Description of two new tetranychoid mite species (Acari, Prostigmata) from Guadeloupe, French Antilles

Two new species of plant feeding mites from Guadeloupe, French Antilles, are described, namely Brevipalpus etiennei n. sp. (Tenuipalpidae) and Tetranychus palmidectes n. sp. (Tetranychidae).


INTRODUCTION
Records of tetranychoid mites from the French Antilles are rather recent and were summarized by Flechtmann et al.(1999). Further publications on plant feeding mites dealing with spider mites and false spider mites from this area are Flechtmann and Etienne (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005and 2006. In this paper two new species, one tenuipalpid and one tetranychid species, from Guadeloupe are described and figured. Measurements are given in micrometers (µm) and, unless stated otherwise, refer to the length of the structure. Holotype measurements precedes the corresponding range for the paratypes.

(Figures 1 and 2)
Diagnosis -Body shape Brevipalpine (Mesa et al., 2009); hysterosoma with six pairs of lateral setae, three pairs of dorsocentral setae; palpus 3segmented, with two setae on distal segment. Tarsus II of female with one solenidion. Fourth pair of ventral setae missing.
Type material -Holotype female, 15 female, 11 male, three "empty" nymphs, two nymphs moulting into a female, one nymph moulting into a male, from the underside of leaves of Etymology -I take pleasure naming the species after Jean Étienne, INRA Entomologist in Guadeloupe, who collected and submitted the specimens.
Remarks -The new species belongs to the small group of Brevipalpus exhibiting a three segmented palp, as B. frankeniae Baker, Tuttle and Abbatiello, 1975, but differs in presenting a much shorter rostrum (reaching distal end of genu I in frankeniae, only extending to mid of femur I in the n. sp., in the aspect of the dorsal setae (broadly ovate in frankeniae, setiform in the n. sp.) and in a much different dorsal opisthosomal reticulation pattern. The female somewhat resembles B. colpodes Pritchard and Baker, 1958 (two terminal palp setae, palp four segmented), B. docimas Pritchard and Baker, 1958 (three terminal palp setae, palp four segmented) and B. hybus Pritchard and Baker, 1958 (three terminal palp setae, palp four segmented) in having the dorsal hysterosomal reticulation elements transverse in the caudal part of middorsum, but differs by the presence of two anterolateral, narrow, smooth integumental areas, not present in the aforementioned species.

(Figures 3 and 4)
Diagnosis -Female with dorso hysterosomal striae longitudinal between members of the third and the fourth pairs of dorsocentral setae setae, forming a diamond shaped pattern; tarsus I with one tactile seta proximal to and three tactile setae in line with proximal duplex setae; empodium with a large dorsomedian spur, more than half as long as proximoventral hairs; area immediately anterior to genital cover devoid of striae.
Male -aedeagus with ventral margin evenly curved dorsad, the terminal knob slightly wider than its stem and with anterior and posterior angulations acute.
Etymology -the specific designation palmidectes is derived from palm tree plus the Greek dektes, dektikos, meaning able to bite, that is, palm leaf puncturing, feeding.
Remarks -T. palmidectes n. sp. is to be placed in group 6 of Tetranychus species as defined by Flechtmann and Knihinicki (2002). The host plant is an ornamental palm originating from Vanuatu (New Hebrides) and New Guinea and is cultivated mainly in umbrofilous environments.