Opsonyssus brutsaerti indicus Fain, 1959

Bochkov, Andre V., Zabludovskaya, Svetlana & Oconnor, Barry M., 2008, Phylogeny and systematics of the endoparasitic astigmatid mites (Acari: Sarcoptiformes) of mammals: families Gastronyssidae, Lemurnyssidae, and Pneumocoptidae, Zootaxa 1951 (1), pp. 1-152 : 68-70

1. 2. Opsonyssus brutsaerti indicus Fain, 1959

( Fig. 31A )

Opsonyssus brutsaerti indica Fain 1959a: 8 , fig. 5.

Opsonyssus indicus, Fain 1967: 30 .

Redescription. FEMALE (holotype). Body, including gnathosoma, 310 long, 130 wide. Ventral projections of subcapitulum 40 long, straight, situated laterally. Posterior margin of propodonotal shield with median projection. Length, including median projection, and maximum width of propodonotal shield subequal, about 60. Setae se 5 long. Idiosoma dorsally finely and irregularly striated. Alveoli of setae 4b and ps3 present; setae c3 absent. Setae h2 35 long. Sternum 50 long. Lateral projections of sternal branches widely rounded and distinctly developed, 8 long, 17 wide. Foramen present between sternum and fusion of apodemes II. Posterior projections of coxal fields I widely rounded, distinctly developed, 13 long, 25 wide. Posterior apodemes of coxal fields II 35 long, with free distal ends. Apodemes of coxal fields III with free distal ends, 30 long. Epigynum very small, 5 long, 4 wide. Inseminatory canal 23 long. Apodemes of coxal fields IV with free distal ends, 30 long. Setae g situated above to these apodemes. Sclerotized areas between setae h2 and h3 absent. Distance ps3–h3 about 13, 1.6 times greater than h3–h2, about 8. Femora I–II with small dorsal lobe at level of seta vF bases; setae vF I–II about 6 long. Trochanters III–IV ventrally with distinctly developed, widely rounded lobes. Setae kT III situated in median part of tibiae.

MALE and TRITONYMPH. Unknown.

Type material examined. Female holotype ( IRSNB 21598 A.929) from Eonycteris spelaea (Dobson) (Pteropodidae) [nasal cavities], MYANMAR: Tanintharyi Prov., Tenasserim, Farm Cave, date and coll. unknown.

Type deposition. Holotype is deposited in IRSNB.

Non-type material examined. Two females ( UMMZ) (HK 87-0510-001) from Eonycteris spelaea [eyes], PHILIPPINES: Negros Oriental Prov., Negros Isl. , 9 km N, 4 km W Dumaguete, 09°23'N, 12°31'E, 600 m., 10 May 1987, coll. P.D. Heideman ( PDH 3569 ) ; 1 female ( BMOC 83-1600 - 057 ) from same host ( UMMZ 158920 ), PHILIPPINES: Negros Oriental, Sibulan Municip., Lake Balinsasayao, 3km N, 14km W. Dumaguete , 09°21'N, 123°10'E, 835m., 4 November 1982 , P.D. Heideman ( PDH 1028 ); 2 females (HK 89- 0301-003) from same host (depository unknown), INDONESIA: Nussa Tenggara Barat, Sumbawa Isl., Desa Meraran , 08°41'S, 116°51'E, 12 May 1988, coll. D. Kitchener (S 148).

Host range and distribution. This subspecies is known only from the type host, Eonycteris spelaea from

Myanmar, the Philippines, and Indonesia ( Fain 1959a; our data). The record from Macroglossus minimus (Geoffroy) (= lagochilus) ( Pteropodidae ) from Indonesia ( Fain 1959a) probably refers to Opsonyssus pseudoindicus sp. nov.

Remarks. This subspecies was elevated to species rank by Fain (1967). The characters differentiating O. indicus from O. brutsaerti reported by Fain (1959a), the shape of the posterior projections of the gnathosoma, the shape of the sternal lobes, and the shape of the sclerotized area at the site of fusion of apodemes II and the sternum, overlap in O. brutsaerti and O. indicus . We have not been able to morphologically separate these two forms since only a few females of O. indicus have been collected. On the other hand, these two forms are geographically isolated from each other and parasitize different hosts, suggesting the lack of gene exchange between them. Therefore we consider O. indicus as a geographical subspecies of O. brutsaerti until new material can clarify the status of O. indicus .

Figures

FIGURE 31. Opsonyssus spp. O. brutsaerti indicus Fain, 1959, female, A, ventral view. O. eidoloni Fain, 1959 (B–G), female (B–E). B, ventral view; C, propodonotal shield; D, posterior projection of coxal field I; E, foramen between sternum and fusion of apodemes II. Male (F, G). F, aedeagus; G, adanal shields. Scale bars: 100 µm (A, B, C, G), 50 µm (D, F).