Tyrannidectes Mironov, 2008

Mironov, Sergey V. & Galloway, Terry D., 2021, Feather mites of the subfamily Pterodectinae (Acariformes: Proctophyllodidae) from passerines and kingfishers in Canada, Zootaxa 5016 (1), pp. 1-55 : 27

Genus Tyrannidectes Mironov, 2008

Type species: Tyrannidectes berlai Mironov, 2008 (in: Mironov et al. 2008a), by original designation.

Diagnosis. Both sexes. Moderately elongated pterodectines; full set of hysteronosomal setae, or setae f2 absent. Full set of leg setae occurring in pterodectines, or trochanteral setae sR III absent. Setae c2 on humeral shields or on striated tegument. Setae c3 lanceolate.

Male. Opisthosomal lobes of moderate length, 1.5–2 times longer than wide at base, rounded or slightly attenuate apically, without wide membranous margin. Setae ps3 situated laterally to adanal suckers or moved strongly posteriorly, almost to bases of setae ps2. Opisthoventral shields with angular extension posterior to level of setae ps3 ( Fig. 17A ); or these shields narrow, lacking any extensions, and setae ps3 situated strongly posterior, near to setae ps2 (e.g. in T. empidonicus sp. n.) ( Fig. 20A ). Ventral surface of opisthosomal lobes without sclerotization in distal part. Setae h3 setiform or narrowly lanceolate. Aedeagus sword-shaped, not extending beyond lobar apices. Genital papillae anterior to branches of genital arch. Genital apparatus without pre- and paragenital apodemes. Adanal shields absent.

Female. Setae ps1, ps2 always filiform and arranged in trapezoid, setae ps2 at level of posterior end of anal opening or further posteriorly ( Figs. 16B , 19B ). Setae h2 spindle-shaped, without filiform apex.

Remarks. According to previous taxonomic works, 11 species were included in the genus Tyrannidectes ( Mironov et al. 2008a; Valim & Hernandes 2010; Mironov & González-Acuña, 2011, 2015; Hernandes et al. 2016). In the previous concept (Mironov et al. 2008; Valim & Hernandes 2010), the main diagnostic features differing Tyrannidectes from the closest genera, Amerodectes and Metapterodectes , were the absence of trochanteral setae sR III and the presence of genual solenidion σ III. At the same time, the structure of opisthosomal lobes in males and pseudanal setae in females were not considered as important characteristics. In females of Tyrannidectes (sensu previous authors), the structure and arrangement of pseudanal setae ps2 and ps3 were represented in two modes: simple filiform setae arranged in a trapezoid vs modified sucker-like setae arranged in a transverse rectangle. Based on the structure of pseudanal setae, Tyrannidectes species were arranged in two species groups, reticulatus and fissuratus , respectively ( Mironov & González-Acuña, 2011). In the molecular phylogenetic study of Pedroso et al. (2021), it was shown that all Tyrannidectes species formerly referred to the fissuratus species group nest in the cluster uniting typical species of the genus Metapterodectes . Based on to re-evaluation of generic characters in the Pterodectes complex, the crucial combination of diagnostic features of the genus Tyrannidectes are as follows: in males, the opisthosomal lobes are not sclerotized ventrally, and the opisthosoventral shields have an angular or claw-like extension posterior to the bases of setae ps3 ( Figs. 15A , 17A ); in females, pseudanal setae ps2, ps3 are filiform and arranged in a wide trapezoid. In males of a few species (e.g. T. empidonicus sp. n.), the opisthosomal shields are strongly reduced and lack the angular extensions, but in these species setae ps3 are situated strongly posterior to the bases of ps2 ( Fig. 20A ).

In the present study, based on the new diagnosis given above, four species formerly included in the genus Amerodectes have been reassigned to the genus Tyrannidectes . On the other hand, four Tyrannidectes species previously constituting the fissuratus species group, T. crassus (Trouessart, 1885) , T. fissuratus ( Hernandes and Valim, 2005) , T. amaurochalinus ( Hernandes and Valim, 2006) , T. falcklandicus ( Mironov and González-Acuña, 2011) , and two species from the reticulatus group, T. cinclodes Mironov and González-Acuña, 2011 and T. pteroptochi ( Mironov and González-Acuña, 2015) , have been transferred to the genus Metapterodectes (see below).

Included species: Tyrannidectes anairetes Mironov and González-Acuña, 2011 , T. banksi ( Valim and Hernandes, 2008) , T. berlai Mironov, 2008 , T. caribaeus ( Mironov and González-Acuña, 2011) comb. n., T. charitomenos ( Hernandes, 2018) comb. n., T. empidonicu s sp. n., T. pitangi (Mironov, 2008) comb. n., T. reticulatus ( Černý, 1974) , T. sealyi sp. n., T. synallaxis Hernandes and Pedroso, 2016 , and T. vireonis ( Hernandes and Pedroso, 2016) comb. n.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Tyrannidectes sealyi sp. n., male. A—dorsal view, B—ventral view.

FIGURE 16. Tyrannidectes sealyi sp. n., female. A—dorsal view, B—ventral view.

FIGURE 17. Tyrannidectes sealyi sp. n., details.A—opisthosoma of male, ventral view, B–D—legs I–III of male, respectively, E—tibia and tarsus IV of male, F—tibia and tarsus IV of female, G—spermatheca and spermaducts.Abbreviation: ag—angular extension of opisthoventral shield.

FIGURE 19. Tyrannidectes empidonicus sp. n., female. A—dorsal view, B—ventral view.

FIGURE 20. Tyrannidectes empidonicus sp. n., details. A—opisthosoma of male, ventral view, B–D—legs I–III of male, respectively, E—tibia and tarsus IV of male, F—tibia and tarsus IV of female, G—spermatheca and spermaducts.