Alloptes (Conuralloptes) neolimosae, Han & Mironov & Min, 2022

Han, Yeong-Deok, Mironov, Sergey V. & Min, Gi-Sik, 2022, Two new species of feather mites (Acariformes, Astigmata) from the black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa (Charadriiformes, Scolopacidae), in Korea, ZooKeys 1088, pp. 81-97 : 81

Alloptes (Conuralloptes) neolimosae sp. nov.

Type material.

Male holotype (NIBR no. NIBRIV0000895968), 2 male and 3 female paratypes (NIBR no. NIBRIV0000895969-NIBRIV0000895973) from flight feathers on wings of Limosa limosa ( Charadriiformes , Scolopacidae ), Korea, Chungcheongnam-do, Asan-si, 36°48'58"N, 127°2'45"E, 18 May 2017, collected by Han Y.-D.; 3 male and 3 female paratypes (NIBR no. NIBRIV0000895978-NIBRIV0000895983) from the same host species, Korea, Chungcheongnam-do, Seosan-si, 37°0'12"N, 126°24'5"E, 6 July 2012, collected by Han Y.-D.

Description.

Male (Figs 1 , 3A-E , 4A, B, D ; holotype, range for 4 paratypes in parentheses). Idiosoma, length × width, 283 (270-305) × 143 (135-153). Length of hysterosoma 163 (158-168). Prodorsal shield: length 83 (81-90), width at posterior margin 85 (80-89), posterior margin concave, distance between setae se 98 (96-104). Hysteronotal shield (Fig. 1A ): greatest length 173 (163-185), width at anterior margin 60 (57-62), anterior margin straight, surface without ornamentation, lateral margins with small incision at bases of setae d2. Distance between prodorsal and hysteronotal shields along midline 19 (10-20). Subhumeral setae c3 narrowly lanceolate, 16 (13-16) × 2 (2-2.5). Posterior part of opisthosoma gradually attenuate posteriorly, without terminal enlargement, width of distal part at level of setae h2 37 (35-39). Lateral borders of opisthosoma at level of articulation between trochanter and femur IV S-shaped. Interlobar septum 47 (46-49) in length. Terminal lamella monotonously transparent, with six festoons, incision between inner pair slit-like. Setae h3 absent, setae ps2 greatly reduced (Fig. 3A ). Setae h2 slightly enlarged and flattened in basal half, greatest width 5 (5.5-6.5) (Figs 1A , 4D ). Dorsal measurements: c2: d2 37 (41-43), d2: ps1 128 (118-128).

Epimerites I fused into a Y (Fig. 1B ). Pregenital sclerites connected to inner ends of epimerites IIIa and anterior margin of paragenital arch, distant from each other (Fig. 3A ). Genital-anal field 96 (91-103) in length. Genital arch 17 (17-20) × 15 (14-19). Coxal setae 4b situated posterior to setae 3a. Setae 4a on small roughly ovate sclerites. Ventral measurements: 3a: 4b 5 (3-5), 4b: g 20 (20-26), 4b: 4a 56 (55-63), g: ps3 26 (23-27), ps3: ps1 61 (59-66), 4a: 4a 88 (85-91).

Setae mG I and mG II spine-like, with acute and bluntly rounded apices, respectively (Fig. 3B, C ). Leg IV 138 (138-150) in length. Tarsus IV 27 (28-31) in length, with claw-like apical process; setae d and e minute spine-like, seta e situated near base of apical process (Fig. 3E ).

Female (Figs 2 , 3F-G , 4C ; range for 5 paratypes). Idiosoma, length × width, 340-360 × 130-145 (Fig. 2A ). Hysterosoma 230-245 long. Prodorsal shield: shaped as in male, 80-85 × 78-90, distance between setae se 91-100. Setae c3 lanceolate, 12-14 × 2-2.5. Hysteronotal shield: 240-255 × 54-57, anterior margin straight or slightly concave, surface without ornamentation. Setae h1 situated anterior to setae e2. Setae f2 and ps1 present. Distance between prodorsal and hysteronotal shields along midline 17-24. Supranal concavity ovate, separated from terminal cleft. Opisthosomal lobes well developed, approximately as long as wide at base, terminal cleft as an inverted U, 27-30 long (Fig. 2A ). Dorsal measurements: c2: d2 55-61, d2: e2 98-103, e2: h2 43-50, h2: h3 20-23, h2: h2 62-70, h3: h3 35-45.

