Charletonia rocciai Treat & Flechtmann, 1979

Costa, Samuel Geremias Dos Santos, Klompen, Hans, Bernardi, Leopoldo Ferreira De Olivei- Ra, Gonçalves, Luciana Cardoso, Ribeiro, Dante Batista & Pepato, Almir Rogério, 2019, Multi-instar descriptions of cave dwelling Erythraeidae (Trombidiformes: Parasitengona) employing an integrative approach, Zootaxa 4717 (1), pp. 137-184 : 171-174

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4717.1.10

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D02BC715-6A77-4BD2-B452-51EAC10C6F99

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5584421

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/740587ED-FFFD-3516-FF30-FC594E1213AD

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Charletonia rocciai Treat & Flechtmann, 1979
status

 

Charletonia rocciai Treat & Flechtmann, 1979 View in CoL

Material examined and new records: Charletonia rocciai specimens were obtained from five localities across southeastern and south Brazil ( Fig. 15 View FIGURE 15 ). UFMG AC 1301036, 1301034, 151437 and 151442 on Psocoptera in pau-ferro trees ( Libidibia ferrea (Mart. ex Tul.) Queiroz, 2009 ) on the campus of the Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais State (21°13’36.1” S, 44°58’50.5” W), in July 2013 and September 2015. In this same locality a few more specimens were collected in July 2013: one female ( UFMG AC 1300421) found on leaf litter and four larvae ( UFMG AC 1300612, 1300613, 1301037 and 1301038) found on Psocoptera and reared to deutonymph. One deutonymph ( UFMG AC 171474) from a cave in an iron ore terrain (19°13’16.7” S, 43°23’39.1” W) 16–26 January 2017. One larva ( UFMG AC 1400806), Atuba Park, Paraná state (25°22’54.1” S, 49°12’11.9” W), 12 February 2013 parasitizing Auchmerina limbatipennis Enderlein, 1918 (Psyllidae) , host determined by D. Burckhardt and D. L. Queiroz but subsequently lost. One larva on unidentified insect, Parque Estadual Serra do Rola Moça, near to Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State (20°04’00.8” S, 44°00’08.6” W). One male ( UFMG AC 1301003), Serra do Japi, Jundiaí municipality, São Paulo State (23°14’30.8”S 46°56’04.9”W). One larva, one deutonymph deposited at OSAL ( OSAL 114444 and 114509, respectively) studied by Rosa & Flechtmann (1980), and the holotype deposited at USPB (no specimen identification number).

Diagnosis

Larvae: Measurements summarized in Table II. No significant morphological differences were observed between our specimens and the holotype. However, we could notice a few details unreported in the original description ( Treat & Flechtmann 1979). Larva has one distal microseta present on genu II ( Fig. 16 View FIGURE 16 ), visible on only one side of the holotype and missing in the original description. Additionally, our specimens have fnTi: 18-19-19 (vs. 18-19- 18 in the original description and 18-19-19 observable on one side of the holotype). Complete illustrations of newly collected larvae in Supplementary Material ( Figs. S1–S View FIGURE 1 3 View FIGURE 3 ), in addition to new images of the type material.

Deutonymph ( Fig. 17A View FIGURE 17 ): Measurements summarized in Table III. Color in life red. Crista without a surrounding sclerite; two pairs of filiform sensillary setae with faint distal setules; 2–4, robust, setae with distinct setules (100–143) at anterior border of crista, anteriorly to Asens ( Fig. 17B View FIGURE 17 ). Dorsum with two types of setae, long (pDS I) and short (pDS II), often with setules. pDS I setae with blunt tips, pDS II with attenuate tips ( Fig. 18G View FIGURE 18 ). Ventral setae (43–57) numerous, with barbs and a few longer setae (104–111) ( Fig. 18H View FIGURE 18 ).

Mouth cone bearing a few long setae distally in dorsal view and many setae in ventral view; hypostomal lip fimbriate. Cheliceral blades strong, straight, stylet-like. Palpi robust, numerous palpal scobalae with setules. Palp tibia with one long seta ( Fig. 18F View FIGURE 18 : S). Palp tibial claw strong, curved, pointed ( Fig. 18F View FIGURE 18 ). Palp tarsus ovoid, with numerous setulose setae, and distally, many short setulose setae, brush like ( Figs. 17D, E View FIGURE 17 ; 18F View FIGURE 18 ).

Relative leg lengths: IV >I> III > II. Leg scobalae numerous, pointed, tapering, with slight indications of setules. Tarsi I with three distinct long setae: S1 and S 2 in the proximal half and S 3 in the distal half ( Fig. 17C View FIGURE 17 ). Similar setae figured in drawings of Charletonia oudemansi ( Southcott, 1966) and in Charletonia cardinalis ( Koch, 1837) . Tarsal claws strong, smooth, falciform.

Vestigiala distribution on legs:

Leg I: Cx—1κ; Ge—1κ ( Fig. 18A View FIGURE 18 ); Ti—3κ ( Fig. 18B View FIGURE 18 ); Ta—1κ 1ɛ ( Fig. 18C View FIGURE 18 ).

