Taxonomic and phylogenetic studies of Tenuipalpus sensu stricto (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) deposited in the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), and use of LT-SEM technique for a better interpretation of the morphological characters

• Grant number: 17/00458-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: April 01, 2017
• End date: November 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Reinaldo José Fazzio Feres
• Grantee: Elizeu Barbosa de Castro
• Supervisor: Ronald A. Ochoa
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 16/01193-5 - Taxonomic and phylogenetic studies of Tenuipalpus sensu stricto (Acari: Tenuipalpidae), including the updating of the world family catalogue, BP.PD

Abstract

Tenuipalpus Donnadieu is the largest genus of the family Tenuipalpidae (Acari: Prostigmata), with over 300 described species. Recently, this genus was divided into two groups: sensu stricto and sensu lato. The monophyletic group sensu stricto is supported by the presence of a pair of lateral projections associated with the setae c3. The definition of this group allowed a better understanding about of the systematic of the genus, but the relationships among its species are still not well understood. Thus, the main objective of this proposal is to study the type specimens of Tenuipalpus sensu stricto deposited in the NMNH Mite Collection and in the MCZ Mite Collection, in order to propose a phylogenetic hypothesis for this group of mites. The study of these type specimens also will allow the re-descriptions of the species, when necessary, in a standardize form, providing essential information that was lacking in the original descriptions. In addition, micrographs of morphological characters useful for this study will be taken using phase contrast (PC), differential interference contrast (DIC) and low-temperature scanning electron (LT-SEM) microscopes. These activities are planned to be executed at the National Insect & Mite Collection (NIMC), National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA; and in the Electron and Confocal Microscopy Unit (ECMU), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Beltsville MD, USA.

Scientific publications

(6)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CASTRO, ELIZEU B.; BEARD, JENNIFER J.; OCHOA, RONALD; FERES, REINALDO J. F.. Two species of Acaricis (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) from New Zealand, moved from the genus Tenuipalpus, with a key to the known species. ACAROLOGIA, v. 58, n. 4, p. 855-867, 2018. (16/01193-5, 17/00458-8)

CASTRO, ELIZEU B.; TASSI, ALINE D.; BARROSO, GEOVANNY; FERES, REINALDO J. F.; OCHOA, RONALD. Redescription of Tenuipalpus coyacus De Leon (Trombidiformes: Tenuipalpidae), with a discussion on the ontogeny of leg setae. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ACAROLOGY, v. 45, n. 5, JUN 2019. (16/01193-5, 17/00458-8)

CASTRO, E. B.; ZANARDI, O. C.; GARLET, J.; OCHOA, R.; FERES, R. J. F.. Notes on the Occurrence of Oligonychus milleri (McGregor) and Oligonychus ununguis (Jacobi) (Acari: Tetranychidae) in Brazil. Neotropical Entomology, v. 47, n. 3, p. 429-432, JUN 2018. (16/01193-5, 17/00458-8)

CASTRO, ELIZEU B.; BEARD, JENNIFER J.; OCHOA, RONALD; BAUCHAN, GARY R.; FERES, REINALDO J. F.. Two new species of Tenuipalpus sensu stricto (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) from Brazil, with a discussion on the ontogeny of leg setae. Zootaxa, v. 4540, n. 1, p. 178-210, DEC 28 2018. (11/19890-0, 16/01193-5, 17/00458-8)

CASTRO, ELIZEU B.; BEARD, JENNIFER J.; OCHOA, RONALD; FERES, REINALDO J. F.. Redescription of Tenuipalpus palosapis Corpuz-Raros (Trombidiformes: Tenuipalpidae) from the Philippines, with comparison to related species. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ACAROLOGY, v. 44, n. 2-3, p. 80-89, 2018. (17/00458-8, 16/01193-5)

CASTRO, ELIZEU B.; BEARD, JENNIFER J.; OCHOA, RONALD; BAUCHAN, GARY R.; OTERO-COLINA, GABRIEL; DOWLING, ASHLEY P. G.; LOFEGO, ANTONIO C.; FERES, REINALDO J. F.. A New Species of Ultratenuipalpus (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) from Brazil and Re-Description of Ultratenuipalpus meekeri (De Leon), the Type Species of the Genus, with DNA Barcodes. ANIMALS, v. 13, n. 11, p. 30-pg., 2023-06-01. (04/04820-3, 16/01193-5, 06/55725-6, 17/00458-8)