Trouessartia dicruri Constantinescu

Constantinescu, Ioana Cristina, Cobzaru, Ioana, Mukhim, D. Khlur B. & Adam, Costică, 2016, Two new species of the feather mite genus Trouessartia (Acari: Trouessartiidae) from Asia, Zootaxa 4137 (3), pp. 357-374 : 365-372

Trouessartia dicruri Constantinescu sp. n.

( Figs. 7–12 )

Description. MALE ( Figs. 7 , 8 , 9 A–E; holotype and 5 paratypes): Length of idiosoma from anterior end to bases of setae h3 415 (420–450), greatest width at level of humeral shields 210 (210–240). Length of hysterosoma from sejugal furrow to bases of setae h3 270 (275–290). Prodorsal shield: length along midline 130 (135–150), greatest width in posterior part 140 (135–150), lateral margins not fused with scapular shields, with antero-lateral extensions almost extending to bases of epimerites Ia between legs I and II, surface without ornamentation ( Fig. 7 ). Internal scapular setae si filiform, 24 (24–30) long, separated by 56 (50–60); external scapular setae se situated on prodorsal shield, distance se–se 96 (92–108). Setae ve represented by alveoli. Setae c2 on humeral shield, spiculiform, 44 (45–51) long. Setae c3 narrowly lanceolate, with acute apex, 20 (20–24) long. Dorsal hysterosoma with prohysteronotal shield and lobar shield connected, delimited from each other by lateral incisions immediately posterior to setae e2 and small desclerotized median area of triangular form. Prohysteronotal shield length 175 (175–185), width at anterior margin 155 (150–160), lateral margins incised at level of trochanters III, bottom of this incisions with C-shaped dark sclerotization, dorsal hysterosomal apertures (DHA) absent. Dorsal setae d1, d2 present, minute. Length of lobar shield excluding lamellae 90 (88–94). Apical parts of opisthosomal lobes approximate, separated by narrow parallel-sided terminal cleft, length of this cleft from anterior end to apices of lamellae 42 (39–45), width in anterior part 5 (5–6). Lamella shaped as a parallelogram, attenuate apically, margins smooth, length from bases of setae h3 to apices 30 (28–30). Setae h1 anterior to setae h2. Distance between dorsal setae: c2-d2 84 (84–96), d2- e2 90 (91–100), e2-h2 76 (76–80), h2-h3 20 (18–20), h2-h2 30 (32–35), h3-h3 30 (28– 32), d1-d2 34 (30–40), e1- e2 44 (44–48). Epimerites I free. Rudimentary sclerites rEpIIa present, small, roughly ovoid. Genital apparatus situated between levels of trochanters III and IV, length 50 (48–51), greatest width 38 (36–46) ( Fig. 8 ). Epiandrum present, small, setae g long and contiguous at bases ( Fig. 9 E). Posterior genital papillae more distant from midline than anterior ones, postgenital plaque present. Adanal apodemes heavily sclerotized, with narrow lateral membrane, without apophyses. Translobar apodeme present. Adanal shields well developed and shaped as inverted comma, situated antero-lateral to anal suckers, bearing setae ps3. Anal suckers 12 (12–14) in diameter. Anterior ends of epimerites IV not reaching level of setae 4b, epimerites IVa present, anterior ends not touching level of setae 4a. Setae 4b situated anterior to level of setae 3a, setae g situated posterior to level of setae 4a. Distance between ventral setae: 4b-3a 38 (37–45), 4b-g 80 (84–93), g-ps3 66 (68–72), ps3-h3 82 (78–84). Setae sR of trochanters III lanceolate, with acute apex, 13 (12–16) long. Tarsus IV 44 (42–48) long, modified setae d barrel-shaped, with discoid cap, situated at midlevel of segment, setae e hemispheroid, without cap, situated apically ( Fig. 9 D). Legs IV with ambulacral disc extending up to level of setae h3.

