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Fig. 1. Schizotetranychus andropogoni adult female syntype - detail of claws I-IV.

Fig. 2. Schizotetranychus andropogoni adult female syntype - detail of pattern of pregenital striae.

Fig. 3. Schizotetranychus andropogoni adult female syntype - detail of peritreme (arrow indicates the tip).

Fig. 4. Schizotetranychus andropogoni adult female syntype - detail of peritreme (arrow indicates the tip).

Fig. 5. Schizotetranychus andropogoni adult female syntype - detail of pattern of striae on prodorsum.

Fig. 6. Schizotetranychus andropogoni adult female syntype - detail of pattern of dorsal striae between setae e1, f1 and f2.

Fig. 7. Schizotetranychus andropogoni adult male syntype - detail of empodia I, III, IV.

Fig. 8. Schizotetranychus andropogoni adult male syntype - detail of aedeagus.

Fig. 9. Schizotetranychus andropogoni adult male syntype - detail of aedeagus (at different focal points).

Fig. 11. Schizotetranychus andropogoni - detail of aedeagus of syntype male and three male specimens from Australia.

Fig. 12. Schizotetranychus andropogoni adult males (non-types, Australia) - detail of aedeagus.

Material examined

types; non-types

Taxonomy

Subfamily Tetranychinae

Tribe Tetranychini

Common Name

none

Distribution

^^NOT PRESENT IN AUSTRALIA

*India, Mexico, Pakistan, Thailand

Taxonomy Changes

Tetranychus (Schizotetranychus) andropogoni Hirst 1926

Schizotetranychus andropogoni (Hirst) Pritchard & Baker (1955)

Diagnosis

Female

• empodia I-IV = divided into two short, stout, curved claws, thicker at base in lateral aspect; proximoventral hairs absent (Fig. 1)
• pregenital striae fine, transverse, arching around genital flap; genital flap smooth (Fig. 2)
• tarsus I with the socket of one tactile seta proximal to, and one solenidion overlapping with, the socket of the proximal duplex seta
• tarsus II with the socket of one tactile seta overlapping with the socket of the duplex seta
• peritreme ending in short hook, like a field hockey stick (Figs 3, 4)
• prodorsal striae fine and longitudinal, not forming a U-shape (Fig. 5) 
• dorsal opisthosomal striae fine and transverse (Fig. 6)
• chaetotaxy for legs I-IV:
  • femora 10, 6, 2, 2  [one syntype female with 6/7 on femur II]
  • genua 5, 5, 3, 3
  • tibiae 8(1+0), 5, 5, 5
  • tarsi 15(3+3), 12(2+3), 8(1+0), 8(1+0)

Male

• empodia I-IV as in female - divided into two short, stout, curved claws, thicker at base in lateral aspect; proximoventral hairs absent (Fig. 7)
• peritreme same as female (Figs 3, 4)
• prodorsal striae fine and longitudinal
• tarsus I with the sockets of one tactile seta and one solenidion proximal to socket of the proximal duplex seta [non-type specimens have one tactile proximal and the solenidion overlapping]
• tarsus II with the socket of one solenidion proximal to, and one tactile seta overlapping, the socket of the duplex seta 
• chaetotaxy for legs I-IV:
  • femora 10, 6, 2, 2
  • genua 5, 5, 3, 3
  • tibiae 9(2+0), 6(1+0), 5, 5
  • tarsi 15(3+3), 12(2+3), 8(1+0), 8(1+0)
• aedeagus dorsally directed; no anterior or posterior projection (tip of projection curves posteriorly); dorsal margin of shaft at approx. 20° angle to ventral margin, abruptly curving dorsally at right angle forming dorsal projection; dorsal projection stout, finger-like, thick at base and slightly tapering distally to blunt tip curving posteriorly; ventral margin of shaft straight to weakly convex (Figs 8-11)

Hosts

few recorded hosts, strongly associated with grasses (Poaceae): Cajanus cajan (Fabaceae), *Dicanthium annulatum (formerly Andropogon annulatus), Oryza sativa, Saccharum officinarum, S. spontaneum, Sorghum bicolor (Poaceae), Zinnia sp. (Asteraceae)

References

*Hirst, S. (1926)  Descriptions of new mites including four new species of "red spider".  Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London: 825-841

Migeon, A. and Dorkeld, F. (2006-2017) Spider Mites Web: a comprehensive database for the Tetranychidae. http://www.montpellier.inra.fr/CBGP/spmweb

Notes

^^ of concern to Australia; in southeast Asia on several economically important hosts