Abstract
Tuckerellidae are suctorial plant feeders with a wide host range, exploiting both aboveground and underground plant parts. A new species, Tuckerella weiterschani n. sp., is described from Eocene (ca. 40 mya) Baltic amber, and Tuckerella fossilibus Khaustov, Sergeyenko and Perkovsky, 2014 from Eocene Rovno (Ukrainian) amber is redescribed, each based on single holotype specimens. The two mites are morphologically distinct, with most striking differences concerning posterior, H-row of idiosomal setae. Tuckerella fossilibus has unusually large, obovate setae h1, while the other, setae in H-row are robust and fagellate with three different lengths. The new species, T. weiterschani, has small, narrowly lanceolate setae h1, while flagellate h2–h8 are fine, filiform and similar in length. Setae h1–h8 in the holotype of T. weiterschani are held erect and directed forward over the mite’s body, in a position reminiscent of the apparently defensive posture displayed by recent Tuckerella species. Tarsal setations of the two fossils and comparison with those of the recent Tuckerellidae advances discussion on the evolutionary significance of setal variation in acariform mites.
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