Listrophoroides oconnori, Bochkov, Andre V., Abramov, Alexei V. & Hugot, Jean-Pierre, 2011

Bochkov, Andre V., Abramov, Alexei V. & Hugot, Jean-Pierre, 2011, Five new species of fur mites (Acariformes: Sarcoptoidea) from small mammals in Laos, Zootaxa 2980, pp. 1-22 : 3-6

Listrophoroides oconnori sp. n.

( Figs. 1 , 2 )

MALE.(holotype, Fig. 1 ). Body 400 long (385–410 in 10 paratypes), 185 wide (185–210). Gnathosoma about 50 long, 60 wide. Idiosoma stumpy, length/width ratio about 1.8:1. Prescapular shield trapezoidal with almost straight lateral margins. Postscapular shield 85 long (85–95), 185 wide (185–200), completely covered by short curved lines arranged in 7–8 irregular rows. Scutal organs (antero-lateral impressions on propodonotal shield) absent. Hysteronotal shield 185 long (175–190), separated from postscapular shield, almost completely covering dorsal surface of hysteronotum, completely covered by short curved lines, more numerous in its posterior third; posterior third of hysteronotal shield more strongly sclerotized than other shield. Lateral margins of hysteronotal shield without incisions. Diameters of round weakly sclerotized patches situated slightly posterior to level of setal bases d1 only slightly exceeding diameters of setal alveoli. Distances d1-d1 and e1- e1 60 (60–70) and 32 (30–35), respectively. Bases of setae e1 situated on strongly sclerotized cuticle. Setae h3 55 long (52–57). Lateral margins of opisthosoma with dilatations at level of setae e2. Striated membranes of coxal fields II 35 wide (30–37), subequal in width to membranes of coxal field I. Cuticle between coxal apodemes Ia not sclerotized; cuticle between coxal apodemes IIa weakly sclerotized. Genital organ situated between levels of coxae III and IV. An X-shaped pregenital sclerite present between bases of setae 4b and postgenital shield. Anterior arms of this sclerite bearing bases of setae 4b, posterior arms bearing genital papillae. Aedeagus short, about 8 long; sheath of aedeagus absent ( Fig. 1 C). Postgenital shield shorter than aedeagus. Coxal fields III without transverse line. Coxal fields IV without projections. Pair of longitudinal crests extending from level of seta 3a bases to level of seta 4a bases present. Pair of sclerotized patches immediately posterior to level of seta 4a bases present. Anus situated ventrally. Setae ps3 situated at level of anal opening. Anal folds and adanal shields absent. Opisthosomal membrane distinctly developed, without scales, its posterior margin with short median protrusion or without this protrusion (widely rounded). Anterior half of lobar membrane covered by longitudinal striation. Dorso-basal hook of femur I absent. Femur III about 50 long. Tarsus III with distinct ventro-apical protrusion ( Fig. 1 D). Femur IV about 75 long and 50 wide, about 1.6 times wider than femur III, bearing longitudinal furrow ventrally. Tibiotarsi III and IV, excluding corresponding pretarsus, about 60 and 55 long, respectively. Length ratio of femur: genu: tibiotarsus IV 2: 1: 1.8. Solenidia φ of legs III and IV about 15 and 45, respectively. Setae f IV strongly thickened.

FEMALE (10 paratypes, Fig. 2 ). Body 400–425 long, 175–195 wide. Gnathosoma 50–55 long, 57–62 wide. Postscapular shield 95–100 long, 175–185 wide, completely covered by short slightly curved lines arranged in 6–7 irregular rows. Scutal organs absent. Hysteronotal shield 135–150 long, 125–145 wide at level of setae d2 and 115– 130 wide at level of setae e1, completely covered by short slightly curved lines; few of these lines also situated laterally off this shield. Distances between seal bases d1-d1, e1-e1, and e1 -posterior margin of hysteronotal shield 80– 95, 75–95, and 5–10, respectively. Lateral parts of hysteronotum with few scales situated posterior to level of setal bases e2. Striated membranes of coxae II 37 –42 wide, subequal to striated membranes of coxal fields I. Cuticle between coxal apodemes Ia not sclerotized. Coxal fields III and IV without ornamentation. Acicula of coxal fields IV absent. Epigynum arched 3–4 long and 25–30 wide. Ventral part of opisthosoma with pair of opisthogastral shields, 1/3 of opisthosomal width each and extending from insertion of legs IV to level of seta ps3 bases. Opisthogaster covered by scales extending from level of setae 4a to level of setae f2 between opisthogastral shields and posterior to them. Setae ps3 situated posterior to level of setae e1. Basal cap of spermatheca sacculiform, almost indistinct. Dorso-basal projection of femur I absent. Tibiotarsi III and IV, without pretarsus, 40–45 and 45–50 long, respectively. Solenidia φ of legs III and IV 8–10 and 3–5 long, respectively.

