Castro, Iury S. ¹ ; De Avezedo, Adria O. ² ; Vinhas, Naiara N. ³ ; Castro, Elizeu B. ⁴ and Ferla, Noeli J. ⁵

¹Laboratory of Acarology, Tecnovates, University of Vale do Taquari - Univates, Lajeado, 95914-014, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
²Laboratory of Acarology, Tecnovates, University of Vale do Taquari - Univates, Lajeado, 95914-014, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
³Laboratory of Acarology, Tecnovates, University of Vale do Taquari - Univates, Lajeado, 95914-014, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
⁴São Paulo State University (UNESP), Institute of Biosciences, Rio Claro, 13506-900, SP, Brazil.
⁵Laboratory of Acarology, Tecnovates, University of Vale do Taquari - Univates, Lajeado, 95914-014, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil & CNPq Researcher.

2025 - Volume: 65 Issue: 2 pages: 265-269

Short note

Keywords

Abstract

The Tuckerellidae (Prostigmata: Tetranychoidea), commonly referred to as peacock mites, are exclusively represented by the genus Tuckerella Womersley (Krantz and Walter 2009). The mites of this family are ornamented with oval and circular white membranous setae and with four to seven pairs of long caudal setae in the pygidial region, which facilitates the recognition of the specimens. They can be seen with the naked eye due to their orange or reddish color (Meyer and Ueckermann 1997). To date, 32 species are known worldwide, all of which are strictly phytophagous (Walter et al. 2009; Khadem and Asadi 2017; Escobar-Garcia et al. 2022). Mites of the genus Tuckerella feed mainly on the stems, fruits, and sprouts of host plants, which can cause necrosis and deformations, compromising the initial development of plants (Prasad 1973; Vacante 2016; Escobar-Garcia et al. 2021).

In Brazil, three species are recorded: Tuckerella ornata Tucker, T. knorri Baker & Tuttle, and T. pavoniformis Ewing (Flechtmann 1979; Mineiro et al. 2005; Brito et al. 2023; Boeger and Valim 2024). Tuckerella ornata was collected from branches of Theobroma cacao L. (Malvaceae) in the city of Belém, Pará state (Flechtmann 1979). Subsequently, this species was collected from Euterpe oleracea Mart. (Arecaceae) and observed causing damage to T. cacao fruits, along with a new record of T. knorri in the localities of Augusto Corrêa and Bragança, Pará (Brito et al. 2023, 2024). Additionally, Tuckerella ornata was recorded from branches of Malpighia emarginata A. DC. (Malpighiaceae) in the city of Recife, Pernambuco (Barbosa et al. 2003). In São Paulo state, T. ornata and T. knorri were observed on Couroupita guianensis Aubl. (Lecythidaceae) (Escobar-Garcia et al. 2024), while Tuckerella pavoniformis was reported on Litchi chinensis Sonn (Sapindaceae) (Mineiro et al. 2005).

The Pampa biome is located in the southern region of Brazil and covers around 60% of the area of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, also extending to Argentina and Uruguay (Echer et al. 2015). The distinct ecosystems that make up this biome are known as physiographic regions, with great richness of fauna, fungi, and flora and a predominance of low vegetation and shrubs (Hasenack et al. 2010). Studies regarding the mite fauna associated with the native vegetation of the Pampa biome have revealed a great diversity of mites, including the discovery of new species and new records for the country (Toldi et al. 2021a, 2021b).

A general investigation for mites was conducted in August 2022 in the Pampa biome, in the physiographic region Field of Shallow Soil (30°48′24.50''S 055°36′54.86''W), located in the municipality of Sant′Ana do Livramento, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

All mites found were mounted on microscope slides with Hoyer's medium (Jeppson et al. 1975). The identification of the specimens was carried out with the aid of an optical microscope with phase contrast - Zeiss Axio imager.Z2 and dichotomous keys. The slides of the specimens studied are deposited in the reference collection of the Museum of Natural Sciences (ZAUMCN), University of Vale do Taquari-Univates, Lajeado, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Two specimens of Tuckerellidae (a female and a larva) were collected in crevices on the stem of Baccharis articulata (Lam.) Pers. (Asteraceae) and identified using identification keys (e.g. Rossi de Simons 1972; Ehara 1975; McDaniel et al. 1975; Quirós-Gonzalez and Baker 1984; Baker and Suigong 1988; Ochoa 1989; Meyer and Ueckermann 1997). Mites were identified as Tuckerella elegans Rossi de Simons.

This record represents the first occurrence of this species in Brazil. The presence of T. elegans on B. articulata may be accidental, as only two individuals were found. In the original description, T. elegans was described based on specimens collected in Buenos Aires, Argentina (Rossi de Simons 1972), while the municipality of Sant′Ana do Livramento, in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, where the species was also recorded, is more than 1000 km away from the Argentine capital. In the initial description, T. elegans was associated with Pittosporum sp. (Pittosporaceae), Thuja sp. (Cupressaceae), and Citrus sp. (Rutaceae) (Rossi de Simons 1972). Subsequently, T. elegans was recorded on leaves of Datura arborea L. (Solanaceae) in San Pedro, Costa Rica (Ochoa 1989). Recently, the species was detected in Chile, affecting the export of pomegranates and citrus fruits to the United States (Larral et al. 2021). To date, there are no reports of damage caused by this species to its hosts. Given this, further research is needed to understand the extent of the species' range and its host spectrum in southern Brazil.

Diagnostic characters of female

Due to the presence of seven pairs of flagellated setae equal in length (h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, h7, h8) and a pair of short, enlarged oval setae (h1) in the pygidial region, T. elegans resembles five other species: T. coleogynis (Jorgensen, 1967); T. eloisae (Servin & Otero, 1989); T. hipoterra (McDaniel & Morihara, 1975); T. spechtae (Womersley, 1957); and T. weiterschani (Sidorchuk & Khaustov, 2018). However, T. elegans can be easily separated from these species by having larger posterior-external opisthosomal setae (f2) than the posterior-internal setae (f1); the podosoma is uniformly and strongly areolated in the dorsocentral and dorsomedial regions; and the opisthosoma has finely rounded and irregular lines (Figure 1).

Key to species of Tuckerellidae recorded in Brazil, based on dichotomous key provided by Ochoa (1989) and Escobar-Garcia et al. (2022)

1. Five pairs of flagellate setae along posterior margin of body
...... T. ornata (Tucker 1926)

— Six or seven pairs of flagellate setae along posterior margin of body
...... 2

2. Seven pairs of flagellate setae along posterior margin of body
...... T. elegans (Rossi de Simons 1972)

— Six pairs of flagellate setae along posterior margin of body
...... 3

3. Setae f2 on posterior dorsal opisthosoma larger than setae f1; setae f2 inserted anterior to setae f1
...... T. pavoniformis (Ewing 1922)

— Setae f1 and f2 the same length, and inserted in a transverse row
...... T. knorri (Baker and Tuttle 1975)

Acknowledgments

Thanks are to the entire team at the Acarology Laboratory at Univates - Labacari, Brazil. We also thank the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the Rio Grande do Sul State Research Support Foundation (FAPERGS) for granting the Protax Master's Scholarship (Process nº 441594/2020-4) to the first author of this work. To the University of Vale do Taquari (Univates), Brazil, for the project development structure. This work was supported by the ''Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo'' (FAPESP) (Procs. 2021/06373-0 and 2024/00175-0) by fellowship to the fourth author.

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