title: Comparative confocal microscopy of internal genitalia of phytoptine mites (Eriophyoidea, Phytoptidae): new generic diagnoses reflecting host-plant associations.
abstract: Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) methods are still rarely used by acarologists although they are very appropriate for studying minute arthropod pests, especially eriophyoid mites. In this paper, the female reproductive system of phytoptines, including the bud mite Phytoptus avellanae, the well-known pest of hazelnut, was studied using CLSM and resulted in new interpretations of the functioning anatomy of phytoptid genitalia. Comparison of cuticle-lined internal genitalia, based on novel CLSM-based 2D and 3D imaging, and multivariate analysis of morphometric measurements, show that two basic types of internal genitalia can be found within Phytoptinae: one type in phytoptines associated with monocotyledoneous hosts (especially Cyperaceae and Asparagaceae), and another one in those associated with various dicotyledoneous hosts. Phytoptines from monocots (genera Oziella and Acathrix and Phytoptus "caricis" sp. group) possess a spherical distal part of the spermathecal tube and a semitriangular transverse genital apodeme, whereas phytoptines from dicots (genus Phytoptus "avellenae" sp. group) possess an elongate distal part of the tube and a trapezoidal apodeme. These differences in the internal genitalic anatomy were used for modifying the diagnosis of phytoptine genera (Phytoptus, Oziella and Acathrix), and reorganizing the Phytoptinae, resulting in new synonymies: 11 species were transferred from genus Phytoptus "caricis" sp. group to the genus Oziella.
authors.affiliation: Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab., 7/9, 199034, St. Petersburg, Russia, philipp-chetverikov@yandex.ru.
authors.forename: Philipp E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Chetverikov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D019684:Magnoliopsida; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008925:Mites / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D013045:Species Specificity; D013559:Symbiosis
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Sep 11;109(37):14796-801
references.pmid: 22927387
references.citation: Exp Appl Acarol. 2000;24(10-11):831-61
references.pmid: 11345319
references.citation: Exp Appl Acarol. 2010 Jul;51(1-3):283-307
references.pmid: 19771397
references.citation: FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 2007 Nov;62(2):142-60
references.pmid: 17892477
references.citation: J Microsc. 2011 Dec;244(3):259-72
references.pmid: 21883208
references.citation: Multivariate Behav Res. 1966 Apr 1;1(2):245-76
references.pmid: 26828106
references.citation: Bull Entomol Res. 2010 Jun;100(3):263-72
references.pmid: 19671206
references.citation: Mol Phylogenet Evol. 2013 Mar;66(3):928-40
references.pmid: 23246929
references.citation: J Morphol. 2008 Apr;269(4):464-78
references.pmid: 18157861
references.citation: Exp Appl Acarol. 2013 Sep;61(1):1-30
references.pmid: 23494457