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Fig. 1. Anatetranychus hapsis adult female - dorsal habitus.

Fig. 2. Anatetranychus hapsis adult female - dorsal habitus.

Fig. 3. Anatetranychus hapsis adult female - detail of pattern of prodorsal striae.

Fig. 4. Anatetranychus hapsis adult female - detail of leg I (arrow indicates pair of associated setae).

Fig. 5. Anatetranychus hapsis adult male - dorsal habitus.

Fig. 6. Anatetranychus hapsis adult male - dorsal habitus.

Fig. 7. Anatetranychus hapsis adult male - detail of legs (arrows indicate short curved solenidion).

Fig. 8. Anatetranychus hapsis adult male - detail of aedeagus.

Material examined

types; non-types

Taxonomy

Subfamily Tetranychinae

Tribe Eurytetranychini

Distribution

*Australia - south eastern Queensland

Anatetranychus is an Australian endemic genus.

Taxonomy Changes

Drepanonychus hapsis Davis 1969

Anatetranychus hapsis (Davis) Boudreaux in Smith Meyer 1974

Diagnosis

Female

• body broadly oval, filled with round brown food packets (Figs 1, 2)
• prodorsal striae forming distinct dotted/dashed reticulate pattern medially (Fig. 3)
• dorsal opisthosomal striae transverse, dotted
• dorsal setae stout, short, pointed
• central dorsal setae (setae c1, d1, e1, f1) shorter than lateral setae
• interval between setae d1 and e1 greater than between c1-d1 and e1-f1
• empodia I-IV = long slender curved claw, more than half as long as lateral tenent hairs (Figs 4, 7)
• tarsus I with two pairs of associated setae (Fig. 4)
  • solenidion of associated setae short, only slightly longer than tactile companion seta
• tarsus II without associated or duplex setae
• legs slender, not longer than body 
• tarsi II-IV with short proximal curved solenidion
• tibiae I-IV 10(1+0), 9, 8, 9
• peritreme ending in slightly expanded chamber, sometimes with short golf club-like hook
• palp with spinneret elongate, five times as long as wide
• reddish-brown
• eggs are round, yellow-green to amber, flattened above, radially striated

Male as in female, plus:

• body elongate oval, tapering distally (Figs 5, 6)
• peritreme ending in slightly expanded chamber, usually with short golf club-like hook
• tarsus I with two pairs of associated setae
• legs long and slender - leg I in nearly twice length of body (a small proportion of males have legs shorter, closer to those of female)
• tibiae I-IV 12(3+0), 8, 8, 8
• tarsi II-IV with short proximal curved solenidion (Fig. 7)
• palp with spinneret three times as long as wide, usually with forked tip (hard to see)
• aedeagus stout, almost straight with slight dorsal inflection distally, tapering to blunt finger-like tip (Fig. 8)
• reddish brown

Hosts

*Eucalyptus melanophloia (Myrtaceae)

Similar Taxa

genus Eurytetranychus Oudemans - Anatetranychus is readily distinguished from Eurytetranychus by the long empodial claw, which is tiny in the latter.

genus Synonychus Miller - Anatetranychus has much longer and differently proportioned legs, longer and more slender empodial claws, and two pairs of associated setae on tarsus I.

Biology

This species produces little or no webbing.  Individuals can be found dorsally on leaves of hosts, and are reddish-brown in colour.  Eggs of this species are yellow-green to amber in colour, flattened with radial striations.  Leaves of the host plant turn brown to maroon in colour.

References

*Davis, J.J. (1969d)  Studies of Queensland Tetranychidae (Acarina: Prostigmata) 6.  A new genus and five new species of spider mites from native plants.  Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 15: 165-183

Smith Meyer, M.K.P. (1974)  A revision of the Tetranychidae of Africa (Acari) with a key to the genera of the world.  Entomology Memoirs, Department of Agricultural Technical Services, Republic of South Africa 36: 1-291