Atelophyllodes, Mironov, Sergey V. & Proctor, Heather C., 2009

Mironov, Sergey V. & Proctor, Heather C., 2009, Atelophyllodes gen. n., a new feather mite genus of the family Proctophyllodidae (Astigmata: Analgoidea) from lyrebirds (Passeriformes: Menuridae), Zootaxa 2326, pp. 51-61 : 52-53

Genus Atelophyllodes gen. n.

Type species: Atelophyllodes menurae sp. n.

Diagnosis

Both sexes. Proctophyllodine mites of moderate size. Prodorsal shield: entire, covering most of prodorsum, length and greatest width subequal, posterior angles roughly rectangular or rounded, not extending to lateral margins of propodosoma, lateral margins without incision around scapular setae. Complement of idiosomal setae complete for Analgoidea except for vertical setae vi. Humeral shields well developed, fused with epimerites III and incorporating bases of setae cp and c3. Complement of leg setae complete for Proctophyllodidae . Epimerites I fused into a Y. Genua and femora of all legs strongly thickened, over twice as thick as corresponding tarsi. Articulation between genu and femur in all legs immovable. Setae wa of tarsi I, II anterior to corresponding setae ra and la. Solenidion σ 1 of genu I longer than solenidion ω 3 on tarsus I.

Male. Opisthosoma wide, parallel-sided. Opisthosomal lobes short and wide, posterior margin of lobes with extensions bearing setae f2, h2, h3. Terminal lamellae absent. Terminal cleft present, small. Setae f2 lanceolate, posterior to level of setae ps2. Setae ps1 lanceolate. Setae h3 large, situated marginally, setiform, comparable in size to setae h2. Genital apparatus at level of trochanters IV or posterior to it. Aedeagus short, not much longer than genital arch. Genital papillae close to genital arch. Genital shield(s) absent. Adanal shields represented by small plates at bases of ps3. Paragenital apodemes absent. Setae g and ps3 distant from each other, arranged in narrow trapezium. Adanal suckers large, cylindrical (barrel-like). Corolla indented. Legs III, IV subequal in size, not hypertrophied. Solenidion σ 1 on genu III approximately at midlevel of segment, longer than segment. Tarsus IV straight, attenuate apically. Setae d, e button-like.

Female. Females noticeably larger than males. Lobar region clearly demarcated from remaining part of opisthosoma by lateral concavities, shorter than ¼ of hysterosoma. Opisthosomal lobes well developed, with terminal appendages. Terminal cleft V-shaped with rounded bottom. Hysteronotal shield entire, not separated into anterior and lobar parts. Setae h2 macrosetae, setae h3 setiform. Setae ps1 lanceolate. Epigynum roughly semicircular, with short lateral extensions, tips of epigynum not extending to level of genital papillae.

Differential diagnosis. Among 17 previously known genera of Proctophyllodinae ( Gaud & Atyeo 1996; Hernandes et al. 2007; Mironov 2009), the genus Atelophyllodes gen. n. most resembles Ptyctophyllodes Atyeo, 1967 , associated with Trogonidae (Trogoniformes) ( Atyeo 1967), in that males in both genera have short and wide opisthosomal lobes lacking terminal lamellae on their posterior margins. Atelophyllodes differs from Ptyctophyllodes and also from other known proctophyllodine genera by the following combination features: in both sexes, epimerites I are fused into a Y; genu and femur of legs I, II are over 2 times thicker than corresponding tarsi; in males, lamellar structure on the posterior opisthosoma are completely absent, paragenital apodemes are absent, and anal suckers are large and cylindrical; in females, the hysteronotal shield is not separated into anterior and lobar parts by unsclerotized integument. In both sexes of Ptyctophyllodes , epimerites I are fused in a narrow U, tarsi of legs I, II are approximately subequal in thickness to corresponding genu and femur; in males, paragenital apodemes formed by elongated epimerites IVa are present, and anal suckers are disc-like; in females, the hysteronotal shield is clearly separated into anterior and lobar parts. It is necessary to add that in Ptyctophyllodes , lamellar structures on opisthosoma are actually present (at least in the form of male which may be referred to as heteromorph), but these lamellae are situated on the dorsal surface of opisthosoma and are directed anteriorly.

Remarks. The fusion of epimerites I into a Y (a rare character state in Proctophyllodinae ) is also present in Anorthalloptes Atyeo and Gaud, 1976 and Mimicalges Atyeo and Gaud, 1971 , but males of these genera have quite differently shaped opisthosomas (elongate and attenuate to terminus), and strongly hypertrophied legs IV ( Atyeo & Gaud 1971b, 1976).

Etymology. Contraction of atel ē s (imperfect, G.) and the generic name Proctophyllodes to refer to the absence of terminal lamellae in males; gender masculine.