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Volume 79, 1951
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Aceria clianthi sp.n.

Female: Length 225μ. Body vermiform, 58μ thick, 50μ wide. Rostrum 18μ long projecting forwards and curving slightly downwards. Thoracic shield triangular, 35μ long, 45μ wide.

Two dorsal shield setae 21μ long and 23μ apart located at hind margin of shield and pointing to rear.

Forelegs 27μ long; feather-claw 5μ long with 3 compound lateral rays and bifid tip; tarsus 3μ long; claw bristle 8μ long with a slight knob; tibia 5μ long without lateral spur. Hindlegs 25μ long; feather-claw as above; claw bristle 7·5μ long; tarsus 5μ long; tibia 6μ long.

First thoracic setae 4μ long directed inwards. Second thoracic setae 15μ long, directed outwards. Third thoracic setae 30μ long, directed outwards. The sternal ledge is level with the second thoracic setae.

Abdomen with 65–70 uniform tuberculate rings with more or less circular microtubercles located midway between the rings. The posterior 15 rings less heavily tuberculate. Lateral setae 26μ long located on ring 10. First ventral setae 38μ long located on the seventeenth postgenital ring. Second ventral setae 9μ long located on ring 33. Third ventral setae 24μ long located on the sixth ring from the rear. Caudal setae about 50μ long. Accessory caudal setae 4·5μ long, between and slightly posterior to caudal setae.

Genital coverflap with a single row of longitudinal striae, 4–6 on each side. Epigynium 23μ wide and 17μ long located a moderate distance from the coxae. Genital setae 14μ long. A prominent T-shaped genital apodeme is present, the cross-part located anterior to the coverflap. (Fig. 7.)

Male: Not studied.

Type Locality: Auckland, New Zealand.

Collected: September 16, 1949, Department of Agriculture.

Host: Clianthus puniceus Banks and Sol.

Relation to Host: Causes formation of fleshy, green witches’ brooms on stem.

Type Slide: So designated, with the above data. Located in the collection of the Plant Diseases Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Auckland, New Zealand.

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Fig. 1—Avicennia officinalis leaf crineum.
Fig. 4—Calystegia leaf pouch gall.
Fig. 6—Eriophyid leaf and bud galls on Nothofagus cliffortioides.

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Fig. 2—Aceria avicenniae sp.n.
Key to Drawings of Eriophyid Mites
D = dorsal shield
F = feather-claw
S = side view of mite
ES = detail of side skin
L = left legs
V = ventral view of mite
GF = female genitalia and coxae from below
GM = male genitalia and coxae from below

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Fig. 3—Vasates calystegiae sp.n.

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Fig. 5—Aceria carmichaeliae sp.n.

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Fig. 7—Aceria clianthi sp.n.

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Fig. 8—Eriophyes hoheriae sp.n.

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Fig. 9—Eriophyid gall on Carmichaelia subulate.
Fig. 10—Witches’ brooms on Clianthus puniceus.
Fig. 11—Hoheria populnea Eriophyid stem gall.
Fig. 14—Witches’ brooms on Leptospermum scoparium.

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Fig. 12—Aceria manukae sp.n.

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Fig. 13—Phyllocoptes coprosmae sp.n.

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Fig. 15—Eriophyid galls on Coprosma propinqua.
Fig. 16—Coprosma robusta leaf erineum.
Fig. 17—Caprosma robusta Eviophyid fruid gall. Photo. S. A. Rumsey.
Fig. 18—Vitex lucens leaf erineum.

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Fig. 19—Hebe salicifolia Cecidomyid stem galls
Fig. 20—Hebe salicifolia Coccid leaf galls.

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It may be observed that this mite is morphologically somewhat similar to Aceria carmichaeliae, though longer and with a larger number of abdominal rings. Undoubtedly the two species are closely related. However, the morphological differences and physiological differences demonstrated by the mites occurring on different plant genera and giving rise to galls of different structure are believed sufficient to warrant separation of the two species.

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