Gahrliepia mirabilis Schluger, Grochovskaja, Ngu, Hoe and Tung, 1960

Antonovskaia, Anastasia A. & Stekolnikov, Alexandr A., 2021, Redescriptions of ten chigger mite species (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) from Vietnam, Zootaxa 4969 (1), pp. 1-53 : 5-10

Gahrliepia mirabilis Schluger, Grochovskaja, Ngu, Hoe and Tung, 1960

( Figs. 1A, B , 2–4 )

Gahrliepia mirabilis Schluger, Grochovskaja, Ngu, Hoe and Tung, 1960c: 472 , figs. 54–60.

Gahrliepia (Gateria) mirabilis: Vercammen-Grandjean 1968: 116 .

Gahrliepia (Gahrliepia) mirabilis: Lakshana 1973: 23 ; Kudryashova 2004: 46; Chau et al. 2007: 157, fig. 75.

Diagnosis. SIF = 4B-N-3-2110.0000; fsp = 7.6.6; fCx = 1.1.1; fSt = 2.2; fPp = B/N/NNN; fSc: PL> AL; Ip = 653–766; fD = 2H-4-7-8-6-4-4-3; DS = 28–36; V = 44–50; NDV = 74–83. Scutal puncta of two types: sparse large and dense small. Two pairs of usurped setae on scutum. Standard measurements of type series given in Table 2 .

Description (larva) [based on lectotype and 5 paralectotypes]. IDIOSOMA ( Figs. 1A, B , 2 ). Eyes 2 + 2, posterior pair very small, almost reduced; 28–36 barbed dorsal idiosomal setae including one pair of humeral setae; 4 sternal setae; 44–50 ventral setae; NDV = 74–83.

GNATHOSOMA ( Fig. 3A, B ). Cheliceral blade with tricuspid cap; cheliceral base with dense puncta; gnathobase with dense puncta; palpal femur with sparse puncta; gnathobase with 1 pair of branched setae; galeala nude; palpal claw with 3 prongs; seta on palpal femur branched; setae on palpal genu and tibia nude; palpal tarsus with 4 branched setae and tarsala.

SCUTUM ( Fig. 1A ). Hexagonal, longer than wide, with 1 pair of ALs, 1 pair of PLs, and 2 pairs of usurped setae (dorsal idiosomal setae situated on the scutum as a result of its expansion in the posterior direction), widest between PLs and anterior pair of usurped setae, posterior scutal margin almost straight; anterior usurped setae situated far from lateral scutal margins, posterior usurped setae situated in posterior scutal angles, distance between anterior usurped setae about same as distance between posterior usurped setae; PLs slightly longer than ALs; ALs and PLs thicker than usurped setae; sensilla fusiform, covered with spikes; sensillum bases situated closer to level of ALs than to level of PLs; scutal puncta of two types: sparse large and dense small.

LEGS ( Fig. 3C–E ). All with 1 pair of claws and claw-like empodium. Leg I: 7-segmented, coxa with 1 branched seta (1B); trochanter 1B; basifemur 1B; telofemur 5B; genu 4B, 2 genualae, microgenuala; tibia 8B, 2 tibialae, microtibiala; tarsus 21B, tarsala, microtarsala proximal to tarsala, subterminala, parasubterminala, pretarsala. Leg II: 6-segmented, coxa 1B; trochanter 1B; femur 6B; genu 3B, genuala; tibia 6B, 2 tibialae; tarsus 16B, tarsala, microtarsala near and proximal to tarsala, pretarsala. Leg III: 6-segmented, coxa 1B; trochanter 1B; femur 4B, nude ventral femorala; genu 3B, genuala; tibia 6B; tarsus 15B.

Hosts. Rhizomys pruinosus Blyth, 1851 ( Rodentia : Spalacidae ), Leopoldamys edwardsi (Thomas, 1882) (= Rattus edwardsi camphaensis D. Tien (nomen nudum )), Rattus tanezumi Temminck, 1844 (= R. rattus khyensis ) ( Rodentia : Muridae ), Tupaia sp. ( Scandentia : Tupaiidae ) ( Schluger et al. 1960c), Tupaia glis (Diard and Duvaucel, 1820) ( Scandentia : Tupaiidae ), Hylomys suillus S. Müller,1840 ( Erinaceomorpha : Erinaceidae ), Crocidura horsfieldii (Tomes, 1856) ( Soricomorpha , Soricidae ), Bandicota indica (Bechstein, 1800) , Berylmys berdmorei (Blyth, 1851) , Maxomys surifer (Miller, 1900) , Rattus rattus (L., 1758) ( Rodentia : Muridae ), Menetes berdmorei (Blyth, 1849) ( Rodentia : Sciuridae ), Cannomys badius (Hodgson, 1841) ( Rodentia : Spalacidae ) ( Lakshana 1973), Suncus murinus (L., 1766), ( Soricomorpha , Soricidae ), Paradoxurus hermaphroditus (Pallas, 1777) ( Carnivora : Viverridae ), Herpestes urva (Hodgson, 1836) ( Carnivora : Herpestidae ), Bandicota bengalensis (Gray, 1835) , Berylmys bowersi (Anderson, 1879) , Niviventer fulvescens (Gray, 1847) (= Rattus fulvescens ), N. niviventer (Hodgson, 1836) (= Rattus niviventer ), Rattus andamanensis (Blyth, 1860) (= R. koratensis Kloss, 1919 ), R. norvegicus (Berkenhout, 1769) , R. tanezumi Temminck, 1844 (= R. flavipectus (Milne-Edwards, 1872)) ( Rodentia : Muridae ) ( Chau et al. 2007).

