Megasyringophilus cacatua, Glowska, Eliza & Laniecka, Izabella, 2013

Glowska, Eliza & Laniecka, Izabella, 2013, Two new quill mite species (Prostigmata: Syringophilidae) parasitizing Australian birds, Zootaxa 3670 (3), pp. 385-390 : 386-390

Megasyringophilus cacatua sp. nov.

( Figs. 6–15 )

Female (holotype). Total body length 1535. Gnathosoma . Infracapitulum apunctate. Hypostomal apex poorly visible. Stylophore apunctate, constricted posteriorly, 445 long. Movable cheliceral digit 335 long. Medial branches of peritremes with poorly discernible chambers, lateral branches invisible ( Fig. 8 ). Idiosoma .

Propodonotal shield well sclerotized, apunctate. Propodonotal setae arranged 2–1–1–1–1. Length ratio of setae vi:ve:si 1:5:5. Hysteronotal shield fused to pygidial shield, apunctate. Terminal setae f1, f2, h1, and h2 long. Setae g1 1.7 times longer than g2 and 2.5 times longer than pseudanal setae ps1, 2. Length ratio of setae ag1:ag2:ag3 1.1:1:1.7. All coxal fields apunctate. Legs. Claws of legs I–IV without basal angle. Setae tc” 1.3 times longer than tc’. Fan–like setae p’ and p” multiserrate, with ca. 40 tines. Lengths of setae: vi 115, ve 570, si 555, se 535, c2 345, c1 500, d2 500, d1 365, e2 355, f1 745, f2 595, h1 785, h2 785, ag1 320, ag2 280, ag3 485, ps1 and ps2 105, g1 250, g2 145, tc’ 105, tc” 135, l’RIII 215, l’RIV 155.

Male (paratype). Total body length 1380. Gnathosoma . Infracapitulum apunctate. Stylophore constricted posteriorly, apunctate, 345 long. Movable cheliceral digit 335 long. Median branches of peritremes with poorly discernible borders between chambers. Lateral branches invisible ( Fig. 13 ). Idiosoma . Propodonotal shield with deeply concaved anterior margin, punctate. Length ratio of setae vi:ve:si 1:3:3. Setae si and c2 situated at same transversal level, setae se situated posterior to them. Hysteronotal shield apunctate. Setae d2 1.6 times longer than d1. Setae h2 3.4 times longer than f2. Setae ag2 1.3 times longer than ag1. Claws of legs I–IV without basal angle ( Fig. 14 ). Setae tc” III–IV twice longer than tc’III–IV. Fan-like setae p’ and p” multiserrate ( Fig. 15 ). Lengths of setae: vi 105, ve 310, si 310, se 380, c2 430, c1 390, d2 355, d1 220, e2 155, f2 125, h2 430, ag1 330, ag2 430, ps1 20, ps2 30, g1 15, g2 30, tc’ 80, tc” 155.

Type material. Female holotype and male paratype from Cacatua galerita (Latham) ( Psittaciformes : Psittacidae ), AUSTRALIA: Mount Hart, 10 September 1976, coll. Kimberley Expedition.

Type deposition. Holotype and paratype are deposited in the Biozentrum Grindel und Zoologisches Museum Hamburg in the University of Hamburg, Germany.

Etymology. The name cacatua refers to the generic name of the host.

Differential diagnosis. This new species Megasyringophilus cacatua sp. nov. is morphologically similar to M. platycercus Bochkov and Fain described from Platycercus eximius (Shaw) ( Psittaciformes : Psittacidae ) ( Bochkov & Fain 2003). Females of both species have claws of legs III–IV without basal angle and stylophore constricted posteriorly. Females of M. cacatua sp. nov. are distinguishable from M. platycercus by the length ratio of setae vi: ve 1:5, g2:ag1 1:2, and by the presence of the hysteronotal shield. In females of M. platycercus , the length ratio of setae vi:ve is 1:2.3, g2, and ag1 are subequal in the length and the hysteronotal shield is absent.

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 9. Megasyringophilus cacatua sp. nov., female: 6 — dorsal view, 7 — ventral view, 8 — peritremes, 9 — fan-like setae p’ of legs III – IV. Scale bars: 6, 7 = 200 µm; 8, 9 = 100 µm.

FIGURES 10 – 15. Megasyringophilus cacatua sp. nov., male: 10 — dorsal view, 11 — ventral view, 12 — hypostomal apex, 13 — peritremes, 14 — claw of leg III, 15 — fan-like setae p’ of legs III – IV. Scale bars: 10, 11 = 250 µm; 12 – 15 = 100 µm.