Review on the Genus Stylophoronychus (Acari: Tetranychidae), with Description of a New Species

Simple Summary The spider mite family Tetranychidae includes 85 genera and more than 1300 species worldwide, and is the group of phytophagous mites that has the greatest impact on the agricultural economy. Stylophoronychus is a small genus of six species that belongs to the tribe Aponychini which was reinstated as a valid taxon containing three genera (Aponychus, Paraponychus and Stylophoronychus). Here, a new species Stylophoronychus wangae Pan, Jin & Yi sp. nov. from Majiang Country, Guizhou Province, China (the Oriental realm) is described based on the deutonymph and adults. Two species, S. guangzhouensis (Ma and Yuan, 1980) and S. lalli (Prasad, 1975) are considered junior synonyms of S. vannus (Rimando, 1968). The taxonomy of the genus Stylophoronychus is reviewed and the studies on its ontogenetic development are discussed. Abstract Only two species of the genus Stylophoronychus, S. baghensis (Prasad, 1975) and S. guangzhouensis (Ma and Yuan, 1980), have been recorded in China. Herein we describe a new species Stylophoronychus wangae Pan, Jin & Yi sp. nov. based on characteristics of the deutonymphs and adults. The synonym of S. guangzhouensis (Ma and Yuan, 1980) and S. lalli (Prasad, 1975) with S. vannus (Rimando, 1968) is proposed. A redescription of S. vannus (Rimando, 1968) based on the adults of both sexes, deutonymphs and a protonymph is given. The ontogenetic changes of leg chaetotaxy in two species are given and discussed. The updated key to the species of Stylophoronychus of the world is provided.