Herpetacarus (Herpetacarus) causicolus (Jadin et Vercammen-Grandjean, 1952)

Stekolnikov, Alexandr A., 2018, African chiggers (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) in the collection of Alex Fain, with a description of a new genus and three new species, Acarologia 58 (2), pp. 265-286 : 269-270

Herpetacarus (Herpetacarus) causicolus (Jadin et Vercammen-Grandjean, 1952)

Type material examined. larva holotype ( RMCA 76143) from Boaedon lineatus Duméril, Bibron et Duméril ( Squamata : Lamprophiidae ), RWANDA, Butare (= Astrida), 2°36′S, 29°45′E, 17 Apr. 1952, collected by J. Jadin and P.H. Vercammen-Grandjean.

Additional material examined — 2 larvae ( IRSNB) from Prosymna ambigua Bocage ( Squamata : Lamprophiidae ), DR CONGO, Garamba National Park, 4°11′44′′N, 29°28′51′′E, 1945, mites collected by A. Fain; 4 larvae ( IRSNB) from Gonionotophis savorgnani (Mocquard) (= Mehelya capensis savorgnani ) ( Squamata : Lamprophiidae ) No. 18081, DR CONGO, South Kivu Province, Itula , 14 May 1950, collected by A. Fain ; 1 larva ( IRSNB) under ventral plates of G. savorgnani No. 14272, DR CONGO, North Kivu Province, Sake , Apr. 1932 , mites collected by A. Fain; 1 larva ( IRSNB) from Mochlus sundevalli (Smith) ( Squamata : Scincidae ), DR CONGO, Garamba National Park, collected by A. Fain; 4 larvae ( IRSNB) behind legs of Lepidothyris fernandi (Burton) ( Squamata : Scincidae ), DR CONGO, Tshuapa Province, Bokuma, 0°40′S, 21°01′E, collected by A. Fain.

Remarks — This species was previously recorded on four species of snakes in Butare ( Rwanda) and Bukavu ( DR Congo) ( Stekolnikov 2018). Here H. causicolus is recorded on P. ambigua , G. savorgnani , M. sundevalli , and L. fernandi for the first time.

The material from IRSNB differs from holotype in the presence of 6 setae in nd 2 dorsal row vs. 8 setae. Moreover, according to the original description, AM = PL H in. causicolus , while AM> PL in the additional material. Since all other characters in this material, including measurements ( Table 1), do not expose significant dissimilarities with the type series, I regard these differences as an example of intraspecific variation.

According to the database of US National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, there are three populated places in South Kivu Province with the name Itula and two places in North Kivu Province with the name Sake; thus, exact coordinates of these collection localities remain unknown.