FEMALE ( Figs. 10 , 11 , 12 A–E; 4 paratypes): Length of idiosoma from anterior end to apices of lamellar lobar processes 500–530, greatest width 220–235. Length of hysterosoma from sejugal furrow to apices of lamellar lobar processes 345–350. Prodorsal shield shaped as in male, 145–160 in length, 135–155 in width, surface without ornamentation. Setae si thin, filiform, 24–26 long, separated by 60–64, external scapular setae se situated on prodorsal shield, separated by 99–105. Setae c2 on humeral shields, spiculiform, 44–50 long. Setae c3 narrowly lanceolate, with acute apex, 22–24 in length. Hysteronotal shield length from anterior margin to bases of setae h3 300–310, width at anterior margin 160–170, lateral margins incised at level of trochanters III, bottom of this incisions with C-shaped dark sclerotisation, dorsal hysterosomal apertures (DHA) absent, posterior part with big ovate lacunae, ornamentation does not exceed level of d2 setae. Dorsal setae d1, d2 present, minute. Setae h1 lanceolate, with acute apex, 16–18 long, situated antero-mesal to bases of setae h2, 20–24 from each lateral margin of hysteronotal shield. Setae ps1 positioned on mesal margin of lobe, closer to base of h2 setae. Distance from bases of setae h3 to membranous apices of lobes 30–33. Setae f2 absent. Supranal concavity open posteriorly into terminal cleft. Length of terminal cleft together with supranal concavity 130–140, width of cleft at level of setae h3 52–66. Interlobar membrane occupying anterior 1/5 of terminal cleft, distance from its anterior margin to membranous lobar apices 105–115. External copulatory tube present, 8–12 long, protruding from free margin of interlobar membrane. Spermatheca with primary spermaduct thickened in distal part, length of secondary spermaducts 30–34 ( Fig. 12 E). Distance between dorsal setae: c2-d2 85–90, d2- e2 80–90, e2-h2 62–72, h2-h3 72– 80, h2-h2 82–90, h3-h3 64–72, d1-d2 35–37, e1- e2 38–46, h1-h 2 24–26, h1-h1 50–54, ps1-h3 45–54. Epimerites I free. Epigynum 30–34 in length, 78–86 in width ( Fig. 11 ). Epimerites IVa present, wide and short. Setae sR of trochanters III lanceolate, with acute apex, 13–16 long. Legs IV with ambulacral disc extending to midlevel between setae h2 and h3.

Type material. Male holotype ( ANA 429), 5 male paratypes ( ANA 430, ANA 431, ANA 432, ANA 433, ANA 434), and 4 female paratypes ( ANA 424, ANA 425, ANA 426, ANA 427) ex Dicrurus aeneus (Vieillot) ( Passeriformes : Dicruridae ), INDIA: Meghalaya, Jaintia Hills, Shnongrim, 25°21'12.36"N, 92°31'3.06"E, 1151 m, subtropical forest, 27 January 2014, coll. D.K.B. Mukhim.

Type deposition: Acarological Collection of the “Grigore Antipa” National Museum of Natural History, Bucharest, Romania.

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

Differential diagnosis. The new species, Trouessartia dicruri Constantinescu sp. n., is most similar to T. delicatula Gaud, 1952 described from Dicrurus forficatus (Linnaeus) ( Passeriformes , Dicruridae ) in Madagascar ( Gaud 1952). In both sexes of these species, setae d1 are present, setae c2 are spiculiform and setae sR of trochanters III are lanceolate with acute apex; in males, the translobar apodeme is present, setae g are long and contiguous at bases, the postgenital plaque is present; in females, the supranal concavity is open posteriorly into the terminal cleft, setae ps1 are positioned on the mesal margins of the opisthosomal lobes and the external copulatory tube is present. The new species differs from T. delicatula in the first instance being a smaller species ( T. dicruri males are 420–452 long, females 500–532 long, vs. c. 575 and 595, respectively in T. delicatula ). In males of the new species, the adanal apodemes are without apophyses, the terminal lamellae have a shape of a parallelogram and do not touch each other at the inner margins, and the posterior genital papillae are more distant from the midline than the anterior ones. In males of T. delicatula , the adanal apodemes have a pair of apophyses, the terminal lamellae are semi-ovate, their inner margins touch each other at the level of setae h3, and the anterior and posterior genital papillae are equidistant from the midline. In females of the new species, the setae h1 are lanceolate, with acute apex, the interlobar membrane occupies the anterior 1/5 of the terminal cleft, and the ornamentation of hysteronotal shield does not exceed the level of setae d2. In females of T. delicatula , setae h1 are spiculiform, the interlobar membrane occupies anterior 1/4 of the terminal cleft, and the ornamentation of hysteronotal shield exceeds the level of setae d2.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Trouessartia dicruri Constantinescu sp. n., male holotype: dorsal view of idiosoma.

FIGURE 8. Trouessartia dicruri Constantinescu sp. n., male holotype: ventral view of idiosoma.

FIGURE 9. Trouessartia dicruri Constantinescu sp. n., male: A – D legs I – IV in dorsal view, respectively; E – ventral view of genital apparatus. Abbreviations: ea – epiandrum; gp – genital papillae; pm – parameres.

FIGURE 10. Trouessartia dicruri Constantinescu sp. n., female paratype: dorsal view of idiosoma.

FIGURE 11. Trouessartia dicruri Constantinescu sp. n., female paratype: ventral view of idiosoma.

FIGURE 12. Trouessartia dicruri Constantinescu sp. n., female: A – D legs I – IV in dorsal view, respectively; E—spermatheca. Abbreviations: hs—head of spermatheca; pd—primary spermaduct; sd—secondary spermaduct.