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Fig. 1. Oligonychus turbelli adult female - detail of empodia I (top) & IV.

Fig. 2. Oligonychus turbelli adult female paratypes - detail of claw I.

Fig. 3. Oligonychus turbelli adult female paratype - detail of claw III with dorsal spur (indicated by arrow).

Fig. 4. Oligonychus turbelli adult female paratypes - detail of claw IV.

Fig. 5. Oligonychus turbelli adult female paratype - detail of pregenital striae.

Fig. 6. Oligonychus turbelli adult female paratype - detail of pregenital striae.

Fig. 7. Oligonychus turbelli adult female paratype - detail of pregenital striae.

Fig. 8. Oligonychus turbelli adult female paratype - detail of peritreme tip (indicated by arrow).

Fig. 9. Oligonychus turbelli adult female paratype - detail of pattern of dorsal striae between setae f1 and f2, irregular oblique, longitudinal and transverse striae.

Fig. 10. Oligonychus turbelli adult female paratype - detail of striae pattern between dorsal setae f1 and f2, irregular oblique, longitudinal and transverse striae.

Fig. 11. Oligonychus turbelli adult female paratype - detail of striae pattern between dorsal setae f1 and f2, longitudinal and oblique becoming transverse between f2-f2.

Fig. 12. Oligonychus turbelli adult female paratype - detail of striae pattern between dorsal setae f1 and f2: a. oblique becoming transverse; b. mixed oblique, becoming arched between f2-f2.

Fig. 13. Oligonychus turbelli adult male paratype - detail empodium I & IV (bottom).

Fig. 14. Oligonychus turbelli adult male holotype and paratype - detail of empodium I.

Fig. 15. Oligonychus turbelli adult male paratype - detail of claws: a. holotype claw II; b. holotype claws III-IV; c. paratype claw III; d. paratype claw IV.

Fig. 16. Oligonychus turbelli adult male holotype - detail of peritremes (indicated by arrows), and striae pattern on prodorsum.

Fig. 17. Oligonychus turbelli adult male holotype and paratype - detail of aedeagus (at different focal points).

Fig. 18. Oligonychus turbelli adult male - detail of aedeagus: a. holotype; b. paratype.

Material examined

types

Taxonomy

Subfamily Tetranychinae

Tribe Tetranychini

Distribution

*Australia: south eastern Queensland

Taxonomy Changes

None

Diagnosis

Female

• empodia I-IV = curved claw, obviously shorter than proximoventral hairs (Figs 1-4)
• pregenital striae longitudinal (Figs 5-7)
• peritreme ending in slightly expanded tip (Fig. 8)
• most dorsal striae transverse, except irregular longitudinal, oblique and transverse striae between opisthosomal setae f1 and f2 (Figs 9-12)
• tarsus I with the sockets of four tactile setae proximal to, and one solenidion proximal to or overlapping with, the socket of the proximal duplex seta
• chaetotaxy for legs I-IV:
  • femora 10, 6, 4, 4
  • genua 5, 5, 4, 4
  • tibiae 10(1+0), 7, 6, 7
• pale green with yellow tinge, white legs with green tinge, and dark green to black food spots dorsally on either side of body

Male

• empodium I = bifid claw, ventral and dorsal claws subequal in length, with dorsal claw slightly more slender than ventral claw (Figs 13, 14)
• empodia II-IV with long slender claw of equal length to proximoventral hairs (Figs 13, 15)
• peritreme ending in slightly expanded simple bulb (Fig. 16) 
• tarsus I with the sockets of four tactile and two solenidia proximal to socket of the proximal duplex seta
• chaetotaxy for legs I-IV:
  • femora 10, 5-6, 4, 4
  • genua 5, 5, 4, 4
  • tibiae 13(4+0), 7, 6, 7
• aedeagus dorsally directed, somewhat sinuous; no anterior projection; dorsal margin of shaft at 45° angle to ventral margin, bending dorsally at acute angle to form dorsal projection; dorsal projection with thick stout neck abruptly bending at right angle to shaft towards posterior, creating short thick blunt finger-like posterior projection; ventral margin of shaft straight (Figs 17, 18)
• yellowy green with dark green to black food spots dorsally, legs yellow and eyes red

Hosts

*Imperata cylindrica (Poaceae)

Similar Taxa

Species recorded in Australia:

• Oligonychus palus Beard 2008

Species not yet recorded in Australia:

• Oligonychus sapienticolus Gupta (1976)

References

*Beard, J.J., Walter, D.E. and Allsopp, P.G. (2003)  Spider mites of sugarcane in Australia: a review of grass-feeding Oligonychus Berlese (Acari: Prostigmata: Tetranychidae).  Australian Journal of Entomology 42: 71-78

Notes

Length of dorsal setae c3: O. palus 80-86 micrometres, O. turbelli 68-71; solenidion in distal duplex complex: O. palus 75-78, O. turbelli 61-67; tarsus IV solenidion: O. palus 46-50, O. turbelli 38-40.