The Tenuipalpidae (Acari: Trombidiformes) of Israel

An annotated list and key to the 26 species of phytophagous false spider mites (Trom-bidiformes: Tenuipalpidae) known from Israel is provided. About two thirds are exotics, having invaded Israel within the last 35 years. Eight species, namely Brevipalpus cali-fornicus , B. lewisi , B. obovatus , B. phoenicis , B. yothersi , Raoiella indica , Tenuipalpus granati and T. punicae are agricultural pests. The others have little economic impact, or are possibly controlled by natural enemies. A key to all the species is given

The number of flat mite species recognized in Israel has grown over the past 35 years, due to the increase in the importation of exotic plant material, along with the introduction and establishment of new crops and of new varieties of traditional crops.Of the local species about 70% are exotics, and 30% are pests of local crops.
This paper presents an annotated list of 26 flat mite species identified from agricultural systems and indigenous plants in Israel.Hosts, distributional data, and biological notes are appended, and a key to the Israeli species is provided.
General information from abroad is based on Mesa et al. (2009), whereas additional data on the local fauna is based on Klein & Zarabi (2011).These observations and the fact that many of the indigenous shrubs and trees have not yet been surveyed for tenuipalpids suggest that the species listed here represent only a part of the local flat mite fauna.The species are listed alphabetically, genus and species.

Materials and methods
Seventeen of the 26 species noted here were figured from specimens in the National Collection of the Biosystematics Division, ARC-Plant Protection Research Pretoria, South Africa, namely Aegyptobia eremica, Brevipalpus californicus, B. lewisi, B. obovatus, B. phoenicis, B. yothersi, Capedulia maritima, Cenopalpus lanceolatisetae, C. pulcher, C. spinosus, Dolichotetranychus australianus, Raoiella indica, Tenuipalpus cupressoides, T. granati, T. pareriophyoides and T. punicae by the senior author while still in their employ.Some of the latter and B. lewisi, B. olearius and C. lineola were also based on material used for a study on the Turkish Tenuipalpidae (Çobanoğlu et al., 2016).The rest of the species' figures are reconstructions from the original descriptions.Beard et al. (2015b) were also consulted to verify the identity of some species.For all figures photos of specimens and scans of figures from descriptions were taken and illustrated with a Zeiss Axioskop TM Research microscope equipped with a Zen Soft Imaging System.The photos included here are of specimens collected in Israel and where taken at the Plant Protection and Inspection Services, Israel using both a Hirox RH-2000 digital and an Olympus BX62 optical microscope.
Symptoms -Can cause chlorosis, blistering, or necrotic areas on leaves.In the New World, it is strongly associated with the nuclear citrus leprosis viruses, citrus leprosis virus (Roy et al., 2015).McGregor, 1949 (Figure 5) Diagnosis (Female) -Prodorsum weakly to strongly wrinkled or folded medially, can also appear like areolae, laterally with elongated cells forming a reticulation, opisthosoma smooth or wrinkled between setae c1-c1 and e1-e1 with weak to strong V-shaped folds posterior to e1-e1, 3 pairs of dorsocentral setae different in shape to dorsolateral setae (f2 present) (Fig 5A ); spermatheca terminating into a small rounded vesicle with a series of short projections and clear internal "bubble" (Fig 5C ); genital and ventral shields with reticulations forming transverse bands (Fig 5B ); palp femur seta slender, tapered and barbed; tarsus II with one solenidion (Beard et al., 2015b;Hao et al., 2016).
Symptoms -This mite is an important pest of oranges, tangerines and lemons in California (USA) and Japan.Serious injury has not been recorded on grape fruit.The mites lay their red, oval eggs singly in depressions and crevices of fruit, twigs and leaves, apparently preferring any stage of fruit to twigs or leaves.They seem to prefer the stem end of citrus fruit near or under the fruit button and fruit depressions and cause a silvering of the fruit.In central California, they overwinter in the adult stage.Peak populations are reached during the warmest months.Feeding on fruit produces scab-like scars, starting from fruit depressions or from depressions produced by leafhoppers or other insects, or by any injury that ruptures the oil sacs in the citrus peels.As the mites continue to feed, the scabbed area may increase to cover most of the fruit.Damage results in reducing the grade of fruit (Reuther, 1989;Jeppson et al., 1975;Elmer & Jeppson, 1957).In Greece, it is a pest of citrus, grapes, and pomegranates (Hatzinikolis, 1986).Bytinski-Salez (1966) reported it from "Blue Serbiam" vines in 1952 in Israel, causing severe leaf chlorosis.It was recently collected again from under side of petit vardo leaves infested with Tetranychus turkestani in Mizpe Ramon.It is not known as a vector of viruses (Elmer & Jeppson, 1957).
Biology and Ecology -Overwinters in adult stage on deciduous host plants such as grapes in California and is active throughout the year on citrus.Peak populations occur during warmest months (Rice & Weinberger, 1981).Number of annual generations is related to the type of host, for example 4 on vines in Bulgaria and California.It reproduces by thelytoky, as no males were found (Buchanan et al., 1980).
Host and localities -From a wide range of hosts, but mainly citrus from: Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burma, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Israel (passion fruit), Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, The Philippines, Trinidad, South Africa (probably, not confirm yet), Venezuela (Beard et al. 2015a).Beard et al. (2015a) examined 2 females on guava fruit from Israel that were intercepted in Washington DC, in 1985 and in Chicago (no date).
Symptoms -Large numbers found on passion fruit in Israel, causing substantial epidermal blemishing to fruits and stems.
Genus Capedulia Smith Meyer, 1979 This Capedulia maritima Gerson & Smith Meyer, 1980 (Figure 12) Diagnosis (Female) -All dorsal setae are very long and serrate; dorsum coarsely striate, most striae with small tubercles (Fig 12); venter with genital shield with transverse striae and 2 pairs of setae (g1-2), one pair of aggenital setae (ag) anterior to this shield, and anal shield with 2 pairs of setae (ps); rostrum reaches to middle of tibia I.
Hosts and localities -Collected from the roots of Limonium meyeri (Boiss.)Kuntze (Plumbaginaceae), occasionally covered by sea water at Dor, Israel.
Symptoms -In Iraq and Egypt this species is a pest of apples and pears and occurs on young shoots, buds and on both sides of leaves (Al-Gboory, 1987;Hatzinikolis & Emmanouel, 1987;Wafa et al., 1968Wafa et al., -1969)).
Deutonymph -All dorsal setae long and lanceolate, except setae d1 and e1 which are very short (Fig 15B).
Symptoms -A pest of pine trees in The Netherlands, Italy, and Georgia, SSR (Jeppson et al., 1975).
Cenopalpus spinosus (Donnadieu, 1875) (Figure 17) Diagnosis (Female) -Prodorsum with 3 pairs of long, strongly barbed setae, longer than opisthosomal setae, most also strongly barbed, evenly reticulate with small to medium cells, opisthosoma with f2 present and cuticle with large irregular cells between c1-d1, between d1-h1 reticulation becoming series of short transverse folds, mediolaterally with even reticulation of small cells (Fig 17A ); tarsus II with one solenidion distally; rostrum reaching to middle of genu I, palp tibia with 2 setae.Opisthogaster with cuticle between 3a-3a smooth but with fine striae, between 4a-4a with weak transverse bands, ventral and genital shields with medium to large rounded cells and genital shield (Fig 17B).
Symptoms -This species prefers the underside of host leaves and causes yellow to dark spots when feeding on roses (Hatzinikolis & Emmanouel, 1987).
Deutonymph - Hatzinikolis & Emmanouel (1987) described the deutonymph but excluded setae f2, while present in the female.Therefore we decided to omit it till it can be proofed otherwise.
Symptoms -Dolichotetranychus australianus is a serious pest of turf grasses in Australia and is often found together with the eriophyid Aceria cynodoniensis Sayed.The symptoms of these two species differ in that A. cynodoniensis causes a "witches-broom" response at the nodes, whereas the feeding of D. australianus results in thinning and weakening of stands; severe infestations can virtually turn the whole sward brown and die; the symptoms can be described as pinetree-like growths (Seeman et al., 2016).
Male -Dorsal setae also fan-shaped but clearly smaller than those of female, not covering dorsum.Dorsocentral setae all similar but very dissimilar in P. romaine.
Symptoms -Sucks plant sap with chlorophyll from leaves resulting in infested areas turning yellowish.In heavy infestations the affected areas change to dirty whitish blotches which result from the aggregation of the mites with their whitish fan-like setae, and the leaves eventually turn dark brown and die (Zaher et al., 1969).In Israel, no damage has ever been reported in association with this species (Palevsky, unpublished, Blumberg, 2008).
Hosts and localities -In Israel this species was collected from Phoenix dactylifera L. (Arecaceae), Arava Valley (Smith Meyer & Gerson, 1981).Originally described from Cocos nucifera L. (Arecaceae), in India (Hirst, 1924), it has since then been collected from many palm species world-wide (Dowling et al., 2012).After its introduction into the Americas this pest has expanded its host plant range to 96 plant species, including bananas (Amaro & De Morais, 2013).

