Metapterodectes 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 : 36-37

Genus Metapterodectes Mironov, 2008

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

Diagnosis. Both sexes. Moderately elongated pterodectines. Full set of hysteronosomal setae. Full set of leg setae occurring in pterodectines, or trochanteral seta sR III absent, or both seta sR III and solenidion σ 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 lateral to adanal suckers. Opisthoventral shields with angular extension posterior to bases of setae ps3 ( Fig. 21A ). Ventral surface of opisthosomal lobes distally without sclerotization, rarely sclerotized in distal part (except in M. crassus ). Setae h3 setiform, spiculiform, 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 ps2, ps3 arranged in transverse rectangle at midlevel of anal opening, usually sucker-like ( Fig. 21B ), rarely thin filiform with large basal ring ( M. cinclodes , M. leptasthenurae ), or spine-like ( M. pteroptochi ). Setae h2 with spindle-like basal enlargement and with long filiform apex or whip-shaped, gradually attenuate to filiform apices.

Remarks. The genus has previously included five species, of which two were known from the family of ovenbirds ( Furnariidae ), two others from mockingbirds ( Mimidae ) and one from New World Sparrows ( Passerellidae ) ( Mironov et al. 2008a; Mironov & González-Acuña 2011, Mironov & OConnor 2014; Hernandes et al. 2017). According to the prvious taxonomic concept (Mironov et al. 2008; Hernandes & Valim, 2010), the main diagnostic feature differing Metapterodectes from Amerodectes and Tyrannidectes was the simultaneous absence of trochanteral setae sR III and genual solenidion σ III. However, the recent phylogenetic study ( Pedroso et al. 2021) has shown that the cluster with typical species of Metapterodectus also incorporates some pterodectine species having both or only one of these setal structures. Following the results of this phylogenetic study, and based on re-evaluation of diagnostic morphological characters, the crucial diagnostic features separating Metapterodectes from the genera Amerodectes and Tyrannidectes are as follows: in males, the opisthosomal lobes are not sclerotized ventrally, and the opisthosoventral shields have an angular extension posterior to the bases of setae ps3; in females, pseudanal setae ps2, ps3 are modified, usually as suckers, rarely as spines or filiform setae with large basal ring, and always arranged in a transverse rectangle. It in necessary to note that the structure of opisthosomal lobes and opisthoventral shields in males of Merapterodectes and Tyrannidectes are similar, but the arrangement and form of pseudanal setae in females of these genera are principally different, and in the former, the structure of pseudanal setae is unique in the whole subfamily Pterodectinae . Following the new generic criteria in the Pterodectes complex, we transfer six Tyrannidectes species to the genus Metapterodectes .

Included species: M. amaurochalinus ( Hernandes and Valim, 2006) comb. n., M. cinclodes ( Mironov and González-Acuña, 2011) comb. n., M. crassus (Trouessart, 1885) comb. n., M. falcklandicus ( Mironov and González-Acuña, 2011) comb. n., M. fissuratus ( Hernandes and Valim, 2005) comb. n., M. furnarius Mironov, 2008 , M. leptasthenurae Mironov and González-Acuña, 2011 , M. muticus ( Banks, 1909) , M. pteroptochi ( Mironov and González-Acuña, 2015) comb. n., M. saturninus Hernandes, 2017 , and M. toxostomae Mironov and OConnor, 2014 .

Figures

FIGURE 21. Metapterodectes toxostomae. A—ventral view of male opisthosoma, B—ventral view of female opisthosoma. Abbreviation: ag—angular extension of opisthoventral shield.