Ulyxes penelope ( Domrow, 1964 ) Shaw, 2014

Shaw, Matthew D., 2014, Ulyxes, a new Australopapuan mite genus associated with arboreal nests (Acari: Laelapidae), Zootaxa 3878 (3), pp. 261-290 : 279-281

Ulyxes penelope ( Domrow, 1964) new combination

( Figs 38–42 )

Haemolaelaps penelope Domrow, 1964: 156 .

Haemolaelaps penelope . — Domrow 1979: 192; 1988: 832.

Androlaelaps penelope . — Halliday, 1998: 123.

Specimens examined. 2 female paratypes (QM S58777 –8) Mt Glorious SE Qld, 1962, I. D. Fanning & R. Domrow coll., Mn 44 & Mn 93; 1 female, 1 male, Boho South, Strathbogie Ranges, Victoria, Jan 2005, J. Hufschmid coll., nestbox occupied by Trichosurus cunninghami ; 7 females, Woodford Folk Festival site, 26º57’ S 152º47’ E, 1 May 2002, M. Shaw, A. & S. Franks coll., nestbox occupied by unknown possum, nest 472; 3 females, same data except nestbox occupied by Trichosurus caninus and/or T. vulpecula (see Remarks), nest 475. All inQM.

Females were described by Domrow (1964).

Description of male (n=1). Medium-sized mites.

Dorsum. Dorsal shield 476 long x 240 wide. Podonotal j1 22, z1 17, other medial and discal setae also short: j5 15–16, j6 15–16. J2 17–18, J5 23. Marginal setae slightly longer: s1 22, s2 21, r2 20, r3 27, r4 22, r5 27, S1 27, S2 25, S3 31, S4 32, S5 33, Z5 36. Dorsal shield podonotal region without reticulations except narrow margin, with 39 standard setae plus two unpaired Jx setae posteriad level of J4.

Gnathosoma . Corniculi slender. Deutosternal groove with six rows of 1–2 denticles each ( Fig. 39 ). Movable digit 32 long bearing single weak tooth and a strong apical hook. Spermatodactyl longer than, and mostly separate from, movable digit. Fixed digit reduced, edentate with weak apical hook ( Fig. 38 ). Cheliceral segment II 82, segment I 28. Epistome not discernible. Hypostomal setae h1 30, h2 14, h3 30, capitular seta 17.

Venter ( Fig. 40 ). Tritosternal base short, 12 long to suture. Lacinae separate immediately above suture, 85 long. Genital opening broad, oval, 27 wide x 19 deep, set anteriorly, posterior edge level with st1. Sternal shield 100 wide at st2. St1 22, st2 21, st3 21. Holoventral plate bears three pairs setae in addition to st1–5 and circumanal setae, Jv3 and Zv2 off shield. Primary metapodal platelet 26 x 8. Para-anal setae 18; postanal seta 25. Cribral pores separated by 72. Cribrum two rows of fine spicules.

Legs. A total of seven setae on femora I–IV are modified as apically bifid: femur I ad1, pd1; femur II ad1, pd2; femur III ad1; femur IV ad1, ad2. No trochanteral setae modified. Femur II ventral setae av1 not modified, nor shifted laterally ( Fig. 41 ). Tarsus II av 2 modified as a stout spine, with a sharp accessory projection halfway along its length ( Fig. 42 ). Leg I without apical stalk. Tarsus I forked sensory seta present (as in female). Leg segment lengths as in Table 4 .

Remarks. Some freshly caught female U. penelope contained blood in their caeca (nest 475). A bulk culture of 14 U. penelope from nest 475 (10 nymphs, 3 females, 1 male) was established. All life stages fed avidly on fresh blood supplied in short lengths of heparinsed micropipettes. While the initial population declined after 3.5 months, two mites remained active and healthy for more than five months. However none were observed to feed on, or show interest in, regularly-supplied cultured nematodes. In contrast to some other nidicolous parasites such as macronyssids and Mesolaelaps australiensis , the short-limbed U. penelope showed a tendency to remain on the substrate floor and not climb the walls of their container, hiding quickly under pieces of humus when disturbed.

Ulyxes penelope appears to be restricted to the Short-eared possum Trichosurus caninus and the closely-related Trichosurus cunninghami ( Lindenmayer et al., 2002) . Despite various collection attempts, no U. penelope have been confirmed from Trichosurus vulpecula , a common possum that is sometimes sympatric with T. caninus . Ulyxes penelope was collected from nestboxes used by Trichosurus spp possums at Woodford, South-east Queensland. Both Trichosurus vulpecula and T. caninus use the same nestboxes at this locality so the host data is not known here.

Figures

FIGURES 38–42. Ulyxes penelope male, Boho, Victoria. 38, chelicera, scale = 50 µm; 39, gnathosoma, suture (s) marking top of tritosternal base, scale = 50 µm; 40, venter, scale = 100 µm; 41, femur II dorsal view, scale = 50 µm; 42, tibia and tarsus II ventral view, scale = 50 µm.