Anisophyllodes pipromorphae Atyeo, 1967

Mironov, Sergey V., Literak, Ivan, Sychra, Oldrich & Capek, Miroslav, 2017, Feather mites of the subfamily Proctophyllodinae (Acari: Proctophyllodidae) from passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) in Costa Rica, Zootaxa 4297 (1), pp. 1-105 : 71-75

Anisophyllodes pipromorphae Atyeo, 1967

( Figs. 40–42 )

Anisophyllodes pipromorphae Atyeo, 1967a: 467 , figs. 1–6.

Material examined. 7 males and 15 females ( ZISP 6214–6235 ) from Mionectes oleagineus ( Lichtenstein MHK, 1823) ( Tyrannidae ) (type host), COSTA RICA, Rincón de la Vieja National Park, Cordillera de Guanacaste Mts., 10°46'N, 85°18'W, 20 August 2009, collectors I. Literak, O. Sychra and M. Capek ; 1 males and 9 females ( ZISP 6236–6245 ) from Mionectes olivaceus Lawrence (Tyrannidae) , same location data, 20 August 2009, collectors I. Literak, O. Sychra and M. Capek ; 6 males and 8 females ( ZISP 6373–6386 ) from M. olivaceus , COSTA RICA, Tapantí National Park, Sector Tapantí, Cordillera de Talamaca Mts. , 09°46′N, 83°47′W, 31 July 2009, collectors I. Literak, O. Sychra and M. Capek ; 4 males and 9 females ( ZISP 6496–6508 ) from M. olivaceus , same location data and collectors, 8 August 2009. All collected males are homeomorphs.

Description. HOMEOMORPH MALE (range for 7 specimens from Mionectes oleagineus ). Idiosoma, length × width, 280–295 × 150–155, length of hysterosoma 175–190. Prodorsal shield: antero-lateral extensions rounded, lateral margins entire, posterior angles unevenly indented, posterior margin with a pair of shallow concavities, surface with numerous ovate and circular lacunae up to 5 in diameter, length along midline 102–108, width at posterior margin 115–120). Setae ve rudimentary. Scapular setae se separated by 75–80. Setae c2 on antero-mesal angles of humeral shields. Setae cp on humeral shield. Setae c3 lanceolate, 16–18 × 5–5.5. Distance between prodorsal and hysteronotal shields along midline 7–15. Hysteronotal shield: 180–185 in length, 115–125) in width; anterior margin slightly concave; anterior angles roughly rectangular, surface with numerous ovate and circular lacunae ( Fig. 40 A). Setae c1 on anterior margin of hysteronotal shield. Opisthosoma slightly narrowed terminally, opisthosomal lobes short triangular, with acute membranous apices. Terminal cleft short blunt-angular, with narrow membranous margin, extending to level of setae h2, length from anterior end to lobar apices 12–14. Supranal concavity distinct, represented by narrow longitudinal groove enlarged anteriorly, 15–20 long. Setae h2 situated on oblique rounded lateral extensions of opisthosoma, setae h3 on small angular extension near lobar apices, setae h1 at level of anterior end of supranal concavity; setae ps1 approximately at level of setae h3. Distance between dorsal setae: c2:d2 67–75, d2:e2 70–75, e2:h 3 27–37, h2:h2 58–62, h3:h3 40–43, ps2:ps2 73–75, h1:h 3 22 –25, d1:d 2 22–24, e1:e 2 27–33.

Epimerites I free, close to each other, posterior tips divergent; epimerites I, II with narrow sclerotized fields; epimerites IVa rudimentary ( Fig. 40 B). Rudimentary sclerite rEpIIa present. Genital arch of moderate size, arch apex at midlevel of trochanters IV, 22–25 in length and 42–44 in width. Aedeagus dagger-like, 20–23 in length, reaching level of genital arch base ( Fig. 42 A, B). Genital papillae on small ovate plates at level of genital arch apex. Distance from genital arch apex to bases of setae h3 92–95. Pregenital apodemes represented by a pair of longitudinal sclerites situated between tips of epimerites IIIa and genital apparatus, their posterior ends connected by transverse bridge; setae 4a on posterior ends of these apodemes, setae 4b on inner tips of epimerites IIIa. Distance between ventral setae: 3a:4b 10–12, 4b:4a 30–33, 4a:g 35–38, g:g 12–15, g:ps 3 22–25, ps3:ps 3 20–23, ps3:h3 35–40. Adanal suckers 10–11 in diameter, corolla with unequal indentation: one large denticle on anterior margin, two large denticles and two small denticles on posterior margin. Adanal shields situated anterolateral to adanal suckers, represented by a pair of longitudinal sclerites with a short extension on their inner margins, setae ps3 situated mesal to each of these sclerites.

Femora I, II with ventral crest. Solenidion σ1 of genu I subequal in length to this segment and situated at its midlevel ( Fig. 42 C, D). Solenidion σ of genu III situated at midlevel of segment. Legs IV slightly thicker than legs III, with ambulacral disc extending beyond the level of lobar apices. Setae d, f of tarsi II, III subequal in length. Tarsus IV 22–24 long, with short claw-like apicoventral process; modified setae d, e button like, seta d slightly closer to apex of segment than to its base, solenidion φ IV extending to midlevel of ambulacral discs ( Fig. 42 E, F). Length of solenidia: σ1 I 22–25, σ III 8–12, φ IV 32 –35.

