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Fig. 1. Tetranychus rhagodiae adult female - detail of empodium IV.

Fig. 2. Tetranychus rhagodiae adult female - detail of tarsus I.

Fig. 3. Tetranychus rhagodiae adult female - detail of pattern of pregenital striae.

Fig. 4. Tetranychus rhagodiae adult female - detail of peritreme.

Fig. 5. Tetranychus rhagodiae adult female - detail of the pattern of dorsal striae between setae e1 and f1.

Fig. 6. Tetranychus rhagodiae adult male - detail of aedeagus.

Material examined

non-types

Taxonomy

Subfamily Tetranychinae

Tribe Tetranychini

Common Name

Saltbush spider mite

Distribution

*Australia: Tasmania

Taxonomy Changes

None

Diagnosis

Female

• empodia I-IV with dorsal spur minute or absent above the proximoventral hairs (Fig. 1)
• tarsus I with the sockets of four tactile setae proximal to, and one solenidion overlapping, the socket of the proximal duplex seta (Fig. 2)
• pregenital striae generally entire, mostly longitudinal, but can be irregular medially (Fig. 3)
• peritreme with short hook (Fig. 4)
• dorsal striae between setae e1-f1 not forming the diamond pattern ("hourglass") - striae between setae e1-e1 transverse (but can be irregular), between  e1-f1 transverse, between f1-f1 oblique or irregular (Fig. 5) 
• dorsal striae with lobes
• ventral striae without lobes

Male

• empodia I-IV with minute dorsal spur above the proximoventral hairs
• empodia I and II with proximoventral hairs fused to form a ventral claw
• aedeagus dorsally directed, with short neck and large distinct knob; anterior projection large rounded; posterior projection short sharp ventrally directed triangular; dorsal margin of knob very strongly convex; dorsal margin of shaft parallel to ventral margin (Fig. 6)

Hosts

*Rhagodia billardieri (Rhagodiaceae)

Biology

This species is known only from Tasmanian saltbush.

References

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