Institut fur angewandte Zoologie der Rheinischen Friedrich - Wllhelms - Universitit Bonn TAXONOMIC STUDIES OF FALSE SPIDER MITES (ACARI: TENUIPALPIDAE) IN CENTRAL IRAQ Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung des Grades Doktor der Landwirtschaft (Dr. agr.) der Hohen Landwirtschaftlichen Fakultit der Rheinischen Friedrich - Wilhelms - Universitit zu Sonn vorgelegt am 26.8.1987 von " I r Ibrahim AI-Gboory ,- aus Baghdad, Irak This dissertation and the scientific works were conducted under the supervision of Professor Dr. W.Kloft - Referent - Dlrektor des Institutes fur Angewandte Zoologie der Universtiit Bonn and Professor Dr.H.Blck - Korreferent - Dlrektor des Institutes fur Landwirtschaftliche Zoologie und Bienenkunde der Universitiit Bonn This work is dedicated to my wife Asmaa AI-Gboory without whose encouragement and patience I could not have finished it - - ii - "Was Eis jetzt ich von der Welt erkannte, hat mir nur bewiesen, dap es Grop und Kleinheit Darin nicht gibt, und dap die Hilb' so sonderbar Erbaut ist, als der Elefant . .. Grabbe c ) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author is very greatful to Professor Dr. Werner Kloft, the Referent , Director of the Institut fur Angewandte Zoologie, Universitat Bonn, for offering the facilities which made this study possible, his scientific guidance and the valuable contributions during the course of this study . The author wishes to express his appreciation to Professor Dr. H.Bick, the Correferent , Director of the Institut fur Landwirtschaftliche Zoologie und Bienenkunde, Universitat Bonn, for reading this dissertation and being member of the final examination committee. Aknowledgements are made to Professor Dr. H.Weltzien and Professor Dr. E. Pfeffer, Universitat Bonn, for being members in the final examination committee. Grateful appreciation is extended to Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) (German Academic Exchange Service) for awarding a scholarship for the author for doing this investigation. Many acarologists offered assistance during this study and deserve a note of appreciation : Dr. E.W. Baker, Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Maryland, who encouraged this investigation from its inception, sent numbers of reprints and xeroxed copies of some publications which were not avail- able in Germany, gave me the permission to use the type species and the paratypes of U.S. National Museum collection, went through the manuscript, verified the iden- tification of the new species and gave valuable suggestions during my visit to USDA in July 1987; Dr. M.Delfinado, Bene- ficial Insects Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Maryland , for her encouragement and interest in this work, for reading the manuscript and providing timely advice; Professor Dr . S.Ghai , Division of Entomology, Indian Agricultural Research Insti- tute, New-Delhi, India, for providing the author with the Indian literature on the family, verifying the identification of the new species, giving the author the permiss ion to use some of her collection during his visit in August 1986; Pro- fessor Dr. H.Sepasgosarian, Zoology Institute and Zoology - iii - Museum, Hamburg, for providing the author with many xeroxed papers and for his interest in this work; Professor Dr. E.Lindquist, Biosystematic Research Institute, Ottawa, Cana- da, for providing the author with some paratypes and some papers translated from Russian. The author wishes to express his gratitude for assistance given him by Dr. E.Wolfram, who solved all the technical pro- blems; Mr. Mario Riera for his encouragement and working together; Mrs. U.Wolf for preparing the photographs; Mrs. K.Ulmen for her patience during the use of SEM, Miss B.Scheithauer for doing the correspondence and Mr. A.Grabowy for typing the manuscript. Finally, the author wishes to acknowledge Dr.Dr. O.Breid- bach; Dr. H.Kunkel; Dr. M.Gianetti; Dr. A.Nahif, Miss A.Helt- mann; Dr. K.Kramer and all my colleagues in the Institute for the encouragement each has given me and for the specific manner in which each has further contributed to whatever merit this paper may possess. Contents Ti tie ............... ... .. ..... .... ............ .. ......... i Dedication ................. ... ... ..... .. .. .. .... .. ... ii Acknowledgements . ....... .......... .. .. ..... .... .. .... iii Table of contents .. .... ... ...... ..... ............. ...... iv Lis t of Figures ..... .... ...... ... .. ......... ... ... ........ v Introduction ...... ... .. ....... .. .. ... ... ...... .... ........ 1 Review of literature A. Development of the family name ..... ..... .. .. .. ... .. ... 6 B. Creation of the genera and species ................... 10 C. Tenuipalpids of Iraq .. .. .. ..... ... .. .. .. .. ... ... 35 Geographical and Ecological Remarks about Iraq Location . ... ...... ............ ......... ............. 37 Climate .... ....... .... .. ... .. ... .... ..... ... .... .. 39 Natural vegetation ................ ... .. ... .... .. .. .. 41 Materials and Methods Collecting methods ......... .. ............ ... ........ .. 43 Mounting techniques ..... ............... ....... .. .... 43 Results Ecological Aspects ................. ..... .............. 46 Taxonomical Aspects ........ ....... .. .. .. .. ...... ... 57 A. General characteristics of the family Tenuipalpidae .... ............................ .... 57 Diagnosis ............................. ...... ... 58 External Morphology Gnathosoma ......... .. .......... ........... .... 58 Idiosoma .•.. • ...• . ..••......................... 61 Internal Morphology .. .. .. ....................... .. 67 Respiratory system .... .. .. ................... 70 Genital system ...... .......... ................ 70 - iv - Diges ti ve sys tern . .. .......... ......... .. .... ... 73 B. Taxonomic studies of tenuipalpid mites in Cent:rallraq ....................................... 74 Key to the genera of Tenuipalpidae in Central Iraq .. ..... .. .... .. ... .. ... .............. 74 Genus Dolichotetranychus Sayed . .... ....... ... ... 75 Dolichotetranychus babylonicus, n.sp . ..... ... 76 Genus Cenopalpus Pritchard and Baker ............ 80 Key to the collected species ................... 81 Cenopalpus lanceola.tisetae (Attiah) .......... 81 Cenopalpus pulcher (Canestrini and Fanzago) .. 86 Genus Larvacarus Baker & Pritchard .............. 91 Larvacarus transitans (Ewing) .. ......... .... 91 Genus Obdulia Pritchard & Baker ...... .... .. .. .. 94 Obdulia daadi, n . sp ........... .. ............. 94 Genus Raoiella Hirst ........ .. .... .. .. ....... 99 Raoiella indica Hirst .............. .. ........ 99 Genus Aegyptobia Sayed .. ....... .............. 102 Key to the collected species ..... .. .... ...... 102 Aegyptobia tragardhi Sayed .................. 103 Aegyptobia salicicola, n.sp ................. 106 Aegyptobia euphratica, n.sp ................. 109 Aegyptobia mesopotamiensis, n . sp . ........... 113 Genus Brevipalpus Donnadieu .. : ................. 116 Key to· the collected species ..... ... .......... 117 Brevipalpus iraquiensis, n.sp ............ .. 117 Brevipalpus obovatus Donnadieu .............. 122 Genus Tenuipalpus Donnadieu .................... 125 Key to the collected species .•.... .• .• . ..•.... 127 Tenuipalpus bagdadensis, n.sp ............•.. 128 Tenuipalpus punicae Pritchard and Baker ..... 132 Tenuipalpus myrtus, n.sp .................... 135 Tenuipalpus populi, n.sp .................... 140 Tenuipalpus viticola, n.sp .................. 147 Tenuipalpus salicis, n.sp ............... ".... 150 Tenuipalpus lygodii DeLeon ... .•............. 152 Genus Colopalpus Pritchard and Baker ........... 155 Colopalpus eriophyoides (Baker) ............. 156 Discussion 1. Review of literature .......................... ..... 161 2. Ecological Aspects .. .... .. ......................... 166 3. Taxonornical Aspects ........................ ........ 168 References ................................................ 172 Summary .......................... ............. .. .. _ .. ... 179 Zusammenfassung .......... ... ........... ................ 202 Curriculum vitae .. .................... .. .. .... ....... .. .. 205 List of Figures Figure 1. Map of the vegetation and physiographic regions of Iraq. Figure 2. Temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, dura- tion of daylight in Iraq. Figure 3. A map shows the provinces of Iraq. Figure 4. Dorsum of tenuipalpid mite (female). Figure 5. Venter of tenuipalpid mite (female). Figure 6. Different types of pal pi of tenuipalpid mites of Iraq. Figure 7. Different shapes of idiosoma of the tenuipalpid mites of Iraq. Figure 8. Different types of sculpture of tenuipalpid mi- ces of Iraq. Figure 9. Different types of setae of tenuipalpid mites of Iraq. Figure 10. Pretarsi of two different tenuipalpid genera. Figure 11 . Tracheal systems of some tenuipalpid mites. Figure 12. Different types of female genital system of some cenuipalpid mites. Figure 13. Different types of male genital syscem of some cenuipalpid mites. - v _ Figure 14. Dolichotetranychus babylonicus, n.sp. Figure 15. Cenopalpus lanceolatisetae (Attiah) (female). Figure 16. Cenopalpus lanceolatisetae (Attiah) (male and nymph) . Figure 17. Cenopalpus pulcher (Canestrini & Fanzago) (female). Figure 18. Cenopalpus pulcher (Canestrini & Fanzago) (nymph) . Figure 19. Larvacarus transitans (Ewing). Figure 20. Obdulia daadi, n.sp. (female) . Figure 21. Obdulia daadi, n.sp. (male). Figure 22. Raoiella indica Hirst (female). Figure 23. Aegyptobia tragardhi Sayed (female). Figure 24. Aegyptobia salicicola, n.sp. (female). Figure 25. Aegyptobia euphratica, n.sp. (female).