<p class="Body"><strong>Eriophyoid mites (Acariformes) from wild and cultivated Solanaceae plants from Brazil⁠—new taxa, supplementary descriptions, a first report and new host plants of the tomato russet mite</strong></p>

Abstract

The results of a survey of Eriophyoidea mites on wild and cultivated Solanaceae plants in Central Brazil are presented. Five new taxa associated with plants in the genus Solanum are described and illustrated. They include one new genus with type species belonging to Phyllocoptinae, Calacarini - Viginticus lupusmalum gen. nov. &amp; sp. nov.; two new species in the Eriophyinae, Aceriini - Aceria solani sp. nov. and Paraphytoptus tuberacutus sp. nov., all of them associated with Solanum lycocarpum St. Hil.; and one new species in the Phyllocoptinae, Athocoptini - Aculus michereffi sp. nov., associated with Solanum acanthodes Hook.. New host plants for the tomato russet mite, Aculops lycopersici (Tryon 1917), are reported. In addition, the first record of Calacarus speciosissimum Flechtmann, 1999 for Brazil and from Capsicum as host plants, and the first record of Rhynacus lippius Duarte, Chetverikov &amp; Navia, 2016, on solanaceous plants are presented; supplementary descriptions of these species were elaborated. Diagnostic traits for Calacarus mites collected on Solanaceae plants around the world are summarized.

Molecular Phylogenetics and Light Microscopy Reveal “True” and “False” Calacarines and Novel Genital Structures in Gall Mites (Acariformes, Eriophyoidea)

“…Differences in chaetom are more reliable for taxonomic purposes because the presence or absence of a seta is a discrete character, whereas the topography of opisthosoma is a descriptive and often continuous trait that may be variable and/or distorted by artefacts caused by clearing and slide-mounting. For instance, in the monotypic genus Viginticus, "dorsum is evenly rounded, but some specimens present a slight ridge anteriorly" [46].…”

“…These ridges are formed by narrow rounded plates with tiny marginal denticles (Figure 4E). Setal lengths: c2 23 (14-32), d 38 (27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46), e 23 (22)(23)(24)(25)(26), f 19 (19-21); h1 absent; h2 32 (32-44); 16 (12)(13)(14)(15)(16) annuli from rear shield margin to c2; 19 (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24) annuli between c2-d; 24 (21)(22)(23)(24)(25) annuli between d and e; 16 (14)(15)(16)(17) annuli between e and f ; 6 (5)(6)…”

Genetic analysis of the tomato russet mite provides evidence of oligophagy and a widespread pestiferous haplotype

“…It has been discussed that the original TRM host plant is not tomato but some other wild solanaceous plants (Old eld 1996;Michalska et al 2010;Navia et al 2010). The severe damage caused by TRM to tomatoes, including the plant death (Keifer et al 1982;Lindquist and Old eld 1996), suggests a recent association instead of an old co-evolutionary history (Old eld 1996;Michalska et al 2010;Duarte et al 2020). It is possible that TRM adopted tomato plants as an alternate host plant in areas of co-occurrence of the original wild host plant and the cultivated tomato.…”

Genetic diversity of the tomato russet mite supporting oligophagy and evidencing widespread of an invasive haplotype

“…It has been discussed that the original TRM host plant is not tomato but some other wild solanaceous plants (Old eld 1996;Michalska et al 2010;Navia et al 2010). The severe damage caused by TRM to tomatoes, including the plant death (Keifer et al 1982;Lindquist and Old eld 1996), suggests a recent association instead of an old co-evolutionary history (Old eld 1996;Michalska et al 2010;Duarte et al 2020). It is possible that TRM adopted tomato plants as an alternate host plant in areas of co-occurrence of the original wild host plant and the cultivated tomato.…”