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Fig. 1. Eotetranychus hudsoni adult female - dorsal habitus.

Fig. 2. Eo. hudsoni adult female - detail of pattern of pregenital striae.

Fig. 3. Eo. hudsoni adult female - detail of peritreme(arrows indicate tips).

Fig. 4. Eo. hudsoni adult female - detail of pattern of dorsal striae and lobes.

Fig. 5. Eotetranychus hudsoni adult male - lateral habitus.

Fig. 6. Eo. hudsoni adult male - detail of tibia and tarsus I.

Fig. 7. Eo. hudsoni adult male paratypes - details of aedeagus - a. reasonably flattened; b. not flattend, so shape is distorted.

Fig. 8. Eo. hudsoni adult male - detail of aedeagus.

Material examined

types

Taxonomy

Subfamily Tetranychinae

Tribe Tetranychini

Distribution

*Australia: Tasmania

Taxonomy Changes

None

Diagnosis

Female (Fig. 1)

• pregenital striae transverse (Fig. 2)
• peritreme ending in simple bulb (Fig. 3)
• dorsal opisthosomal striae transverse, with wavy striae between setae e1 and f1  (Fig. 4)
• lobes on dorsal striae small, rounded, moderately spaced (Fig. 4); on posterior opisthosoma lobes are pointed, sub-triangular
• ventral striae without lobes
• dorsal setae f1, f2 and h1 subequal in length, much longer than setae h2 and h3
• tarsus I with the sockets of four tactile and none to one solenidion proximal to base of the proximal duplex seta
• tarsus II with the socket of none to one tactile seta and one solenidion proximal to the duplex seta
• tarsi I-IV 18(3+3),13(2+3), 9(1+0), 9(1+0)
• tibiae I-IV 10(1+0), 6, 4, 6
• pale greenish-yellow with dark marks laterally along body; gnathosoma and legs with pinkish tinge
• eggs with top flat, radially striated and no stipe

Male (Fig. 5) 

• empodium I = short, stout claw (Fig. 6)
• tarsus I with the bases of four tactile setae and two solenidia proximal to base of proximal duplex setae
• tarsus II with the bases of none-one tactile seta and two solenidia proximal to duplex setae
• leg chaetotaxy:
  • tarsi I-IV 20(5+3), 14(3+3), 9(1+0), 9(1+0)
  • tibiae I-IV 13(4+0), 7(2), 6(1+0), 7(1+0)
• aedeagus dorsally directed, weakly sigmoid with no distinct knob; dorsal projection directed at right angle to dorsal margin of shaft or slightly anteriorly (slightly acute angle); dorsal projection slender, tapering evenly to blunt tip; extreme tip curved slightly posteriorly (Figs 7, 8)

Hosts

*Lomandra longifolia (Dasypogonaceae)

Similar Taxa

Eotetranychus lomandrae Davis 1968

Biology

Eggs are round with the top flat, radially striated and without a stipe.  Mite colonies are found on the concave lower side of the leaves of the host plant and the eggs are fastened to the leaf surface in longitudinal rows of up to 14 eggs parallel to the leaf axis.  Very little webbing is produced by the mites.  The leaf blade can show some discolouration, becoming pale with increased damage.  During dry periods, the mites are found down in the centre of the plants, in the unfolded leaves.

References

Davis, J.J. (1968e)  Studies of Queensland Tetranychidae.  7.  Records of the genus Eotetranychus (Acarina: Tetranychidae).  Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 7: 127-129

*Miller, L.W. (1966)  The tetranychoid mites of Tasmania.  Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 100: 53-76