Syringophiloidus microcerculus Sikora and Skoracki

Sikora, Bozena, Fajfer, Monika, Kavetska, Katarzyna & Skoracki, Maciej, 2012, Three new species of quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) parasitizing the wrens (Aves: Troglodytidae), Zootaxa 3167, pp. 57-65: 58-60

Syringophiloidus microcerculus Sikora and Skoracki  Edit sp. nov.

( Figs 1–6)

Description. FEMALE (holotype, 9 paratypes). Total body length 570 (560–655). Gnathosoma  Edit . Infracapitulum apunctate. Each medial branch of peritremes with 2–3 chambers, each lateral branch with 8–9 chambers with striae ornamentation. Stylophore 145 (145) long. Movable cheliceral digit 115 (115–120) long. Idiosoma  Edit . Propodonotal shield weakly sclerotized, striae visible, apunctate. Length ratio of setae vi: ve: si 1: 1: 2–3. Propodonotal setae thin and with delicate ornamentation. Setae c 1 slightly (1.2 times) longer than d 2. Hysteronotal shield weakly sclerotized, not fused to pygidial shield. Pygidial shield reduced to small shield bearing bases of terminal setae (f 1, f 2, h 1 and h 2). Setae d 2 1.1–1.2 times longer than e 2. Setae f 1 and h 1 subequal in length. Genital plate absent. Both pairs of genital setae subequal in length. Length ratio of setae ag 1: ag 2: ag 3 1: 1: 1.3. Setae ps 1 and ps 2 subequal in length. Coxal fields I–IV sparsely punctate. Setae 3 c 2.3–2.7 times longer than 3 b. Legs. Fan-like setae p’ and p” of legs III and IV with 7–8 tines. Setae tc”III–IV 1.6–1.7 times longer than tc’III–IV. Lengths of setae: vi 15 (15), ve 15 (15), si 35 (35–70), se 200 (195–205), c 1 (190–205), c 2 180 (160–175), d 1 (130–150), d 2 170 (145), e 2 140 (125– 140), f 1 15 (15), f 2 185 (200–220), h 1 15 (15), h 2 315 (270–305), ps 1 15 (15), ps 2 15 (15), g 1 25 (20–25), g 2 25 (20–25), ag 1 125 (125–130), ag 2 (120–140), ag 3 165 (155–160), tc’III– IV 35 (35–40), tc” III–IV 55 (55–65), 3 b (30–35), 3 c (80), l’RIII 40 (40–50), l’RIV 40 (35–40).

MALE. Not found.

Type material. Female holotype and 15 female paratypes from Microcerculus  Edit marginatus (Sclater); BRASIL, Para, Peixe-Boi, 5 May 1910, coll. L. Müller. Mites removed by M. Skoracki.

Type deposition. All type material is deposited in the AMU (AMU–SYR. 349), except 2 female paratypes in the ZISP ( ZISP AVB 011- 2908 -002) and 2 female paratypes in the ZSM ( ZSMA 20112001).

Etymology. The specific name microcerculus  Edit is taken from the generic name of the type host and is a noun in apposition.

Differential diagnosis. S. microcerculus  Edit sp. nov. is morphologically similar to S. sialius Skoracki, Flannery & Spicer, 2009  Edit described ex Sialia mexicana Swainson  Edit ( Passeriformes  Edit : Turdidae  Edit ) from USA ( Skoracki et al. 2009). In females of both species each medial branch of the peritremes has 2–3 elongated chambers, setae si are distinctly longer than vi; setae vi and ve are subequal in the length; hysteronotal setae (d 1, d 2 and e 2) are subequal in length; the propodonotal shield is punctate; aggenital setae ag 1 and ag 2 are subequal in length. This new species differs from S. sialius  Edit by the following characters: in females of S. microcerculus  Edit , the infracapitulum is apunctate; each medial branch of the peritremes has 8–9 chambers; length of the stylophore is 145; propodonotal setae vi, ve and si are with delicate ornamentation; length of setae si is variable but no longer than 65; the hysteronotal shield is weakly sclerotized and the cuticular striae are visible; the coxal fields are sparsely punctate. In females of the S. sialius  Edit , the infracapitulum is punctuate; each medial branch of the peritremes has 11–12 chambers; length of the stylophore is 165–170; propodonotal setae vi, ve and si are smooth; length of setae si is 145–180; the hysteronotal shield is well sclerotized and the cuticular striae are invisible; the coxal fields are densely punctate.

Figures

FIGURES 1 and 2. Syringophiloidus microcerculus sp. nov., female. 1, in dorsal view; 2, in ventral view.

FIGURES 3 – 6. Syringophiloidus microcerculus sp. nov., female. 3, peritremes; 4, propodonotal setae vi, ve and si; 5, solenidia of leg I; 6, fan-like seta p’ of leg III.