Neoaulobia cacatui, Marciniak & Skoracki & Hromada, 2019

Marciniak, Natalia, Skoracki, Maciej & Hromada, Martin, 2019, Quill mites of the family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) associated with Cockatoos (Psittaciformes: Cacatuidae), Zootaxa 4565 (2), pp. 190-200 : 192-194

Neoaulobia cacatui sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 and 2 )

Description. FEMALE (holotype, range for 2 paratypes) ( Figs. 1 A–B, 2A–D). Total body length 505 (475 in both paratypes). Gnathosoma . Infracapitulum punctate. Each medial branch of peritremes with 2–3 chambers, each lateral branch with 3 chambers. Stylophore apunctate, 139 (143–155) long. Idiosoma . Propodonotal shield well sclerotized, with concave anterior and posterior margins, punctate in anterior and middle parts. Setae vi, ve, and si subequal in length. Bases of setae c1 situated anterior to level of setal bases se. Hysteronotal shield not fused to pygidial shield, bearing bases of setae d1 and e2. Setae d1 and d2 subequal in length, both about 1.3–1.7 times shorter than e2. Length ratio of setae ag1: ag2: ag3 1.3:1:2–2.2. Both pairs of genital setae subequal in length. Both pairs of pseudanal setae subequal in length. All coxal fields distinctly punctate. Legs. Setae dTIV present. Fan-like setae p' and p" of legs III and IV with 10–12 tines. Lengths of setae: vi 20 (20–27), ve 21 (14–27), si 20 (21–23), se 194 (200–205), c1 223 (215–221), c2 198 (205), d1 29 (32–34), d2 23 (29–32), e2 48 (38–55), f1 27 (29–34), f2 63 (71–98), h1 20 (25–28), h2 368 (307–393), ag1 107 (96–127), ag2 82 (73–93), ag3 164 (175–188), g1 34 (32–43), g2 43 (36–52), ps1 20 (17–25), ps2 20 (12–20), 3b (38), 3c 57 (55), 4b 32, 4c 46 (54–60).

MALE (range for 4 paratypes) ( Figs. 2 E–G). Total body length 355–380. Gnathosoma . Infracapitulum with minute punctuations. Stylophore apunctate, 125–132 long. Each medial branch of peritremes with 1–2 chambers, each lateral branch with 4 chambers. Idiosoma . Propodonotal shield punctate in anterior and middle parts. Setae ve and si subequal in length and slightly longer than setae vi. Hysteronotal shield not fused to pygidial shield and densely dotted in middle part. Setae d1, d2, and e2 subequal in length. Coxal fields weakly sclerotized, with minute punctuations. Legs. Fan-like setae p' and p" of legs III and IV with 9–10 tines. Lengths of setae: vi 9–13, ve 13–25, si 16–25, se 95–125, c1 75–91, c2 95–116, d 2 16–20, d 1 16–20, e 2 18 –27, f 2 21–27, h2 100–159, ag1 61–79, ag 2 30–39, 3b 27–30, 3c 41–54, 4b 16–30, 4c 46–57.

Type material. Female holotype, 2 female and 4 male paratypes (Reg. No. AMU-SYR. 580) from the Yellowtailed Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus funereus (Shaw) (Cacatuidae) [host no. ZSM A.1068/556], AUSTRALIA: Victoria State, Melbourne, coll. unknown.

Type material deposition. All type specimens—AMU, except 1 female and 1 male paratypes—ZSM.

Additional material. Two females and 2 males (Reg. No. AMU-SYR. 581) from the Palm Cockatoo Probosciger aterrimus (Cacatuidae) [host no. ZSM 11.474], PAPUA NEW GUINEA: coll. von Wiedenfeld, no other data; all specimens are deposited in the AMU.

Differential diagnosis. Neoaulobia cacatui sp. nov. is morphologically similar to N. krafti Skoracki, 2005 described from Cacatua tenuirostris (Kuhl) (Cacatuidae) . In females of both species, leg setae dTIV are present, the hysteronotal shield is not fused with the pygidial shield, each medial branch of the peritremes has 2–3 chambers, setae vi, ve, and si are subequal in length. Neoaulobia cacatui differs from N. krafti by the following features: in females of N. cacatui , each lateral branch of the peritremes has 3 chambers; bases of setae d1 are situated close to the anterior margin of the hysteronotal shield; lengths of setae d1, e2, f2, and ag2 are 29–34, 38–55, 63–98, and 73–93, respectively; and the stylophore and coxal fields are punctate. In females of N. krafti , each lateral branch of the peritremes has 5–6 chambers; bases of setae d1 are distant from the anterior margin of the hysteronotal shield; lengths of setae d1, e2, f2, and ag2 are 60–80, 100–120, 145–175, and 190–210, respectively; and the stylophore and coxal fields are apunctate.

Etymology. The name cacatui is derived from the host family name, Cacatuidae , and is a noun in the genitive case.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Neoaulobia cactui sp. nov., female. A—dorsal view, B—ventral view.

FIGURE 2. Neoaulobia cactui sp. nov. A–D—Female: A—peritremes, B, —posterior part of stylophore, C—solenidia of leg I, D—fan-like seta of tarsus IV. E–G—Male: E—peritremes, F—opisthosoma in ventral view, G—dorsal view. Scale bars: A–E = 20 µm, F–G = 50 µm.