Trouessartia alcippeae Constantinescu

Constantinescu, Ioana Cristina, Cobzaru, Ioana, Mukhim, D. Khlur B. & Adam, Costică, 2016, Two new species of the genus Trouessartia (Acari, Trouessartiidae) from laughingthrushes (Passeriformes, Leiothrichidae), ZooKeys 571, pp. 59-79 : 62-65

Taxon classification Animalia Passeriformes Trouessartiidae

Trouessartia alcippeae Constantinescu sp. n. Figs 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Type material.

Male holotype (ANA639), 2 male (ANA641, ANA642) and 2 female (ANA640, ANA643) paratypes 10.02.2013, from Nepal Fulvetta Alcippe nipalensis (Hodgson) ( Passeriformes , Leiothrichidae ); INDIA: Meghalaya, Jaintia Hills, Khahnar village, (25°21'57.30"N, 92°36'51.72"E); 954 m; subtropical forest; collector D. Khlur B. Mukhim.

Description.

MALE (Figs 7; 8; 9 A–E; holotype, range for 2 paratypes in parentheses): Length of idiosoma from anterior end to bases of setae h3 300 (304-324), greatest width at level of humeral shields 144 (152-154). Length of hysterosoma from sejugal furrow to bases of setae h3 200 (200-208). Prodorsal shield length along midline 94 (96-97), greatest width in posterior part 100 (108-110), lateral margins not fused with scapular shields, with antero-lateral extensions produced laterally between bases of legs I, II, surface without ornamentation (Fig. 7). Internal scapular setae si filiform, 7 (7-8) long, separated by 48 (50-52); external scapular setae se situated near lateral margins of prodorsal shield, 85 (94-106) long, separated by 72 (76-78). External vertical setae ve represented only by alveoli. Humeral shield with setae c2 filiform, gradually tapering to apex 30 (30-40) long. Setae c3 narrowly lanceolate, with acute apex, 11 (12-13) long. Dorsal hysterosoma with prohysteronotal and lobar shields connected, they delimited from each other by lateral incisions immediately posterior to setae e2 and small unsclerotized medial area of trapezoidal form. Prohysteronotal shield length 128 (130-136), width at anterior margin 100 (96-108), lateral margins incised at level of trochanters III, dorsal hysterosomal apertures (DHA) absent. Dorsal setae d1 absent, setae d2 present, minute. Length of lobar shield excluding lamellae 56 (63-64). Apical parts of opisthosomal lobes approximate, separated by narrow terminal cleft, length of this cleft from anterior end to apices of lamellae 31 (29-30), width in anterior part 5 (5-7). Lamellae ovate in general shape, their margins with 4-7 rounded denticles, length from bases of setae h3 to lamellar apices 16 (14-16). Setae h1 anterior to setae h2. Distance between dorsal setae: c2-d2 62 (61-67), d2-e2 68 (74-76), e2-h2 50 (52-53), h2-h3 16 (16-17), h2-h2 38 (38-40), h3-h3 32 (31-32), e1-e2 32 (36-38). Epimerites I free. Rudimentary sclerites rEpIIa present, roughly triangular. Genital apparatus situated between levels of trochanters III and IV, length 30 (28-30), greatest width 9 (9-10) (Fig. 8). Epiandrum present, small, setae g long and thin, touching at bases, postgenital plaque absent. Anterior and posterior genital papillae at the same distance from midline. Adanal apodemes heavily sclerotized, with narrow lateral membrane, without apophyses. Translobar apodeme present. Adanal shields small, almost ovoid, bearing setae ps3. Anal suckers 10 (9-10) in diameter. Anterior ends of epimerites IV reaching level of setae 4b, epimerites IVa present, wide, anterior ends not reaching level of setae 4a. Setae 4b situated slightly anterior to level of setae 3a, setae g and 4a situated approximately at same transverse level. Distance between ventral setae: 4b-3a 27 (28-31), 4b-g 56 (54-56), g-ps3 52 (52-54), ps3-h3 62 (62-64). Setae sR of trochanters III short, narrowly lanceolate, with acute apex, 13 (11-14) long. Tarsus IV 24 (24-26) long, modified setae d and e barrel-shaped, with discoid cap, situated subapically (Fig. 9D). Legs IV with ambulacral disc extending to level of setae h2.