Type material. Male holotype (T-At-ZISP AVB 09-1505-005), 20 male and 20 female paratypes (ZISP-At AVB 09-2307-005, # 1-40) from Saxatilomys paulinae Musser et al. ( Rodentia : Muridae ), 9 November 2008, coll. A. Abramov, A. Tikhonov (field number #AA, AT 15); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-At AVB 09-2307- 0 0 1, #1-20), same data (#AA, AT 18); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-At AVB 09-2307-002, #1-20), same locality, 10 November 2008 (#AA, AT 27); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-At AVB 09-2307-003, #1-20), same data (#AA, AT 31); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-At AVB 09-2307-004, #1-20), same locality, 11 November 2008 (#AA, AT 39); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-At AVB 09-2307-05, #1-20), same data (#AA, AT 40); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-At AVB 09-2307-006, #1-20), same data (#AA, AT 42); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-At AVB 09-2307-007, #1-20), same data, (#AA, AT 44); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-At AVB 09-2307-008, #1-20), same data (#AA, AT 45). Numerous mite specimens from all these records are preserved in alcohol.

Type deposition. Holotype and most part of paratypes—ZISP, 3 male and 3 female paratypes—in UMMZ, 3 male and 3 female paratypes—MNHN, 3 male and 3 female paratypes—IRSNB.

Differential diagnosis. This species belongs to the subgenus Paklistrophoroides , which was shown to be polyphyletic (Bochkov & OConnor 2005). In species of this subgenus, the cuticle between coxal apodemes Ia is not sclerotized ( Fain 1981a). Among species of this subgenus, the new species is closely related to Listrophoroides (Paklistrophoroides) scutalis Fain from Leopoldamys edwardsi (Thomas) ( Rodentia : Muridae ) from Vietnam and Laos ( Fain 1981a; Bochkov et al. 2004). In males of these species, the idiosoma is stumpy, the opisthosoma has dilatations at the level of setae e2, and the bases of setae e1 are situated on the strongly sclerotized cuticle and therefore are weakly discernible (for this reason, these setae were overlooked by Fain [1981a] and Bochkov and OConnor [2005]). The new species differs from L. scutalis by the following characters. In both sexes of L. oconnori sp. n., the scutal organs are absent; in males, tarsus III has a ventro-apical projection, femur IV has a ventral furrow; in females, the postscapular and hysteronotal shields are completely covered by ornamentation. In males of L. scutalis , tarsus III has no ventro-apical projection, femur IV has no ventral furrow; in females, the postscapular shield is devoid of ornamentation and the hysteronotal shield is covered by ornamentation only in the median part.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of the prominent acarologist Prof. Barry M. OConnor (UMMZ).

Remark. The monobasic genus Saxatilomys is, probably, close to Leopoldamys ( Musser et al. 2005) . Therefore, it is not surprising that its parasite Listrophoroides oconnori is morphologically close to L. scutalis —a specific parasite of Leopoldamys spp.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Listrophoroides oconnori sp. n., male holotype. A—Dorsal view; B—Ventral view; C—Aedeagus; D—Tarsus III in ventral view; E—Tarsus IV in ventral view. Scale bars: 100 μm = A, B; 50 μm = C – E.

FIGURE 2. Listrophoroides oconnori sp. n., female. A—Dorsal view; B—Ventral view; C— Tarsus III in ventral view; D— Tarsus IV in ventral view. Scale bars: 100 μm = A, B; 25 μm = C, D.