Tenuipalpus eriophyoides Baker 1948

Tenuipalpus eriophyoides Baker, 1948:59

This species was described from an immature collected in “Mesopotamia,” host unknown. The male and female here described were collected on date palm, Bagdad, Iraq, by Dr. I. Ismail Mohamed, to whom we are deeply grateful for sending us specimens.

The general body shape of the female is that of a Brevipalpus but somewhat narrower. The palpus has three segments, with a single seta on the penultimate segment and two on the distal segment; the stylophore is elongate, narrow; there is a pair of ventral setae on the rostrum. The rostral shield is strongly split and does not cover the rostrum. The three pairs of propodosomal setae are short and narrowly lanceolate, the first pair being the shortest; the dorsomedial area of the propodosoma is without striae. Except for the long, whiplike caudal setae, the hysterosomal setae are similar to those of the propodosoma; the striae are few and longitudinal marginaly except for the area posterior to the second pair of dorsocentral setae; hysterosomal pores are present. The venter is distinctive in that the propodosoma is divided transversely by apodemes between coxae I and between coxae II; posterior to the coxae II apodeme the ventral striae are longitudinal on the propodosoma and hysterosoma. There is a single pair of anterior medioventral setae and four pairs of posterior medioventral setae. The genitoventral plate is entire and possesses the usual number of setae; the striae of the plate are transverse; there appear to be two pairs of anal setae. The length of body, including rostrum, is 408μ.

The male is very distinctive in having an exaggerated elongate body, especially the opisthosoma. The stylophore is shorter and more rounded than that of the female; the rostral shield is deeply cleft and covers the rostrum. The dorsal body setae are similar to those of the female; the striae are few, weak, and covered with lobes, and are longitudinal as figured. Hysterosomal pores apparently are lacking. The ventral striae are, in general, longitudinal as in the female; there appear to be lateral platelets (see figure) posteriorly and just anterior to the genital stylets, which are quite enlarged. There are four pairs of posterior medioventral setae. The transverse apodeme of coxae I meet faintly medially; that of coxae II meet as in the female. Tarsi III and IV each with two long, slender solenidion; tarsi I and II each with a shorter, outer solenidion. Length of body, including rostrum, 510μ.