Aceria wallichianae Keifer 1975
Creators: name: Soika, Grażyna
name: Gol, Ali
name: Honarmand, Arash
name: Wozińska, Anna
name: Sadeghi, Hussein
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Prostigmata
Eriophyidae
Aceria
Aceria wallichianae

description: Aceria wallichianae (Keifer, 1975)
(Figs 3–4)
Eriophyes wallichianae Keifer, 1975
Type data. Ulmus wallichiana Planch. (Ulmaceae), Asia (Himalayas of India)
Relation to the host. Gall-making. Mites create beadlike pustules on the underside of leaves (Figure 5).
Geographic distribution: India (Keifer 1975) and in Iran (recorded here).
Distribution and host plants in Iran: 22 females from Aliabad-e Katul (36°54'N - 54°53'E), Golestan Province, 140 m above sea level collected by A. Gol, 18 June 2014 from Ulmus minor Mill. mounted on 22 separate microscope slides, which have been retained in the collections of the DVOPP, INHORT, Skierniewice and 7 females mounted on 7 separate slides have been deposited in the DPPFA, FUM, Iran.
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Remarks. Both Aceria wallichianae (Keifer, 1975) and A. filiformis (Nalepa, 1891) belong to the filiformis complex (Keifer 1975). Eriophyoid mites representing this group have a characteristic 3-rayed empodium, with the inner fork of the terminal ray pair longer than the outer fork. Both A. wallichianae and A. filiformis induce small, ball-like pustules on the lower side of leaves, A. wallichianae on Ulmus wallichiana Planch. and A. filiformis on U. campestris L. Morphological differences between these closely related species of the genus Aceria are subtle (Table 2). According to Keifer (1975) these two species can be distinguished only by small differences in the pattern on the prodorsal shield and the shape of their opisthosomal microtubercles. The admedian lines on the prodorsal shield of A. wallichianae are further apart on the rear half of the shield and the lateral shield granules are smaller than in A. filiformis, while the opisthosomal microtubercles are more elliptical than in A. filiformis. Additionally, A. wallichianae and A. filiformis can be differentiated by the pattern on the genital coverflap. In Keifer's description of A. wallichianae, broken lines are visible on the genital coverflap, while in Nalepa's and Farka's descriptions these lines are unbroken. Based on this comparison, the Iranian specimens were determined to be most similar to A. wallichianae (Keifer). Furthermore, morphometric studies were carried out on specimens collected in Iran and a comparison was made between those specimens and the description of A. wallichianae and both the original description of A. filiformis and a later description of A. filiformis by Farkas (1966). The differences between the Iranian specimens and Keifer's description of A. wallichianae were: width of prodorsal shield (19–21 in Iranian specimens, 26 in A. wallichianae), length of genital coverflap (11–13 in Iranian specimens, 15 in A. wallichianae) width of genital coverflap (14–16 in Iranian specimens, 19 in A. wallichianae), length of setae c2 (13–17 in Iranian specimens, 18 in A. wallichianae), and length of ventral setae d (28–41 in Iranian specimens, 50–55 in A. wallichianae) (Table 2). The differences in these results is probably explained either by inter-individual variability among specimens and by the difference in resolution provided by the different microscopes used.
description: Published as part of Soika, Grażyna, Gol, Ali, Honarmand, Arash, Wozińska, Anna & Sadeghi, Hussein, 2017, New records of eriophyoid mites from Iran (Acari: Trombidiformes: Eriophyoidea) and a description of a new Brevulacus Manson species, pp. 321-338 in Zootaxa 4216 (4) on pages 327-328, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4216.4.2, http://zenodo.org/record/242246