Grallobia fulicae ( Trouessart, 1885 )

Lee, Sue Yeon, Yoo, Jung Sun & Kim, Seung Tae, 2017, New record of four Korean feather mites (Acari: Sarcoptiformes: Pterolichidae) isolated from the birds in the family Rallidae, Journal of Species Research 6, pp. 152-163 : 153

1. Grallobia fulicae ( Trouessart, 1885)

ȁ닭ğêfflIJḍϢΞή (ṵḓ) ( Figs. 1, 2)

Synonyms. Grallobia fulicae : Dubinin, 1951: p. 132, fig. 6; 1956: p. 544-547, figs. 264-265; Gaud & Mouchet, 1963: p. 631; Gaud, 1968: p. 30.

Material examined. Korea: 2♂♂, 3$$, Pyeongchondong, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju-si , Chungcheongbuk-do, 36°35 ʹ 47.22 ʺ N, 127°29 ʹ 52.34 ʺ E, 25 Jan 2017, collected using vacuum machine from wing feathers of the common coot, Fulica atra by Han Y.-D .

Diagnosis. Male: Length 235-240 of idiosoma from anterior end to bases of setae h3, width 130-135 at level of humeral shields ( Fig. 1A).

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 1B): Length 40-50 including palps, width 43-45.

Prodorsal shield ( Fig. 1B): Length 64-68 along midline, width 68-69 at level of posterior part, posterolateral part slightly rounded, incision laterally to the level of setae se, with two internal vertical setae (vi).

Hysteronotal shield ( Fig. 1C): Anterior part slightly concave, anterolateral angles slightly rounded, with faint reticular pattern of anteromedial part, length 152-162 from anterior margin to bases of setae h3, width 82-88 at anterior margin. Opisthosomal lobes trapezoid-shaped and short. Terminal cleft polygonal-shaped.

Sternum ( Fig. 1D): Epimerites I fused into a Y-shape. Genital apparatus short, situated between leg III and IV.

Female: Idiosoma length 330-350, width 155-175 at level of humeral shields ( Fig. 2A).

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 2B): Shaped as in male, length 55- 63 including palps, width 60-63.

Prodorsal shield ( Fig. 2B): Mostly shaped as in male, length along center line 83-88, width 95-98.

Hysteronotal shield ( Fig. 2C, E): Anterior region slightly concave, anterolateral margins slightly rounded, net-like pattern extending after level of gland openings (gl), length 240-245 from setae c1 to setae h3, width 113-123 at level of setae c1. Supranal concavity circularshape, located in center part of the pygidial shield. Posterior edge of opisthosomal lobe without tubercle.

Sternum ( Fig. 2D): Epimerites I Y-shape. Epigynum inverted U-shape, length 55-58, width 35-43 at level of setae 4b. Setae 4b and genital papillae situated on posterior parts of epigynum.

Remarks. Grallobia fulicae was originally described by Trouessart (1885) based on the specimens collected from F. atra in Europe. Thereafter, Grallobia fulicae was redescribed by several mite taxonomists with detailed morphological descriptions and illustrations ( Dubinin, 1951; 1956; Gaud and Mouchet, 1963). The morphology of the Korean male specimens was consistent with the description and illustration of Dubinin (1951; 1956).

Grallobia fulicae is distinguishable from other species in the genus Grallobia by several characteristics: (1) total body length less than 0.3 mm in males; (2) net-like pattern of hysteronotal shield; and (3) posterior edge of opisthosoma without tubercle in females ( Gaud, 1968).

Host. This species was found on the surface of wing feathers of the common coot, Fulica atra .

World distribution. Bechuanaland, Rwanda ( Gaud, 1968), Europe ( Trouessart, 1885), France ( Gaud and Mouchet, 1963), USSR ( Dubinin, 1951; 1956), Korea (This study).

Deposition. NIBRIV0000754045 and NIBRIV0000811 889-811892.

Molecular data. The COI sequences were obtained from two individuals and deposited in GenBank with accession numbers of MG545262 and MG545263.

Identifiers. Yeong-Deok Han and Gi-Sik Min.