Afrolistrophorus laonastes, Bochkov, Andre V., Abramov, Alexei V. & Hugot, Jean-Pierre, 2011

Bochkov, Andre V., Abramov, Alexei V. & Hugot, Jean-Pierre, 2011, Five new species of fur mites (Acariformes: Sarcoptoidea) from small mammals in Laos, Zootaxa 2980, pp. 1-22 : 11-14

Afrolistrophorus laonastes sp. n.

( Figs. 6 , 7 )

MALE (holotype, Fig. 6 ). Body 435 long (410–435 in 10 paratypes), 130 wide (120–130). Prescapular shield 120 long (115–125). Anterior margin of prescapular shield with distinct median process. Postscapular shield 70 long (70–75), covered by numerous (more than 20) transverse striae. Hysteronotal shield 195 long (180–200), completely covered by striae from anterior margin until level of posterior margin of supranal concavity. Idiosomal surface between prescapular and hysteronotal shields with 5–7 transverse lines. Supranal concavity distinctly developed, completely closed, triangular in outline; about 50 long and 20 wide in posterior part. Setae h2 275 long (230–275); membranous setae h3 about 30 wide, without ribs. Terminal cleft 25–30 long. Cuticle between coxal fields II striated. Coxal apodemes III almost fused to each other. Aedeagus about 30 long. Diameter of paranal suckers about 9. Legs III and IV 80 –100 and 105–110 long, respectively. Setae d III about 2 times shorter than tarsus III and setae d IV subequal or slightly longer than tarsus IV, excluding pretarsus. Tarsus III with distinct dorsosubapical projection about 10 long, bearing setae f and d. Solenidia ω 1 I, II about 12 long, ω 3 I 26 –28 long, φI, II about 50 long.

FEMALE (10 paratypes, Fig. 7 ). Body 475–500 long, 125–130 wide. Prescapular shield 120–125 long. Anterior margin of prescapular shield with distinct median process. Postscapular shield 80–85 long, covered by numerous (over 20) transverse striae. Idiosomal surface between postscapular and hysteronotal shields with 3–5 transverse lines. Hysteronotal shield 65–75 long, covered by 18–22 transverse striae. Hysteronotum posterior to hysteronotal shield with 30–36 transverse striae, weakly sclerotized. Posterior end of opisthonotum with a pair of sclerotized patches bearing setae h1. Cuticle between coxal fields II not striated. Opisthogaster without scales or verrucae. Setae h2 short, about 8 long, subequal in length to other opisthosomal setae. Setae ps1 and ps2 absent. Legs III and IV subequal, 90–100 long. Setae d III about 2 times shorter than tarsus III and setae d IV subequal or slightly longer than tarsus IV, excluding pretarsus. Solenidia ω 1 I, II about 10 long, ω 3 I about 26 long.

Type material. Male holotype (T-L-ZISP AVB 09-1504-013), 20 male and 20 female paratypes (ZISP-L AVB 09-1504-013, #1-40) from Laonastes aenigmamus Jenkins et al. ( Rodentia : Diatomyidae ), 14 November 2008, coll. A. Abramov, A. Tikhonov (field number #AA, AT 77); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-L AVB 09- 1504-007, #1-20), same data (#AA AT 78); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-L AVB 09-1504-003, #1-20), same locality, 15 November 2008 (#AA AT 100); 10 female and 10 male paratypes (ZISP-L AVB 09-1504-008, #1- 20), same data (#AA AT 93); 10 female and 10 male paratypes (ZISP-L AVB 09-1504-010, #1-20), same data (#AA AT 94); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-L AVB 09-1504-001, #1-20), same data (#AA AT 95); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-L AVB 09-1504-005, #1-20), same data (#AA AT 97); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-L AVB 09-1504-004, #1-20), same data (#AA AT 99); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-L AVB 09-1504-006, #1-20), same locality, 13 November 2008 (#AA AT 65); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-L AVB 09-1504-011, #1-20), same data (#AA AT 64); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-L AVB 09- 1504-012, #1-20), same data (#AA AT 63); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-L AVB 09-1504-014), same data (#AA AT 62); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-L AVB 09-1504-004), same data (#AA, AT 60); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-L AVB 09-1504-002, #1-20), same locality, 12 November 2008 (#AA AT 50); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-L AVB 09-1504-009, #1-20), same data (#AA AT 49); 10 male and 10 female paratypes (ZISP-L AVB 09-1504-015, same locality, 11 November 2008 (#AA AT 35). Numerous mite specimens from all these records are preserved in alcohol.

