Aculodes tsukushiensis Xue & Song & Hong 2010, sp. nov.

Aculodes tsukushiensis sp. nov.

(Figs 7 & 8)

Description. FEMALE: (n = 8) Body fusiform, 201 (198–205), 50 (49–52) wide, 48 (48–50) thick; light yellow. Gnathosoma 17 (16–18), projecting obliquely down, pedipalp coxal seta (ep) 3 (3–4), dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) 9 (8–9), cheliceral stylets 15 (15–16). Prodorsal shield 30 (30–31), 37 (35–37) wide, median line discontinuous, admedian and submedian lines complete and subparallel, prodorsal shield with granules on lateral margins. Scapular tubercles on rear shield margin, 24 (24–25) apart, scapular setae (sc) 18 (16–20), projecting posteriorly. Coxal plates with short lines, anterolateral setae on coxisternum І (1b) 8 (7–8), 11 (11– 12) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum І (1a) 16 (15–17), 7 (7–8) apart, proximal setae on coxisternum І (2a) 36 (35–37), 20 (20–21) apart. Prosternal apodeme 8 (7–8). Legs with usual series of setae. Leg І 35 (35– 36), femur 8 (8–9), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 10 (10–11); genu 5 (5–6), antaxial genual seta (l'') 21 (20– 21); tibia 6 (5–6), paraxial tibial seta (l') 9 (8–10), located at center, tarsus 5 (5–6), seta ft' 16 (16–18), seta ft'' 20 (20–22), seta u' 5 (4–5), tarsal empodium (em) 9 (8–9), simple, 7-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 11 (10–11), rod-like. Leg І 28 (27–29), femur 7 (7–8), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 19 (19–20); genu 4 (4–5), antaxial genual seta (l'') 11 (10–11); tibia 5 (4–5); tarsus 5 (5–6), seta ft' 9 (8–9), seta ft'' 20 (20–21), seta u' 6 (5–6), tarsal empodium (em) 9 (8–9), simple, 7-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 11 (10–11), rod-like. Opisthosoma: opisthosoma dorsally with 61 (60–62) annuli, with spiny microtubercles projecting ahead of rear annular margin, ventrally with 64 (63–65) annuli, with spiny microtubercles projecting ahead of rear annular margin. Setae c2 25 (25–26) on ventral annulus 9 (8–9), 45 (44–45) apart; setae d 41 (40–51) on ventral annulus 22 (22–23), 30 (28–31) apart; setae e 32 (31–33) on ventral annulus 41 (39–41), 16 (15–16) apart, setae f 22 (22– 23) on 5th ventral annulus from rear, 16 (16–17) apart. Setae h1 4 (4–5), h2 41 (35–42). Female genitalia 13 (13–14), 17 (17–18) wide, coverflap with 10 longitudinal ridges, setae 3a 20 (20–21), 15 (15–16) apart.

MALE: Unknown.

Type material. Holotype, female (slide number NJAUAcariEri220, marked Holotype), from Elymus tsukushiensis Honda var. transiens (Hack.) Osad (Poaceae), Zhouzhi County, Shaanxi Province, P. R. China, 34°03ʹ54ʹʹN, 108°19ʹ22ʹʹE, elevation 500m, 31 August 2004, coll. Xiao-Feng Xue and Zi-Wei Song. Paratypes, 7 females (slide number NJAUAcariEri220), with the same data as holotype.

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

Etymology. The specific designation tsukushiensis is from the name of host plant species, tsukushiensis.

Differential diagnosis. This species is similar to A. hibisci Huang, 1992, but can be differentiated from the latter by median line incomplete on prodorsal shield (median line complete in A. hibisci), empodium 7- rayed (empodium 6-rayed in A. hibisci), and female genital coverflap with 10 ridges (female genital coverflap with 18–20 ridges in A. hibisci).