Tuckerella japonica (Acari: Tuckerellidae) in China and New Zealand: new data and an alternative hypothesis for its route of invasion

摘要

The Tuckerellidae is a relatively small family of the Tetranychoidea, with just one genus and 28 species (Zhang et al. 2011). They are commonly known as peacock mites due to the attractive colour (orange to red) of the body, which is ornamented by rows of white, palmate, oval or circular setae and a row of whip-like caudal setae (Fig. 1). In New Zealand, two species—Tuckerella flabellifera Miller, 1964 and T. litoralis Collyer, 1969—-had been known for over four decades (Collyer, 1969), until Beardet al. (2013) added a third species—T. japonica Ehara, 1975—based on New Zealand exported mites on blueberry and kiwifruit that were intercepted in Australia. They distinguished T. japonica from T. flabellifera with excellent descriptions and also noted that T. japonica appears strongly associated with tea {Camellia sinensis). They hypothesized, after a fascinating historic account of the cultivation and movement of tea, that T. japonica has travelled as tea’s hidden companion when tea plants were transported around the world. Here, we examine and develop this hypothesis further, especially regarding the origin of T. japonica and the possible alternative invasion route to New Zealand. We also report new host association for T. japonica in New Zealand.