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This is the first of a set of images linked under "Images of this individual" under the topic "Western Chokecherry finger galls, the eriophyid which causes them, and associated arthropods". The first image of other image sets under this topic are linked here:


The galled leaf containing the eriophyids of this set was found on a Prunus virginiana (Western Chokecherry) at 35°10'11.0"N 106°23'06.0"W, 7530 ft. elevation, Sandia Crest 7.5’ quadrangle, along Cienega Trl. (148) in the Sandia Mountains, Bernalillo Co., NM.

Eriophyes prunidemissae is an inquiline within the finger galls formed by E. emarginatae (1). It may be distinguished from the E. emarginatae female by having microtubercles on its abdominal rings, as shown all the images in this set.

The first image of this set may be distinguished from the E. emarginatae male (which also has microtubercles) by having a prodorsal shield with both a small but sharp frontal lobe and a v-shape at the base of the median ridge(2). It therefore must be E. prunidemissae.

The second image shows the prodorsal shield being similar enough to the first to indicate it is likely E prunidemissae too, despite the lateral view.

The third image shows an epigynal coverflap with thick longitudinal interrupted ridges characteristic of a E. prunidemissae female. being female with microturbicles rules out E. emarginatae, so it must be E. prunidemissae.

The fourth and fifth images are probably E prunidemissae, but these ventral views do not show an epigynal coverflap. They are most likely male or immature. They may be male E. emarginatae, so I moved them up to genus. I was unable to find any specimens that I could clearly identify as male E. emarginatae. Marie-Ève Garon-Labrecque](2) emailed stating, "Male E. emarginatae were rare in all my samplings and they must be produced at a specific time during the season (for genes mixing). Most females are produced by parthenogenesis."

The images in this set are of different specimens which have been recently killed by ethyl acetate vapor while attached to the sticky side of BlackTak(TM) adhesive light mask foil. The back surface of translucent specimens such as this is rendered virtually invisible wherever it is wetted to the tape's adhesive due to the adhesive having a similar index of refraction as the internal fluids of the specimen. Diffused backlighting of the front surface is thereby minimized, greatly increasing contrast of front surface features.

This image is from a Helicon Focus processed stack of 88 images with a 0.79 µm step taken with a Nikon BD Plan Apo 40×/0.80 210/0 mm microscope objective + adapter/extension tube + Nikon D810 camera.