Type deposition. Holotype and most part of paratypes—ZISP, 3 male and 3 female paratypes—in UMMZ, 3 male and 3 female paratypes—MNHN, 3 male and 3 female paratypes—IRSNB.

Differential diagnosis. This new species belongs to the apodemi species group, which includes ten species. All species in this group have: a median process on the anterior margin of the prescapular shield. In males, apodemes III are fused to each other; in females, the cuticle between coxal fields II is without distinct striations, setae ps1 and ps2 are present or absent, setae h2 are not longer than other opisthosomal setae ( Bochkov & OConnor 2006). Among species of the apodemi group, the new species is closer to Afrolistrophoroides maculatus maculatus Fain widely distributed on various Oriental Murinae ( Rodentia : Muridae ) ( Fain 1980; Bochkov & OConnor 2006). In both species, the postscapular shield: is distinctly developed and possess several transverse striae or sclerotized bands and miss a median longitudinal sclerotized band; seta d III is much shorter than the respective tarsus (excluding the pretarsus); in males, the postscapular and hysteronotal shields are separated by 5–7 transverse striae only, outline of the supranal concavity is triangular, setae h3 are strongly widened and slightly overlap each other; in females, setae ps1 and ps2 are absent, the ventral side of opisthosoma has no verrucae or scales. Afrolistrophorus laonastes sp. n. differs from A. maculatus by the following characters: in both sexes of A. laonastes , the postscapular shield is covered by fine striation and seta d IV is longer or subequal to tarsus IV; in males, the hysteronotal shield is completely covered by striation and tarsus III with the distinct dorso-subapical protrusion about 10 long bearing setae d and f; in females, the opisthonotum is slightly punctated, the posterior end of the opisthonotum bears a pair of small sclerotized patches with setae h1. In both sexes of A. maculatus , the postscapular shield is covered by weakly sclerotized bands slightly expanded laterally and seta d IV is much shorter than tarsus IV excluding pretarsus; in males, the hysteronotal shield is covered by striations from the anterior end to the level of setae e1; tarsus III is with dorso-subapical spur bearing seta d; in females, the opisthonotum is not punctated, the posterior end of the opisthonotum is devoid of the sclerotized patches.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the generic name of the host and is a noun in apposition.

Remark. Laonastes aenigmamus is a “living fossil” belonging to the family Diatomyidae , all representatives of which were previously considered to have become extinct 11 million years ago in the Late Miocene ( Dawson et al. 2006). Its parasite, Afrolistrophorus laonastes belongs to the apodemi species group, members of which parasitize only myomorph rodents ( Bochkov & OConnor 2006). Therefore it is hypothesized, that the ancestor of this species switched from some muroid rodents to the Laotian rock-rat ( Bochkov et al. 2011). Thus, L. aenigmamus was initially free from listrophorids or appears to have completely lost the original listrophorid fauna, which has later been replaced by colonists from sympatric muroids representing the dominant and most specious group of rodents in Southeast Asia.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Afrolistrophorus laonastes sp. n., male holotype: A—Dorsal view; B—Ventral view; C—Tarsus III in dorsal view; D—Tarsus IV in ventral view. Scale bars: 100 μm = A, B; 25 μm = C, D.

FIGURE 7. Afrolistrophorus laonastes sp. n., female: A—Dorsal view; B—Ventral view; C—Tarsus III in ventrall view; D— Tarsus IV in ventral view. Scale bars: 100 μm = A, B; 25 μm = C, D.