Eriophyoid Mite of the Genus Trisetacus Reported on Juniperus excelsa in Lebanon

Bouchra Douaihy, Philipp E. Chetverikov, Nathalie Machon, Magda Bou Dagher-Kharrat

Department of Ecology and Biodiversity Management, Research Unit (UMR) 7204: Species Conservation, Population Restoration and Tracking (CERSP), National Museum of National History, Paris, France..
Department of Invertebral Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Soil Science, Saint-Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia.
Laboratory of Genomic Characterization of Plants, Faculty of Sciences, Saint Joseph University, Campus of Sciences and Technologies, Beirut, Lebanon.

DOI: 10.4236/ajps.2013.42A051                

Abstract

We report for the first time the occurrence of Trisetacus acari Eriophyoid parasite infesting Juniperus excelsa seeds in Lebanon. The specimen studied belong most probably to the species T. kirghizorum (Shevchenko 1962) living on J. semiglobosa in the Kirghiz mountains. We suggest that Trisetacus spp. found in the seed cones of Kirghiz junipers as well as J. excelsa comprise a complex of cryptic species that might be distinguished using molecular markers. It is necessary to revise the group cupressi in the genus Trisetacus and an integrated phylogenetic study of the mites belonging to this genus could elucidate the patterns of eriophyoid mites evolution on conifers and could help in a better resolution of the Juniper phylogeny.

Keywords

Acari; Eriophyoidea; Trisetacus; Cryptic Species; Juniperus; Lebanon

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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