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Issue: Vol. 2119 No. 1: 27 May. 2009
Type: Article
Published: 2009-05-27
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2119.1.2
Page range: 23–38
Abstract views: 65
PDF downloaded: 2

A new species of Aceria (Acari: Eriophyidae) damaging sowthistles, Sonchus spp. (Asteraceae), in Australia with notes on Aceria sonchi (Nalepa, 1902)

NSW Department of Primary Industries, Agricultural Scientific Collections Unit, Orange Agricultural Institute, Forest Rd, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia
CRC for Australian Weed Management and CSIRO Entomology, Private Bag 5, P.O. Wembley, WA 6913, Australia Current address: Entomology, Department of Agriculture & Food, Western Australia Locked Bag 4, Bentley Delivery Centre, WA 6983
CRC for Australian Weed Management and CSIRO Entomology, Private Bag 5, P.O. Wembley, WA 6913, Australia
Acari Biological control eriophyid eriophyoid mites gall mite Sonchus species taxonomy weeds

Abstract

A new species of eriophyoid mite from Australia is described and illustrated. Aceria thalgi sp. n. causes severe curling and rolling of leaves of common introduced sowthistle, Sonchus oleraceus L. It also affects introduced Sonchus asper (L.) Hill and native Sonchus hydrophilus Boulos. The native species may be the original host for this mite. Aceria thalgi sp. n. is shown to be a separate species to Aceria sonchi (Nalepa), which forms distinctive leaf galls on Sonchus spp. in southern Europe. English translations of past descriptions of A. sonchi are included for comparison. Historical observations and records from New South Wales suggest that A. thalgi sp. n. has been known for at least 80 years prior to its recent rediscovery in Western Australia. This implies that the newly described species may be widespread across the continent. There is also a past record of similar damage symptoms occurring on sowthistles in New Zealand. Aceria thalgi sp. n. has the potential to be a useful biological control agent in Australia and Canada, where sowthistles are major weeds of agriculture.

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