Discussion
Seven of the 26 tenuipalpid species known from Israel can be regarded as pests, the rest have either no, or little, economic impact, or else are controlled by their natural enemies.Brevipalpus californicus, B. lewisi, B. phoenicis and B. yothersi infest citrus.B. lewisi was reported from "Blue Serbian" vines, causing severe leaf sclerosis, at Nachshonim in 1952(Bytinski-Salez, 1966), but never found again till during this study when it was found on under side of petit vardo leaves in Mizpe Ramon.Tenuipalpus granati is a pest of pomegranates and grapes, and T. punicae can be a very significant pest of pomegranates.However the palm-infesting Phyllotetranychus aegypticus, and Tenuipalpus pareriophyoides do not seem to affect their hosts.Nor does Raoiella indica, another palm-infesting species, despite being a major pest of palms (and banana) in Central America (Amaro & De Morais, 2013;Dowling et al., 2012).
Figure 7) Diagnosis (Female) -Dorsum rugose-reticulate medially and striate-granular laterally.The dorsal setae short, narrowly lanceolate and serrate.Three pairs of dorsocentral setae and f2 present (Fig 7A).Venter smooth medially, from ventral shield to gnathosoma but laterally with reticulations and granules.Ventral, genital, and anal shields striate (Fig 7B).Dorsal setae on genua I-II and femora I-III broadly lanceolate and serrate.Spermatheca a very long, slender, coiling tube terminating into a large, prominent hairy bulb (Fig 7C); tarsus II with one solenidion distally; two setae on trochanter III and one seta on trochanter IV; rostrum reaches to distal end of genu I.This species and B. olearius are similar but differs only in trochanters III and IV with 2 and one setae, respectively, in B. oleae, as opposed to one and without setae in B. olearius.Deutonymph -Dorsal setae serrate and short, except for setae sc2, c3, f3 and h1 which are clearly longer and lanceolate (Fig 7D).The deutonymphs of this species and that of B. olearius also differ as depicted (Figs 7D, 8D).