1* 16–17, *d1* 14–16, *e2* 27–30, *e4* 27–29, and *h2* 152–153 in *L. astragalusi*).

## Etymology

The name of the new species *sibiriensis* refers to its geographical distribution in Western Siberia.
<figure><img src="image_10.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 4** SEM micrographs of *Linotetranus sibiriensis* n. sp., female: A – general view dorsally, B – prosoma, dorsal aspect, C – general view ventrally, D – hysterosoma, ventral aspect.</figcaption></figure>

**Key to the world species of Linotetranus**

Based on females (after Tassi *et al.* 2020, with modifications).

<table><tbody><tr><td>1. Setae e4 absent</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>— Setae e4 present</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>2. Palpgenu with one seta</td><td>L. achrous</td></tr><tr><td>— Palpgenu without seta</td><td>L. faemensis</td></tr><tr><td>3. Three pairs of genital setae</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>— Two pairs of genital setae</td><td>L. ramosus</td></tr><tr><td>4. Dorsal opisthosoma posterior setae e1 smooth or with irregular striae</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>— Dorsal opisthosoma posterior setae e1 transversely striated</td><td>L. protractulus</td></tr><tr><td>5. Palptibia with one seta</td><td>6</td></tr></tbody></table>
<figure><img src="image_11.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 5** SEM micrographs of *Linotetranus sibiriensis* n. sp., female: A – ano-genital area, B – gnathosoma, ventral aspect, C – tibia and tarsus of right palp, ventrolateral aspect, D – right tarsus I, ventral aspect.</figcaption></figure>

<table><tr><td>— Palptibia with two setae</td><td>7</td></tr><tr><td>6. Palpgenu with one seta<br/>— Palpgenu without seta</td><td>L. cylindricus<br/>L. amicus</td></tr><tr><td>7. Genu I with five setae<br/>— Genu I with four setae</td><td>L. edenvillensis</td></tr><tr><td>8. Palpgenu without seta<br/>— Palpgenu with seta</td><td>9<br/>14</td></tr><tr><td>9. Tibia III with three setae<br/>— Tibia III with four setae</td><td>L. mirabebensis</td></tr><tr><td>10. Setae f3 subequal or shorter than h2<br/>— Setae f3 distinctly longer than h2</td><td>11<br/>L. annae</td></tr></table>
<figure><img src="image_12.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 6** DIC micrograph of *Linotetranus sibiriensis* n. sp., female: internal genitalia, arrows point to insemination canal.</figcaption></figure>

11. Palptarsus with one eupathidium; hysterosoma dorsally without two pairs of smooth rosettes between setal rows *d* and *e*; bases of setae *v1* almost contiguos .................................... 12
— Palptarsus with three eupathidia; hysterosoma dorsally with two pairs of smooth rosettes between setal rows *d* and *e*; bases of setae *v1* widely separated ................................. *L. anatolicus*

12. Setae *v1* not bifurcate distally.................................................................................. 13
— Setae *v1* bifurcate distally .................................................................................. *L. eghbaliani*

13. Seta *ft'* on tarsi III and IV more than twice longer than *ft"*; seta *pl"* on tarsus II distinctly longer than combined length of tibia and tarsus II; seta *v'* on femur II shorter than length of femur II.................................................................................. *L. sibiriensis* n. sp.
— Setae *ft'* and *ft"* on tarsi III and IV subequal in length; seta *pl"* on tarsus II approximately as long as tarsus II; seta *v'* on femur II almost as long as combined length of femur and genu II.. .................................................................................. *L. astragalusi*

14. Setae *l"* on genua I and II distinctly longer than other setae on segments; setae *e2* 54–66 .. .................................................................................. *L. niknami*
— Setae *l"* on genua I and II subequal with other setae on segments; setae *e2* 95–115.. .................................................................................. *L. iraniensis*
Discussion

During this research and using of electron microscopy we found three pairs of adoral setae in *Linotetranus*. One of them (designated as *or2* on Fig. 2A) is very small and hardly visible in light microscope, however clearly discernible on the SEM image (Fig. 6B). Most likely these setae were missed in all previous descriptions of Linotetranidae. Three pairs of adoral setae in Linotetranidae are correlated with same number in Tetranychidae (Lindquist 1985).

In some previous articles authors designated posterolateral setae on coxisternal fields II as 2a (Beard and Walter 2004; Doğan et al. 2010; Khanjani et al. 2011, 2012; Tassi et al. 2020). Yet, according to the phylogenetic analysis of Eleutherengona provided by Bochkov et al. (2008), setae 2a are absent in the superfamilies Tetranychoidea, Raphignathoidea and Cheyletoidea. For this reason, in our work, we designated this pair of setae as 2c and homologous to those in sister-family Tenuipalpidae.

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the cooperative agreement No. FEWZ-2021-0004 from the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The authors also thank to Dr. O.V. Kozlov (Kurgan State University, Kurgan, Russia) for the help during collecting of the samples.
Authors also thank to N.A. Shulayev (Tyumen State University), for preparing SEM images.

ORCID

Alexander A. Khaustov ID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0306-112X

Vladimir A. Khaustov ID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2831-7213

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