Bases of trochanters I, II flanked by narrow sclerotized bands connecting bases of corresponding epimerites (Fig. 2B ). Epimerites IVa barely distinct. Epigynum bow-shaped, 25-26 × 45-47. Ambulacral discs of legs IV extending to or slightly beyond level of setae f2 (Figs 2B , 4C ).

Differential diagnosis.

Among the 23 previously described species in the subgenus Alloptes Conuralloptes ( Gaud 1972; Vasyukova and Mironov 1991; Mironov and Palma 2006; Han et al. 2021), the new species Alloptes (C.) neolimosae sp. nov. is most similar to A. (C.) limosae Dubinin, 1951 found on the same host, L. limosa . These Alloptes species share the following characteristics in males: the pregenital sclerites connecting the paragenital arch and inner ends of epimerites IIIa are widely separated from each other, and setae ps3 are situated anterior to coxal setae 4a ( Dubinin 1951; Gaud 1972; Han and Min 2019a). Alloptes (C.) neolimosae sp. nov. differs from A. (C.) limosae in having the following characteristics: in males, the anterior margin of the hysteronotal shield is straight, the lateral margins of the opisthosoma are S-shaped, setae h2 are enlarged (5.5-6.5 wide) and slightly flattened in the basal half, and the terminal lamella is monotonously transparent without sclerotized patches (Fig. 4A, B, D ); in females, the terminal cleft is longer (27-30 long), and ambulacral discs of legs IV extend to or slightly beyond the level of setae f2 (Fig. 4C ). In males of A. (C.) limosae , the anterior margin of the hysteronotal shield is slightly concave, the lateral borders of the opisthosoma are straight or slightly concave, setae h2 are rod-shaped without noticeable expansion, and the terminal lamella has three pairs of small crescent-shaped sclerites (Fig. 4E, F, H ); in females, the terminal cleft is shorter (20-21 long), and ambulacral discs of legs IV extend to the level of setae h2 (Fig. 4G ).

Remarks.

The specimens of A. (C.) limosae used here to illustrate morphological differences are those examined by Han and Min (2019a).

In contrast to the original description of A. (C.) limosae by Dubinin (1951: fig. 65) and the illustration by Vasyukova and Mironov (1991: fig. 72), the drawing of that species by Gaud (1972: fig. 26a) clearly shows that the males are characterized by an opisthosoma having distinctly S-shaped lateral margins and enlarged setae h2. This tends to indicate that the specimens examined by Gaud are probably those of the same species we describe herein, A. (C.) neolimosae sp. nov.

The occurrence of two closely related species of the genus Alloptes on Limosa limosa could most probably be explained by their origin from the common ancestor in different parts of the geographic range of this host. The black-tailed godwit has a very wide nesting range in Eurasia, from Iceland to Chukotka peninsular, which is split into several isolated populations in eastern part of Asia ( Gill et al. 2021; Zhu et al. 2021). Since we found both mites, A. (C.) limosae and A. (C.) neolimosae sp. nov., on the same individual of Limosa limosa , it is possible to speculate that bird populations where these species originated are presently mixed or rejoined.

Etymology.

The Latin prefix neo (new) of the specific name reflects the close affinity to the previously described A. (C.) limosae .

Molecular data.

We obtained a 582 bp fragment sequence of the COI gene from four individuals of Alloptes (C.) neolimosae sp. nov. (NIBR no. NIBRIV0000895972-73, NIBRIV0000895980, NIBRIV0000895983), and the COI sequences were deposited in GenBank with NCBI accession numbers OM102971-OM102974. Intraspecific genetic distances based on 531 bp sequences of the COI gene from A. (C.) neolimosae ranged from 0.0% to 0.2%. Comparatively, interspecific genetic distances within the genus Alloptes ranged from 16.6% to 30.1%, with that between A. (C.) neolimosae and A. (C.) limosae being 21.7% (Table 2 ).

Figures

Figure 1. Alloptes (Conuralloptes) neolimosae sp. nov., male A dorsal view B ventral view.

Figure 2. Alloptes (Conuralloptes) neolimosae sp. nov., female A dorsal view B ventral view.

Figure 3. Alloptes (Conuralloptes) neolimosae sp. nov., details A opisthosoma of male, dorsal view B leg I of male C leg II of male D leg III of male E tibia and tarsus IV of male F leg III of female G leg IV of female.

Figure 4. Alloptes species A-D Alloptes (Conuralloptes) neolimosae sp. nov. E-H A. (C.) limosae. A, E hysteronotal shield of males B, F opisthosomal lobes of males C, G opisthosomal lobes of females D, H setae h 2 of males.