Parategonotus acanthopanacinus Ou & Wang & Wei 2014, sp. nov.

Parategonotus acanthopanacinus sp. nov. (Figs 23–28)

Description. Female (n =14). Body fusiform, whitish, slightly dorsoventrally flattened, 184 (173–194), 60 (59–66) wide, 35 (33–38) thick.

Gnathosoma. Curved obliquely downward, 23 (22–25); dorsal pedipalp genual setae (d) 7 (7–8), pedipalp coxal setae (ep) 3 (2–3), cheliceral stylets 15 (15–19).

Prodorsal shield. 50 (49–53), 63 (54–70) wide, frontal lobe emarginated, antapical with transparent cone-shaped, frontal lobe 12 (10–13), shield design with median line absent, submedian lines discontinuous, admedian lines forming three sub rhombus pattern. Scapular tubercles ahead of rear margin, 26 (23–26) apart, scapular setae (sc) 8 (5–9), directed upward.

Coxae. Prosternal apodeme present, coxal area smooth; anterolateral setae on coxisternum І (1b) absent; proximal setae on coxisternum І (1a) 7 (6–8), 6 (6–7) apart; proximal setae on coxisternum ІІ (2a) 22 (18–25), 20 (18–21) apart. Coxi-genital annuli 5.

Legs. Segments normal. Leg I 28 (24–30), femur 11 (9–12), basiventral femoral setae (bv) 6 (5–6); genu 3 (2–3), antaxial genual setae (l'') 19 (19–26); tibia 7 (7–8), paraxial tibial setae (l') located 1/3 at base, 2 (2–3); tarsus 5 (4–5), paraxial fastigial tarsal setae (ft') 13 (10–16), antaxial fastigial tarsal setae (ft'') 15 (14–18), paraxial unguinal tarsal setae (u') 3 (3–4); tarsal empodium 4 (4–5), 4-rayed, tarsal solenidion 5 (5–6), knobbed. Leg II 24 (23–28), femur 10 (10–12), basiventral femoral setae (bv) 5 (5–6); genu 3 (2–3), antaxial genual setae (l'') absent; tibia 5 (5–6); tarsus 4 (4–5), paraxial fastigial tarsal setae (ft') 3 (3–5), antaxial fastigial tarsal setae (ft'') 14 (13–18), paraxial unguinal tarsal setae (u') 3 (2–3); tarsal empodium 4 (4–5), 4-rayed, tarsal solenidion 5 (5–6), knobbed.

Opisthosoma. Dorsum with a median ridge and two lateral ridges, dorsal annuli 27 (27–28), lateral parts with round microtubercles; ventral annuli 51 (50–52), smooth; setae c2 12 (10–13), on ventral annulus 8th; setae d 15 (14–17), 25 (24–25) apart, on ventral annulus 23th; setae e 6 (5–7), 10 (10–12) apart, on ventral annulus 38th; setae f 17 (15–19), 16 (16–17) apart, on 4th ventral annulus from rear; setae h1 minute, 1–2, setae h2 32 (23–43).

Female genitalia. 15 (13–16), 18 (17–21) wide, coverflap with 10–12 longitudinal ridges and with three row short cross lines at base, setae 3a 10 (9–10), 13 (13–14) apart.

Male (n =6). Body fusiform, 173 (148–183), 52 (52–55) wide, male genitalia 15 (15–16) wide, setae (3a) 7 (7–8), 12 (12–13) apart.

Material examined. Holotype female, Shengtangshan National Nature Reserve (23°54′N, 110°6′E), Jinxiu County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, 21 July 2011, from Acanthopanax gracilistylus W. W. Smith (Araliaceae), coll. Shan-Sheng Ou and Sui-Gai Wei. Paratypes 7 females and 6 males, mounted on individual slide, same data as holotype.

Biology. The mites are free-living on the undersurface of leaves, no conspicuous damage was observed.

Etymology. The species is named after the generic name of the type host plant.

Remarks. This new species is similar to P. phragmitae Kuang, 1991, but can be diagnosed by: admedian lines forming three sub rhombus patterns from frontal lobe to rear margin, opisthosoma dorsal annuli at lateral parts with rounded microtubercles, female coverflap with three rows short cross lines at base, and with 10–12 longitudinal ridges, accessory setae h1 present. In P. phragmitae, the admedian lines forming a rhombus in distal of shield, then converge forming a small rhombus, opisthosoma annuli smooth dorsoventrally, female coverflap rhombus-shaped, accessory setae h1 absent (Kuang, 1991).

© Zoological Systematics, 39(4): 496–506

Funding The work was supported by the Academic Leaders Foundation of Guangxi Agricultural Vocational & Technical College.

Acknowledgements We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Hua Li (College of Agriculture, Guangxi University) for identifying the host plants.