Phylogenetic Position of a New Mite Species (Nalepellidae) Destroying Seeds of North American Junipers and New Hypotheses on Basal Divergence of Eriophyoidea

Eriophyoid mites of the genus Keifer are widespread parasites of conifers. A new oligophagous species,  , was discovered severely damaging seeds of North American junipers (, , and ) in the western USA. It has two codon deletions in the mitochondrial gene rarely detected in Eriophyoidea and includes distinct morphological dimorphism of females. A phylogenetic analysis based on amino acid alignment of translated sequences using a large set of out-groups (a) determined that two North American congeners, and were the closest known relatives of  , and (b) indicated that Old and New World seed-inhabiting from junipers do not form a distinct clade, suggesting a possible independent transition to living in seeds of junipers in America and Eurasia by spp. Our analysis produced a new topology consistent with a scenario assuming gradual reduction of prodorsal shield setation in Eriophyoidea and an ancient switch from gymnosperms to other hosts. Additionally, our analysis did not support monophyly of ; recovered a new host-specific, moderately supported clade comprising and Nalepellinae ( + ) associated with Pinaceae; and questioned the monophyly of associated with Cupressaceae.