Leg II: Ge—1κ ( Fig. 18D View FIGURE 18 ); Ti—1κ ( Fig. 18E View FIGURE 18 ).

Female ( Fig. 19 View FIGURE 19 A–H): Measurements in Table IV. Idiosoma oval, crista without scutum; two pairs of sensilla; eight, robust, straight scutalae placed anteriad, without distinct setules (116–194, Fig. 19F View FIGURE 19 ). Eyes positioned posterior to middle of crista ( Fig. 19G View FIGURE 19 ). Numerous dorsal setae ( DS), divided into two types: short, thin setae (pDS II, 24–56), and robust, blade-like (pDS I, 57–130); both types with indistinct setules and rounded tips ( Fig. 19G View FIGURE 19 ). Ventral setae (30–56) with numerous but weak setules, few longer setae (92–130). Genital pore bearing two similar pairs of genital acetabula (G.ac.) kidney-shaped ( Fig. 19B View FIGURE 19 ). Female anal plates lightly sclerotized, with six setae on each valve ( Fig. 19B View FIGURE 19 ). The legs were broken and mixed in the slide during the extraction of the DNA, however it was possible to identify the tibia I and tarsus I by the vestigiala distribution ( Fig. 19H View FIGURE 19 ). Gnathosoma and palp similar to the deutonymph (see Fig. 19E, F View FIGURE 19 ).

Male ( Figs. 20 View FIGURE 20 , 21 View FIGURE 21 ): Measurements in Table V View TABLE V . Idiosoma oval ( Fig. 20A View FIGURE 20 ). Crista without a scutum, with two pairs of sensillar setae with almost imperceptible setules distally. Crista bearing eight, robust, straight setae with weak setules (116–194), on anterior sensillar area ( Fig. 20C View FIGURE 20 ). Similar to the female regarding most characters, including idiosomal setae ( Fig. 20C View FIGURE 20 ). The male and female examined differ in the dorsal ornamentation of palp femur and genu, male with larger pits (black arrowhead on Fig. 20D View FIGURE 20 ), and only faint dots in the female ( Fig. 19 View FIGURE 19 C–D). Male genital pore rounded, 441 long and 272 wide. Internally, operculum composed of two, anteriorly articulated, longitudinal sclerites of the ejaculatory complex with numerous eugenital setae over protuberances. Ejaculatory complex skeleton visible in light microscopy, distance between tips of proximal arms 331, between tips distal arms 385 ( Fig. 20F View FIGURE 20 ). Male anal plates lightly sclerotized, with nine setae on each valve ( Fig. 20F View FIGURE 20 ). Anal plates with nine setae (vs. six setae in females).

Leg I> IV > III > II. Leg setae numerous, pointed, tapering, with slight indications of setules. Tarsus II more squarish (width/length= 0.51) than Ta I, III and IV (width/length= 0.42, 0.40 and 0.37, respectively) ( Fig. 20A and B View FIGURE 20 ). Tarsal claws strong, smooth, falciform.

Vestigiala distribution on legs:

Leg I: Cx—1κ; Ge—1κ ( Fig. 21C View FIGURE 21 ); Ti—3κ ( Fig. 21A and B View FIGURE 21 ).

Leg II: Ge—1κ; ( Fig. 21E View FIGURE 21 ); Ti—1κ ( Fig. 21D View FIGURE 21 ).

Rearing and behavior: The collected psocopteran hosts ( Fig. 14 View FIGURE 14 A–D) were placed in rearing containers. In the first attempt, 38 insects, including six infected by a total of 15 mites (1–5 mites per insect) were kept for 10 days. On this occasion, only two mites developed to the deutonymphal instar.

In the second attempt, 26 Psocoptera were collected, carrying 12 mites. On this occasion, insects were kept alive for 18 days and six mites reached the deutonymphal instar. Engorged larvae detached from their hosts, seeking shelter in cracks in the substrate and then remained motionless, becoming calyptostases, and remained so for at least two days. After emerging, deutonymphs were preserved in 100% ethanol.

Larvae switched hosts during the experiment. Three of the infested Psocoptera were marked with a white water-based ink (gouache paint) when bearing a single mite each and observed for five days. In this time, the number of mites per marked host ranged from 1–4 mites in two, 0–3 in the third host specimen. The maximum number of mites per psocopteran either in the field or in culture, was five mites per host. The exact phase of parasitism (state of engorgement) in which the shifts happened couldn’t be estimated since at the time that the specimens were collected, they were already attached to their host and the level of engorgement wasn’t recorded. This disallowed a test of the hypothesis by Wohltmann (2000) that host switches are restricted to the earliest phases of attachment.

UFMG

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

AC

Amherst College, Beneski Museum of Natural History

OSAL

Ohio State University Acarology Laboratory

DS

California Academy of Sciences, Dudley Herbarium

V

Royal British Columbia Museum - Herbarium

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