DIAGNOSIS – With 5 ­rayed empodium; prodorsal shield bearing a small, distinctly rounded anterior lobe and typical shield design.

REMARKS – Aceria korykis n. sp. resembles A. acalyphae Mohanasundaram, 1990, described from Acalypha fruticosa Forsk. from India, causing whitish erineal patches on both sides of the leaf, differing mainly in relation to the empodium (4 ­rayed in A. acalyphae), the number of coxisternal annuli (5­6 in the n. sp., 8 in A. acalyphae) and prodorsal shield design.

FEMALE – (n = 6). Idiosoma 155 (135­180) long, 51 (51­55) wide. Gnathosoma: basal seta 3 (2­3); antapical seta 4 (4­5); chelicera 12 (11­13). Prodorsal shield 28 (28­32) long, 32 (28­32) wide, with a small but distinct rounded anterior lobe. Shield design consisting of median, admedian, a pair of submedian lines and 2 pairs of lateral diagonal lines. Shield flanked by short dashes. Scapular seta (sc) on rear shield margin, set on tubercle, pointing backwards, 18 (18­21) and 22 (20­24) apart. Legs: leg I 23 (23­24); femur 8 (7­ 8), femoral seta (bv) 7 (7­9); genu 4, genual seta (l”) 18 (18­19); tibia 4 (4­5), tibial seta (l’) basal, 4; tarsus 5 solenidion (Z) 6 (6­7), empodium 4, 5 ­rayed, dorsal seta (ft’) 11 (10­ 11), lateral seta (ft”) 16 (16­19), unguinal seta (u’) 3 (3­4). Leg II 20 (19­21); femur 7 (6­ 7), bv 7 (6­7); genu 3, l’ 9 (7­9); tibia 3 (3­4); tarsus 5 (4­5) solenidion (Z) 6 (6­7), empodium 4, 5 ­rayed, ft’ 4 (3­5), ft” 18 (18­20), u’ 3 (2­4). Coxisternal area: coxae I fused, marked with dashes; sternal line 5 (4­5). Coxal seta I (1 b) 6 (5­6), 9 (8­9) apart; coxal seta II (1 a) 15 (11­15), 9 (8­9) apart; coxal seta III (2 a) 32 (28­32), 19 (18­19) apart. Genitalia 19 (18­19) wide, 11 (10­12) long; epigynium with 11 (10­12) longitudinal lines; genital seta (3 a) 7 (6­8). Coxisternal area with 5 (5­6) annuli, microtuberculate. Opisthosoma evenly rounded in cross section, annuli fully microtuberculate. Lateral seta (c 2) 19 (18­ 24), on annulus 4 (4­5) counting from genitalia rear margin; ventral seta I (d) 36 (27­36), 33 (32­36) apart, on annulus 16 (16­18); ventral seta II (e) 11 (9­12), 16 (14­18) apart, on annulus 30 (28­32); ventral seta III (f) 20 (18­20), 19 (18­19) apart, on annulus 50 (47­54) or on annulus 6 from rear. Total ventral annuli 55 (52­59); total dorsal annuli 61 (58­63). Caudal seta (h 2) 37 (31­37); accessory seta (h 1) 5 (4­6).

MALE – (n = 3). Smaller than female, 125­154 long, 44­47 wide. Gnathosoma: basal seta 2, antapical seta 3­4, chelicera 11­12. Prodorsal shield 25­28, 26 ­ 28 wide; sc 14­16, 18 ­ 19 apart. Legs: leg I 19­21; femur 6­7, bv 6­7; genu 3, l” 14­16; tibia 3­4, l’ 2­3; tarsus 4­5, solenidion (Z) 6­7, empodium 4, 5 ­rayed, ft’ 9­11, ft” 14­16, u’ 3. Leg II 18­19; femur 6­7, bv 4­6; genu 2­3, l” 6­7; tibia 2­3; tarsus 4, solenidion (Z) 7, empodium 4, 5 ­ rayed, ft’ 3­4, ft” 14­17, u’ 2. Coxisternal area: sternal line 3­4; 1 b 4­5, 6 ­ 7 apart; 1a 10 ­ 13, 7 ­ 9 apart; 2a 22 ­ 25, 16 ­ 18 apart; 4­5 coxisternal annuli, microtuberculate. Genitalia 14­15 wide, 8­11 long, rear half granulated; 3a 6 ­ 8. Opisthosoma: c 2 18­20, on annulus 3­ 4; d 24­28, 26 ­ 29 apart, on annuli 11­13; e 7­10, 15 apart, on annuli 22­24; f 14­19, 16 ­ 17 apart, on annuli 42­43 or 6 th from rear. Total ventral annuli 47­48; total dorsal annuli 49­ 56; annuli entirely microtuberculate. Caudal setae (h 2) 25­28; h 1 3­4.

TYPE MATERIAL – Female holotype, 89 female paratypes, 3 male paratypes, from Acalypha reptans Sn. (Euphorbiaceae), Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil (22 o 42 ’ 30 ” S, 47 o 38 ’08” W), coll. G.J. Moraes, 1 March 2001, on 10 microscopic preparations in the collection of Departamento de Entomologia, Fitopatologia e Zoologia Agrícola, Universidade de São Paulo ­ ESALQ, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.

RELATIONSHIP TO HOST – Small erineal galls on leaves and leaf distortion.

ETYMOLOGY – The specific designation korykis is derived from korykis, Greek for gall on leaves, referring to the damage caused by the mite on the host plant.