Geckobiella pyriformis (Newell and Ryckman)

Paredes-León, Ricardo, Klompen, Hans & Pérez, Tila M., 2012, Systematic revision of the genera Geckobiella Hirst, 1917 and Hirstiella Berlese, 1920 (Acari: Prostigmata: Pterygosomatidae) with description of a new genus for American species parasites on geckos formerly placed in Hirstiella, Zootaxa 3510, pp. 1-40 : 11

Geckobiella pyriformis (Newell and Ryckman) new combination

Hirstiella pyriformis Newell and Ryckman, 1964: 164 .

Diagnosis. Female. Prodorsal shield pyriform (anterior margin not sharply defined) with 1 pair of setae (sci) ( Fig. 2 E). Tarsus III with residual alveolus or minute pore.

Male. Well-defined prodorsal shield absent. Trochanter IV without setae (1 seta present in female); genua IV with a large, hollow ensiform seta (v’) and tibia with 1 solid spine-like seta (v”), both covered with short, spinose ornamentation ( Newell & Ryckman 1964).

Type. HOLOTYPE depositary unknown; female, male and deutonymphal PARATYPES ( USNMC and AMNH).

Type locality. San Esteban Island, Gulf of California, Baja California, Mexico.

Type host. Sauromalus varius Dickerson.

Material examined. 15 female, 4 male, 1 deutonymphal PARATYPES ex Sauromalus varius , MEXICO, Baja California, San Esteban Island, 28° 20’ N, - 112° 37’ W, 23 May 1963, coll. R. E. Ryckman, A. E. Ryckman and C. P. Christianson ( USNMC). 5 females, 5 males ex Ctenosaura hemilopha , MEXICO, Sonora, Hermosillo, Centro Ecológico de Sonora, 11 March 1986, coll. G. Lara ( CNAC 007033–42).

Remarks. This species appears to be a specific ectoparasite of Iguanidae lizards (see Table 2 ). Baker (1998) reports this species from USA based on paratypes deposited at the Natural History Museum, London, but in the original description Newell and Ryckman (1964) mentioned this species only from Baja California, México. This confusion must be due to the fact that the microscope slides are labeled as Loma Linda, California, USA. However, Newell and Ryckman (1964) mentioned that the description was based from mites collected in a laboratory colony of Sauromalus varius at Loma Linda University, but that the lizards originated from San Esteban Island.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Prodorsal shields of the species of Geckobiella. A, G. trombidiiformis; B, G. p e l a e z i; C, G. boneti; D, G. bakeri; E, G. pyriformis; F, G. javieri; G, G. diolii; H, G. donnae sp. nov. Scale bar 100 µm.