Vittacus cornusis Xue & Song & Hong 2010, sp. nov.

Vittacus cornusis sp. nov.

(Figs 3 & 4)

Description. FEMALE: (n = 5, dorsal view) Body fusiform, 169 (167–171), 52 (52–53) wide; light yellow. Gnathosoma 18 (18–19), projecting obliquely down, pedipalp coxal seta (ep) 3 (3–4), dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) 5 (5–6), cheliceral stylets 16 (16–17). Prodorsal shield 44 (44–45), 47 (46–48) wide, admedian lines connected at posterior and forming a large “U” shape. Scapular tubercles near rear shield margin, 34 (33–35) apart, scapular setae (sc) 12 (12–13), projecting posteriorly and diverging. Coxal plates smooth, anterolateral setae on coxisternum І (1b) 6 (6–7), 10 (10–11) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum І (1a) 14 (12–15), 9 (8– 9) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum І (2a) 20 (18–23), 21 (20–21) apart. Prosternal apodeme 8 (7–8). Legs with usual series of setae. Leg І 23 (23–25), femur 7 (7–8), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 7 (7–8); genu 3 (3–4), antaxial genual seta (l'') 9 (9–10); tibia 4 (3–4), paraxial tibial seta (l') 4 (4–5), located at 1/3 from dorsal base, tarsus 4 (4–5), seta ft' 13 (12–13), seta ft'' 12 (12–13), seta u' 4 (4–5), tarsal empodium (em) 4 (4– 5), simple, 4-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 5 (5–6), knobbed. Leg І 23 (23–24), femur 6 (5–6), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 5 (4–5); genu 3 (3–4), antaxial genual seta (l'') 5 (4–6); tibia 3 (3–4); tarsus 4 (4–5), seta ft' 4 (4–5), seta ft'' 13 (12–13), seta u' 4 (4–5), tarsal empodium (em) 4 (4–5), simple, 4-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 7 (6–7), knobbed. Opisthosoma: opisthosoma dorsally with 15 (15–16) annuli, smooth, with a broad furrow, ventrally with 66 (63–67) annuli, with filamentous microtubercles on rear annular margin. Setae c2 13 (12– 14) on ventral annulus 11 (10–11), 48 (47–48) apart; setae d 16 (15–16) on ventral annulus 22 (22–23), 28 (28–29) apart; setae e 10 (8–11) on ventral annulus 43 (42–45), 15 (15–16) apart, setae f 11 (10–11) on 5th ventral annulus from rear, 15 (15–16) apart. Setae h1 2 (2–3), h2 32 (30–32). Female genitalia 12 (12–13), 19 (19–20) wide, coverflap with 8 longitudinal ridges and granules at base, setae 3a 7 (5–8), 13 (13–14) apart.

MALE: (n = 9, dorsal view) Body fusiform, 120–126, 45–48 wide; light yellow. Gnathosoma 17–18, projecting obliquely down, pedipalp coxal seta (ep) 2–3, dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) 4–5, cheliceral stylets 14–15. Prodorsal shield 38–39, 42–43 wide, admedian lines separated. Scapular tubercles near rear shield margin, 30–31 apart, scapular setae (sc) 12–13, projecting posteriorly. Coxal plates smooth, anterolateral setae on coxisternum І (1b) 6–7, 7–8 apart, proximal setae on coxisternum І (1a) 16–17, 5–6 apart, proximal setae on coxisternum І (2a) 24–25, 20–21 apart. Prosternal apodeme 7–8. Legs with usual series of setae. Leg І 20–22, femur 7–8, basiventral femoral seta (bv) 6–7; genu 3–4, antaxial genual seta (l'') 15–16; tibia 3– 4, paraxial tibial seta (l') 3–4, located at 1/3 from dorsal base, tarsus 4–5, seta ft' 12–13, seta ft'' 13–14, seta u' 4–5, tarsal empodium (em) 4–5, simple, 4-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 5–6, knobbed. Leg І 23–24, femur 5– 6, basiventral femoral seta (bv) 4–5; genu 3–4, antaxial genual seta (l'') 4–5; tibia 3–4; tarsus 3–4, seta ft' 4–5, seta ft'' 11–12, seta u' 3–4, tarsal empodium (em) 4–5, simple, 4-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 5–6, knobbed. Opisthosoma: opisthosoma dorsally with 15–16 annuli, smooth, with a broad furrow, ventrally with 53–55 annuli, with filamentous microtubercles on rear annular margins. Setae c2 17–18 on ventral annulus 8–9, 36– 37 apart; setae d 18–19 on ventral annulus 16–17, 22–23 apart; setae e 5–6 on ventral annulus 35–36, 12–13 apart, setae f 15–16 on 5th ventral annulus from rear, 12–13 apart. Setae h1 2–3, h2 34–35. Male genitalia 15–16 wide, setae 3a 9–10, 12–13 apart, sculpture of the soft cuticle between genital setae 3a smooth.

Type material. Holotype, female (slide number NJAUAcariEri310, marked Holotype), from Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc. (Cornaceae), Changqing Nature Reserve, Yang County, Shaanxi Province, P. R. China, 33°35ʹ23ʹʹ N, 107°32ʹ26ʹʹ E, elevation 1083m, 9 August 2005, coll. Xiao-Feng Xue and Zi-Wei Song. Paratypes, 4 females and 9 males (slide number NJAUAcariEri310), with the same data as holotype.

Relation to host. Vagrant on leaf surface. No damage to the host was observed.

Etymology. The specific designation cornusis is from the generic name of host plant, Cornus.

Differential diagnosis. This species is similar to V. mansoni Keifer, 1969, but can be differentiated from the latter by setae h1 present (setae h1 absent in V. mansoni), coxal plates smooth (coxal plates with granules and short lines in V. mansoni), and frontal lobe broad (frontal lobe acuminate in V. mansoni).