FEMALE (range for 10 specimens from M. oleagineus ). Idiosoma, length × width, 390–410 × 155–170, length of hysterosoma 280–290. Prodorsal shield: shape and ornamentation as in male, 110–118 in length and 125–140 in width. Setae ve rudimentary. Setae se separated by 82–88. Setae c2 on antero-mesal angles of humeral shields. Setae cp set on humeral shields. Setae c3 lanceolate, 17–20 × 5–6.5. Prodorsal and hysteronotal shields almost touching. Hysteronotal shield completely split into anterior and lobar shields. Anterior hysteronotal shield: 200– 210 in length and 125–135 in width; anterior margin straight, anterior angles acute, posterior margin with shortened wide median extension and a pair of shallow concavities, entire surface with numerous circular and ovate lacunae up to 8 in diameter; size of lacunae increases to posterior part of this shield ( Fig. 41 A). Setae c1 on anterior margin of hysteronotal shield. Lobar region: greatest length 82–90, greatest width 92–98. Terminal cleft as a narrow inverted U, slightly divergent posteriorly, 62–65 in length and 10–17 in width in anterior part. Anterior margin of lobar shield with short and truncate median extension and with a pair of incisions. Supranal concavity indistinct. Setae h1 inserted on soft tegument between anterior hysteronotal and lobar shields. Setae h2 strongly thickened basally, with filiform apical filament, 85–105 long, 6.5–7.5 wide, slightly shorter than terminal appendages; setae h3 70–80 long, about 2/3 of terminal appendages. Setae h1 and f 2 in trapezoidal arrangement. Setae ps1 approximately equidistant from levels of setae h2 and h3. Distance between dorsal setae: c2:d2 77–87, d2:e2 105– 115, e2:h2 37–45, h2:h3 37–40, h1:h2 35–37, d1:d 2 27–37, e1:e2 52–60, h1:h 1 22–27, h2:h2 77–80, h2:ps 1 20– 23.

Epimerites I, II as in male, with narrow sclerotized fields. Epimerites IVa large triangular. Epigynum horseshoe-shaped, thick, length 52–58, greatest width 70–80, posterior tips fused with inner ends of epimerites IIIa, traces of fusion distinct ( Fig. 41 B). Genital papillae of each side situated on small ovate plate extending to bases of setae g. Setae ps2 at middle of anal opening. Translobar apodemes not fused to each other anterior to terminal cleft. Copulatory opening ventral, situated near anterior end of terminal cleft. Head of spermatheca short, poorly sclerotized; primary spermaduct without enlargements; secondary spermaducts 30–35 long ( Fig. 42 G). Distance between pseudanal setae: ps2:ps2 47–50, ps3:ps 3 20–25, ps2:ps 3 10–13.

Legs I, II as male. Legs IV with ambulacral disc extending to level of setae h2. Solenidion σ 1 I about 1.5 times longer than genu I and situated at midlevel of this segment. Solenidion σ of genu III in basal part of this segment. Setae d and f of tarsi II–IV subequal in length. Solenidion φ of tibia IV slightly shorter than corresponding tarsus. Length of solenidia: σ1 I 27–32, σ III 12–17, φ III 45 –47, φ IV 27–30.

Remark. Anisophyllodes pipromorphae , the type species of the genus Anisophyllodes , was originally described from heteromorph and homeomorph males from Mionectes oleagineus (Tyrannidae) from Trinidad ( Atyeo 1967a), while its female remained unknown. This species displays several unique morphological characteristics within the family Proctophyllodidae . It is one of rarest cases with two discretely different forms of males. The only other case known in this family is represented by the monobasic genus Ptyctophyllodes Atyeo, 1967 .

Additionally, females of A. pipromorphae , described herein, have the epigynum fused with the tips of epimerites IIIa ( Fig. 41 B). This morphological feature is the main and unconditional diagnostic characteristic of the subfamily Pterodectinae ( Park & Atyeo 1971a; Gaud & Atyeo 1996). No doubt, this character state arose independently in A. pipromorphae and the subfamily Pterodectinae . In this unique proctophyllodine species, the junction between the epigynum and the inner tips of the epimerites remains clearly visible, while in pterodectines, these sclerites form an integrated keyhole-shaped structure without any traces of fusion.

Figures

FIGURE 40. Anisophyllodes pipromorphae Atyeo, 1967, homeomorph male. A—dorsal view, B—ventral view.

FIGURE 41. Anisophyllodes pipromorphae Atyeo, 1967, female. A—dorsal view, B—ventral view.

FIGURE 42. Anisophyllodes pipromorphae Atyeo, 1967, details of female and homeomorph male. A—opisthosoma of male, ventral view, B—genital apparatus of male, dorsal view, C, D—legs I and II of male, dorsal view, E—tibia and tarsus IV of male, dorsal view, F—tibia and tarsus IV of male, ventral view, G—spermatheca and spermaducts.