Three New Eriophyid Mite Species from China (Acari: Eriophyidae)

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The Eriophyidae is the largest family in the Eriophyoidea, consisting of over 3790 extant species. Eriophyid mites have a patchy distribution worldwide and are concentrated in the temperate regions. In this study, we describe and illustrate three new eriophyid mites from the temperate region of China—Scolotosus ehretus sp. nov., Neotegonotus ulmchangus sp. nov., and Leipothrix ventricosis sp. nov. All three new species are vagrant on the lower leaf surface, causing no apparent symptoms to the host plant. ABSTRACT: Eriophyid mites (Eriophyidae) are strictly phytophagous and are concentrated in Europe, Eastern Asia, Southeast Asia, Western and Eastern North America, Southern India, and New Zealand. South and southwest China are hot spots for eriophyid mite species diversity and endemism. In this study, we describe two new species, Scolotosus ehretus sp. nov. on Ehretia acuminata (Boraginaceae) and Neotegonotus ulmchangus sp. nov. on Ulmus changii (Ulmaceae), from south and southwest China (the Oriental Region), and one new eriophyid mite, Leipothrix ventricosis sp. nov. on Hosta ventricosa (Asparagaceae), from northeast China (the Palearctic Region). All three new eriophyid mite species are distributed in the temperate region of China. We further provided mitochondrial gene (cox1, 12S rRNA) and nuclear gene (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA) sequences for three new species.