Listropsoralgidae Fain, 1965

Grootaert, Patrick, 2013, Revision of the family Listropsoralgidae Fain, 1965 (Acariformes: Sarcoptoidea) - skin parasites of marsupials and rodents 3611, Zootaxa 3611 (1), pp. 1-69 : 11-12

Family Listropsoralgidae Fain, 1965

Listropsoralginae Fain, 1965: 18 ; Fain and Lukoschus 1970: 50, 1979: 387; OConnor 1982: 165, 2009: 589; Domrow 1988: 87, 1992: 1512.

Listropsoralgidae, Bochkov and Mironov 2011: 47 .

Type genus: Listropsoralges Fain, 1965

Diagnosis. In adults, supracoxal sclerite absent, opening of supracoxal glands indiscernible; laterocoxal organ scx absent; segments of anterior legs with various projections; leg setae ba I–II and wa I–II absent. In tritonymphs, legs IV rudimentary, 1–3 segmented.

Description. ADULTS. Strongly sclerotized mites with body length less than 300. Gnathosoma . Palps 2- segmented, without projections, with full complement of setae: dTi and l”Ti, dTa, solenidion ω, and 2 eupathidia ul’ and ul”. Subcapitulum with microsetae elcp dorsally and filiform setae subc ventrally. Posterior margin of subcapitulum with weakly developed median lobe. Pair of ventral retrorse spurs near bases of setae subc present or absent. Chelicerae chelate.

Idiosoma . Idiosoma inflated dorso-ventrally. Almost completely covered dorsally by propodonotal and hysteronotal shields; these shields with or without ornamentation. Supracoxal sclerite absent, opening of supracoxal glands indiscernible; laterocoxal organ scx absent. Coxal apodemes Ia not fused, their posterior ends strongly divergent. Coxal fields I with lateral retrorse projection or furrow. Coxal fields II–III with retrorse posterior projection each. Idiosomal setae (maximum set): vi, si, se, c1 (absent in most taxa), c2, cp, c3, d1 (absent in some taxa), d2, e1, e2, f2, h1 (absent in some taxa), h2, h3, ps1 (absent in some taxa), ps2, ps3, 1a, 3a, 4a, 4b, and g. Setae si situated at same level with se.

Legs. Legs 5-segmented. Legs I and II always with ambulacrum. Legs IV in most taxa distinctly shorter than legs III (slightly shorter in females of P. mordax ). Retrorse projections of legs I and II: tarsi with ventral basally spitted paraxial spur and ventral antiaxial spur; tibia with ventral spur, additional 1–2 ventral antiaxial spurs present in some taxa; genu with or without ventral antiaxial spur, femur with ventral scale, trochanters with ventral spur. Setae of legs I and II (maximum set): tarsus— d, e, f, s, la (absent in most taxa), ra, and solenidia ω 1 and ω 3 (only on tarsus I); tibia— gT and φ, genu— cG, mG, and solenidion σ, femur— vF, trochanter— pR. Setae f always short, solenidion ω 1 situated in basal half of respective tarsi, solenidion σ situated at base of respective genua.

FEMALE. Setae c2 situated almost at same level with seta cp bases. Epigynum distinctly developed, arch-like, not fused with coxal apodemes. Ovipositor opening in shape of an inverted V. Inner progenital fold and median fold of ovipositor not developed. Genital papillae present but strongly reduced and almost fused to each other. Coxal fields IV with pair of posterior projections. Opisthogastric shield present, distinctly developed. Retrorse projections of leg III: tarsus with distinct retrorse ventro-paraxial spur, tibia with distinct retrorse ventro-paraxial spur. Ambulacra of tarsi III and IV present or absent. Setae of legs III and IV (maximum set): III, tarsus— d, e, f, r (absent in some taxa), and w, tibia— kT and solenidion φ, genu—solenidion σ; trochanter sR; IV, tarsus— d, e, f, r, and w.

MALE. Genital papillae present or absent. Genital organ situated between coxal fields IV. Aedeagus short. Coxal fields IV without posterior projections. Opisthosomal lobes weakly developed or absent. Membrane structures on opisthosoma absent. Adanal suckers well developed. Adanal shield present. Setae ps2 situated laterally close to f2. Legs III enlarged; tarsus III short and slightly curved; trochanter III with ventral ridge. Ambulacra of tarsi III always absent; ambulacra of tarsi IV present or absent. Setae of legs III and IV (maximum set): III, tarsus— d, e, f, s (absent in some taxa), r, and w, tibia— kT and solenidion φ, genu—solenidion σ; trochanter sR; IV, tarsus— d, e (absent in most taxa), r, and w.

TRITONYMPH. Dorsal shield present. Coxal fields II–III with posterior projection each. Setation of idiosoma and legs I–III as in female. Idiosomal setae f absent in many species. One pair of genital papillae present. Legs IV rudimentary 1–3 segmented.

Genera included: Didelphialges gen. n., Listropsoralges Fain, 1965 , Listropsoralgoides Fain and Lukoschus, 1970 , and Petauralges Fain and Lukoschus, 1979 .

Hosts. South American and Australian marsupials of the orders Dasyuromorphia , Didelphimorphia , Diprotodontia , Paucituberculata , and South American rodents of the family Echimyidae .