Distribution. Thailand ( Lakshana 1973), Vietnam.

Type material examined ( Fig. 4 ). Lectotype (here designated): larva ZMMU Tdt-3223 (specimen 1) ex R. tanezumi No 42018, Vietnam, Quang Tri Province, Vinh Linh, 18 August 1956, coll. I.M. Grochovskaja. Paralectotypes: two larvae, ZMMU Tdt-3224 (specimen 1) and ZMMU Tdt-3225 (specimen 4), same collection data as for lectotype; one larva ZMMU Tdt-3226 (specimen 4) ex unknown host, Vietnam, Nghe An Province, Phu Quy, 9 September 1956, coll. I.M. Grochovskaja; one larva ZMMU Tdt-3227 (specimen 1) ex L. edwardsi (labeled as Rattus edwardsi camphaensis ), Vietnam, Quang Ninh Province, Ha Lam, 1 February 1956, coll. I.M. Grochovskaja; one larva ZMMU Tdt-3228 (specimen 3) ex “tupaia”, Vietnam, Quang Ninh Province, Cam Pha, 2 March 1956, coll. I.M. Grochovskaja.

Remarks. According to the original description, in this species “all scutal surface with small puncta” ( Schluger et al. 1960c); thus, Schluger did not recognize two types of scutal puncta in G. mirabilis , obviously due to insufficiently precise optics. However, she described such punctation in G. tenella Traub and Morrow, 1955 , where this trait is more distinct ( Schluger et al. 1960c, Fig. 63).

Gahrliepia mirabilis is similar to G. yangchenensis Chen and Hsu, 1957 and differs from the latter by the presence of nude ventral palpal tibial seta vs. having slender branches; the presence of two types of scutal puncta vs. one type (however, the original description of G. yangchenensis could be inexact in this point); and by a slightly larger scutum (AW = 49–56 vs. 42–51, PW = 70–86 vs. 67–79, ASB = 21–30 vs. 19, and PSB = 112–126 vs. 109) ( Chen & Hsu 1957; Li et al. 1997). Gahrliepia mirabilis is also similar to G. eurypunctata Jeu, Yu and Wan, 1983 and differs from it by the presence of nude palpal genual and ventral palpal tibial setae (fPp = B/N/NNN vs. B/B/ NNB), slightly smaller scutum (PW = 70–86 vs. 86–90, PSB = 112–126 vs. 136–141, SD = 134–155 vs. 161–170, AP = 40–45 vs. 46–51), and much shorter scutal setae (AL = 28–36 vs. 45–53 and PL = 32–38 vs. 52–54) ( Jeu et al. 1983).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Gahrliepia mirabilis Schluger, Grochovskaja, Ngu, Hoe and Tung, 1960, lectotype. A, dorsal aspect of body; B, ventral aspect of body. Walchia delicatula (Schluger, Grochovskaja, Ngu, Hoe and Tung, 1960), lectotype. C, dorsal aspect of idiosoma; D, ventral aspect of idiosoma. Scale bars: 100 μm.

FIGURE 2. Gahrliepia mirabilis Schluger, Grochovskaja, Ngu, Hoe and Tung, 1960. A, arrangement of dorsal idiosomal setae of paralectotype ZMMU Tdt-3227 (specimen 1); B, arrangement of ventral idiosomal setae of paralectotype ZMMU Tdt-3227 (specimen 1); C, humeral seta of lectotype; D, dorsal idiosomal seta of 1st row of lectotype; E, caudal seta of lectotype; F, preanal seta of lectotype. Scale bars: 100 μm (A, B), 20 μm (C–F).

FIGURE 3. Gahrliepia mirabilis Schluger, Grochovskaja, Ngu, Hoe and Tung, 1960, lectotype. A, ventral aspect of gnathosoma; B, dorsal aspect of gnathosoma; C, leg I (trochanter–tarsus); D, leg II (trochanter–tarsus); E, leg III (trochanter–tarsus). Scale bars: 20 μm (A, B), 50 μm (C–E).

FIGURE 4. Type specimens of Gahrliepia mirabilis Schluger, Grochovskaja, Ngu, Hoe and Tung, 1960 on slides.

Tables

TABLE 2. Standard measurements (µm) and numbers of setae of Gahrliepia mirabilis (n = 6).

	Range	Mean	Lectotype
AW	49–56	52	50
PW	70–86	80	70
SB	46–54	50	46
ASB	21–30	24	22
PSB	112–126	117	115
SD	134–155	142	137
P-PL	90–104	96	92
AP	40–45	43	43
AL	28–36	33	35
PL	32–38	36	37
H	38–42	40	42
D min	25–30	28	30
D max	32–38	36	35
V min	16–19	17	17
V max	31–34	32	32
pa	202–282	241	282
pm	173–263	212	212
pp	234–272	251	272
Ip	653–766	704	766
DS	28–38	32	34
V	42–50	47	49
NDV	74–83	79	83