| abstract | The oribatid mites are best known as inhabitants of litter and upper soil strata, but several species are associated with living plants. A species of oribatid mites injurious to rice plant was reported from Sichuan Province, but it has not been given name. Another species collected from Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces form many spots on the leaf surface of Agave sisalana which were cultured in the field. A great number of mites eat the leaf tissue in it and the fibres were broken, so that it was worthless completely. This paper gives the name to these two species of oribatid mites, one of them is described as a new species.
1. Punctoribates manzanoensis Hammer
Material examined. 13 exs. Sichuan (Wanxian), VI. 1976. ex rice plant. Known distribution: Argentine, New Zealand and Japan.
2. Zygoribatula agaveae sp. nov. (figs. 1-6)
339.6-419.5×213.1-319.6 µ. [Prodorsum] Rostrum with a pointed tip. Setae ro located on the dorsum of rostrum, 41.3-65.5 µ long, a thin transverse line connecting the insertions of setae ro. Lamellae connected by a translamella, bearing a pair of rounded apophyses for lamellar setae. Setae le 45.6-68.4 µ long, in 57-68.4 µ long, usually ro
Holotype- Guangxi (Nanning 22°30’N, 108°40’E), XI. 5. 1979, host plant: Agave sisalana Perr., Paratypes- 30 exs. collecting data same as for holotype; 8 paratypes are deposited in the collection of the National Science Museum, Tokyo, Japan; the remaining type specimens are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica.
The known Zygoribatula species with sharply pointed rostrum as well as rather thick and barbed notogastral setae are Z. undulata Berlese, 1917, Z. tortilis Hammer, 1977 and Z. oceana Hammer, 1972. The former two species bear humeral setae (c1 and c2) mostly equal in length, and in this regard differ from the new species. In Z. oceana from Tahiti humeral setae c1 is very short, about 1/4 as long as seta c2. This condition in the new species is not so extreme and c1 is about 1/2 as long as c2. Notogastral setae of the new species are thicker and shorter than those of Z. oceana. Adanal seta ad3 and adanal fissure (iad) not so close together as in the Tahitian species. |