Trisetica aethiopica ( Hirst, 1926 )

Stekolnikov, Alexandr A. & Quetglas, Juan, 2019, Bat-infesting chiggers (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) of the Balearic Islands and new data on the genus Trisetica Traub et Evans, 1950, Folia Parasitologica (017) 66, pp. 1-10 : 8

Trisetica aethiopica ( Hirst, 1926) Figs 9 , 10

Schöngastia aethiopica – Hirst (1926): 827, fig. 2.

Schöngastia aethiopica – Radford (1942): 68, fig. 60; (1952): 103; André (1946): 54, figs 1–3; Thor and Willmann (1947): 305, fig. 363.

Ascoschöngastia aethiopica – Wharton and Fuller (1952): 71; Taufflieb (1960): 224

Ascoschöngastia (Ascoschöngastia) aethiopica – Zumpt (1961): 160, fig. 93a.

Trisetica aethiopica – Vercammen-Grandjean (1965): 132; (1967): 849; Stekolnikov (2018): 116 .

D i a g n o s i s: SIF = 4B-N-3-3111.0000; fsp = 7.7.7; fCx = 1.1.1; fSt = 2.2; fPp = B/B/NNB; fSc: PL> AM> AL; Ip = 720; fD = 2H-11-13-11-8-2-6-2; DS = 55; VS = 53; NDV = 108; sensilla fusiform. Standard measurements (in μm) and counts of lectotype: AW 47, SB 14 , ASB 24 , AM 30 , AL 19, PL 33 , H 26, D min 17, D max 27, pa 270, pm 194, pp 256, Ip 720,

DS 55, VS 53, NDV 108 , TaIIIL 66 , TaIIIW 17 . The diagnosis is based on our examination of the lectotype (measurements, counts, arrangement of dorsal and ventral idiosomal setae) and literature data (shape of sensilla, chaetotaxy of legs and gnathosoma). The lectotype is in poor condition; the slide includes multiple extraneous inclusions ( Fig. 9 ) and main diagnostic traits of the species are difficult to distinguish.

T y p e m a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Syntype larva ( NHM 1927.1.5.17) , which is designated here as lectotype: Accra, Gold Coast, off small grey bat, collector Scott-Macfie, gum chloral .

D i s t r i b u t i o n a n d h o s t s: This species was described from an unidentified bat in Ghana. Later it was also recorded on Myotis goudoti (Smith) in Madagascar and on Rhinolophus hildebrandtii Peters in South Sudan. On one occasion, it was also found on the eyelid of a human baby in Uganda ( Radford 1952, Stekolnikov 2018).

L e c t o t y p e d e s i g n a t i o n: The original description of T. aethiopica does not include any information on the number and deposition of the type specimens (however, the word “specimens” used by the author implies that there was more than one specimen). Among the authors who cited that species name, only Wharton and Fuller (1952) stated that its type material was deposited in the British Museum (at present, NHM). This statement can be supported by the fact that Hirst (1926) was the collection curator at NHM when he published the description of T. aethiopica ( The National Archives 2019). However, according to the results of our revision of the NHM collection, it contains a single specimen labeled as Schongastia (sic) aethiopica , without any inscription defining its type status, but with the collection data coinciding with those given in the original description ( Fig. 11 ). Since this specimen lacks the sensilla, although they were figured in the original description, we conclude that other type specimens could exist at least at the time of original desciption. Therefore, we designate this specimen (NHM 1927.1.5.17) as the lectotype of Schöngastia aethiopica .

Figures

Fig 10. Trisetica aethiopica (Hirst, 1926), larva-lectotype. A – arrangement of dorsal idiosomal setae; B – arrangement of ventral idi- osomal setae (excretory pore is invisible).

Fig. 9. Trisetica aethiopica (Hirst, 1926), larva-lectotype: scutum and dorsal idiosomal setae. Abbreviations: D – dorsal idiosomal setae; AL – anterolateral scutal seta; AM – anteromedian scutal seta; PL – posterolateral scutal seta; SB – sensillary base.

Fig. 11. A fragment of NHM collection containing the lectotype of Trisetica aethiopica (Hirst, 1926) (left slide; photographed by Alexandr A. Stekolnikov).