Pterygosoma hirsti Lawrence, 1936

Fajfer, Monika, 2020, A systematic revision of the scale mite genus Pterygosoma Peters, 1849 (Acariformes: Pterygosomatidae), Zootaxa 4805 (1), pp. 1-147 : 57-59

Pterygosoma hirsti Lawrence, 1936 ( Figs 45 and 46 )

Pterygosoma hirsti Lawrence, 1936: 22 , fig. 17; Jack 1962: 269, fig. 6

Type host: Agama atra (Sauria: Agamidae ). Type locality: South Africa (Vondeling).

Redescription. FEMALE (based on neotype and 3 additional specimens from type host species, Agama atra ). Gnathosoma . Chelicerae about 130 long; basal swollen part and slender distal part subequal in length, about 65 long. Fixed cheliceral digit elongated, 25 long. Setae dF and dG, 40–50 and 35–45 long, respectively. Palpal tibia with short claw; palpal tarsi with 3 setae. Subcapitulum with filiform setae n, 20–25 long. Peritremes 115–125 long. Hypostome about 100 long, with smooth rounded apex. Idiosoma 420–470 long and 835–930 wide. Dorsum with about 80 pairs of serrate antero-lateral setae, 25–45 long; 3–5 pairs of longer paddle-shaped postero-lateral setae, 65–80 long, and 2 pairs of dorso-median setae dm1 and dm2. Setae dm1 slightly serrate, 30–45 long, setae dm2 paddle-shaped, 40–65 long. Peripheral series represented by 11–18 pairs of setae of 2 types: 10–15 pairs of paddleshaped setae, 90–145 long, situated medially, and 2–4 pairs of tapered or fine-pointed setae, 105–245 long, situated laterally. Eyes present. Venter. Setae vm1 filiform, vm2 serrate, vm3 smooth or with barely discernible serration. Genital slit situated terminally. Genital series represented by 1 pair of spine-like setae g1, about 35 long, situated ventrally. Pseudanal setae ps1 and ps2 paddle-shaped. Legs chaetotaxy: setae of trochanters I–IV (1–1–1–1), femora I–IV (3–1–1–1), genua I–IV (2–1–1–0), tibiae I–IV (5–3–3–3). All setae on each podomere filiform, except for slightly serrate setae d’FI–IV. Setation of tarsi I−IV as in group B: I 12 setae (ft, tc’, tc”, p’, p”, a’, a”, it’, it”, u’, u”, vs’) and solenidion ω1; II 8 setae (tc’, p’, p”, a’, a”, u’, u”, vs’) and ω1; III and IV with 8 setae each (tc’, p’, p”, a’, a”, u’, u”, vs’). Setae tc’ of legs II–IV and a’, a”, u’, u”, vs’, vs” of legs I–IV smooth.

MALE (based on description presented in Jack 1962b, modified). Gnathosoma as in female. Idiosoma 395 long and 620 wide. Dorsum with 30–35 pairs of antero-lateral serrate setae, 25–40 long; 3 pairs of apically expanded postero-lateral setae, 40–45 long; 2 pairs of dorso-median setae: dm1 serrate and about 45 long, dm2 apically expanded and about 50 long; 4 pairs of peripheral setae: 3 pairs only slightly apically expanded and situated laterally, 160–200 long, 1 pair paddle-shaped and situated medially, about 90 long. Eyes present. Aedeagus about 190 long, directed forward; genito-anal opening with 2 pairs of filiform setae. Venter with 3 pairs of ventro-median setae: vm1 and vm3 filiform, vm2 apically expanded. Legs I–IV as in female.

Type material (not examined). Female holotype and 5 female paratypes from Agama atra Daudin (Sauria: Agamidae ) SOUTH AFRICA: Cape Province, Vondeling.

Type material deposition. All type material deposited in the SAM is lost (Dawn Larsen, personal communication).

Neotype (examined). One female neotype ( NHM no.1966.2.22.270–279) from Agama atra ( NHM no. 1910.6.18.1.7–8), SOUTH AFRICA, Prince Albert, Cape Colony, coll. Purcell.

Non-type material (examined). One female from Agama atra ( NHM no. 1910.6.18.1.7–8), SOUTH AFRICA, Prince Albert, Cape Colony , coll. Purcell; 2 females ( NHM no. 1966.2.22.267–269) from same host species ( NHM no. 1898.7.16.1–2), SOUTH AFRICA, 16 July 1898, coll. Kimberley.

Hosts and distribution. This species is recorded from Agama atra from South Africa [Cape Province, Vondeling; Prince Albert, Cape Colony and Kimberley]; Agama aculeata from Namibia [Erongo Region, Erongo Mountains and South-West Africa] and Agama anchietae from Namibia [Khomas region, Windhoek; Hardap region, Satansplatz and Maltahöhe] ( Lawrence 1936; Jack 1962b).

Remarks. Comparison of the material of P. hirsti redescribed by Jack (1962b) with the original species description made by Lawrence in 1936 shows that 11–18 pairs of the peripheral setae may be present vs. 16–21 pairs in Lawrence’s description.

In accordance with Article 75.3 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 1999, 2012) I designate one of the female specimens from Jack’s (1962b) study as the neotype of Pterygosoma hirsti Lawrence, 1936 with the purpose of clarifying the taxonomic status of the species. This species was briefly described and illustrated by Lawrence (1936) (see Fig. 17 ). Later, Jack (1962b) collected specimens of this species from different hosts and localities, and included a short description of a male in his work. However, Lawrence (1936) and Jack (1962b) omitted the descripton of the palp and leg chaetotaxy, which are imporant diagnostic features among pterygosomatids ( Fajfer 2019). To my knowledge, none of the original type series of Lawrence’s collection are extant therefore based on the close morphological similarity of Jack’s specimen from the type locality and type host (NHM no.1966.2.22.270–279) to the original description of the species ( Lawrence 1936) I designated a neotype and presented a redescription of the species above.

Figures

FIGURE 17. Pterygosoma balochistani Fajfer, 2016, female. A, dorsal view; B, tarsus I in dorsal view; C, tarsus II in dorsal view; D, tarsus III in lateral view (after Fajfer 2016).

FIGURE 45. Pterygosoma hirsti Lawrence, 1936, female. A, dorsal view; B, peripheral seta.

FIGURE 46. Pterygosoma hirsti Lawrence, 1936, female.A, ventral view; B, part of gnathosoma in dorsal view; C, tarsi IV in lateral view.