FEMALE (Figs 10; 11; 12 A–E; range for 2 paratypes): Length of idiosoma from anterior end to apices of lamellar lobar processes 376-377, greatest width 160-164. Length of hysterosoma from sejugal furrow to apices of lamellar lobar processes 252-260. Prodorsal shield shaped as in male, 102-106 in length, 112-118 in width, surface without ornamentation. Setae si thin, filiform, 10-11 long, separated by 55-57, external scapular setae se situated near lateral margins of prodorsal shield, 185-184 long, separated by 83-87. Humeral shields with setae c2 filiform, gradually tapering to apex 39-44 long. Setae c3 narrowly lanceolate, with acute apex, 12-14 in length. Hysteronotal shield length from anterior margin to bases of setae h3 226-232, width at anterior margin 108-112, lateral margins deeply incised at level of trochanters III, these incision with heavy C-shaped sclerotization, DHA absent, posterior part with small ovate lacunae (Fig. 10). Dorsal setae d1 absent. Setae h1 filiform, 5-6 long, situated antero-mesal to bases of setae h2, 17-18 from each lateral margin of hysteronotal shield. Setae ps1 positioned dorsally on opisthosomal lobes, equidistant from outer and inner margins of lobe, closer to base of h3 setae. Distance from bases of setae h3 to membranous apices of lobes 26-32. Setae f2 absent. Supranal concavity closed. Ter minal cleft as an inverted U, length 78-86, width of cleft at level of setae h3 25-26. Interlobar membrane occupying anterior ¼ of terminal cleft, distance from free margin of membrane to membranous lobar apices 60-70. External copulatory tube absent, copulatory opening dorsally on interlobar membrane. Spermatheca with primary spermaduct thickened at base, length of secondary spermaducts 19-20 (Fig. 12E). Distance between dorsal setae: c2-d2 63-66, d2-e2 76-86, e2-h2 32-46, h2-h3 42-44, h2-h2 64-66, h3-h3 40-42, e1-e2 50-60, h1-h2 16-18, h1-h1 40-46, ps1-h3 22-26. Epimerites I free. Epigynum 39-40 in length, 72-76 in width (Fig. 11). Epimerites IVa present, short. Setae sR of trochanters III narrowly lanceolate, 11-12 long. Legs IV extending by ambulacral disc to midlevel between setae h2 and ps1.

Etymology.

The specific epithet derives from the generic name of the type host and is a noun in the genitive case.

Remarks.

The new species, Trouessartia alcippeae Constantinescu, sp. n., is very similar in appearance to Trouessartia cyanouropterae described above in having, in both sexes, the dorsal shields similar in shape, the hysteronotal (prohysteronotal in males) shield with the lateral margins deeply incised at the level of trochanters III, DHA absent, and setae c3 and sRIII narrow lanceolate. Males of the both species have a similar shape of epimerites (except epimerites IV), the lamellae ovate with rounded denticles, the setae g are close to each other, and the setae d and e are barrel-shaped, with a discoid cap, and situated apically. Females of the both species have a similar ornamentation of hysteronotal shield (ovoid lacunae), and the spermatheca is similar in shape. Both sexes of Trouessartia alcippeae differ from Trouessartia cyanouropterae , by the following characters: the setae d1 are absent and setae se are situated on the lateral margins of prodorsal shield. In Trouessartia cyanouropterae , setae d1 are present and setae se are situated on the prodorsal shield. Males of Trouessartia alcippeae have a small unsclerotized median area of trapezoidal form between the prohysteronotal shield and the lobar shield, epimerites IV are shorter and reach the level of setae 4b, and the anterior and posterior genital papillae are at the same distance from midline. Males of Trouessartia cyanouropterae have a small rectangular unsclerotized area between the prohysteronotal shield and the lobar shield, epimerites IV are longer and exceeding the level of setae 4b, and the anterior genital papillae are more distant from the midline than the posterior ones. Females of Trouessartia alcippeae have the setae h1 filiform, the setae ps1 are located closer to bases of setae h3 and the the external copulatory tube is absent. Females of Trouessartia cyanouropterae have the setae h1 lanceolate, the setae ps1 are located closer to the base of h2 setae and the external copulatory tube is present.