Protolichus magnificus Favette et Trouessart, 1904

Mironov, Sergey V. & Dabert, Jacek, 2010, Systematic revision of the feather mite genus Protolichus Trouessart, 1884 (Astigmata, Pterolichidae), Zootaxa 2526, pp. 1-36 : 15-18

Protolichus magnificus Favette et Trouessart, 1904

( Figs 7 , 8 , 11 B, 15A, B)

Protolichus (s. str.) magnificus Favette and Trouessart 1904: 139, Pl. VI (part; male, fig. 7; not fig. 8, female of crassior group); Dubinin 1956: 294, fig. 140B.

Protolichus magnificus: Gaud and Atyeo 1996: 132 .

Material examined. Heteromorph male lectotype and heteromorph male paralectotype (1 slide, TRT 34A11) ex Pseudeos fuscata (Blyth, 1858) , New Guinea, date and collector unknown; lectotype designated here. Heteromorph male ( TRT 34A10) same host, Australia, no other data. Homeomorph male, 3 females (AMU Br17), same host, New Guinea, Bougainville Island, no other data.

Description. Heteromorph male (lectotype, measurements for 1 paralectotype in parentheses). Idiosoma, length x width 560 (575) x 305 (285). Subcapitulum with posterior margin strongly convex in median part, postero-lateral angles with a pair of oblique crests ( Fig. 8 F). Prodorsal shield with posterior margin slightly convex, length along midline 140 (142), surface monotonously punctate, transverse bar across scapular setae weakly sclerotized. Setae si spiculiform, 48 (55) long. Distance between scapular setae: se:se 60 (58), si:si 30 (32). Hysterosoma 415 (435) long. Length of hysteronotal shield 400 (420), greatest width 225 (230), anterior margin straight, surface monotonously punctate, with poorly expressed network pattern in central part ( Fig. 7 A). Opisthosomal lobes elongate, attenuate apically, tips of lobes rounded, dorsal surface of lobes without transverse crests ( Fig. 15 A). Supranal concavity poorly developed. Terminal cleft as an inverted U, length 95 (100), width at level of setae e1 30 (26). Setae c2 spiculiform 35 (43) long; setae d2 setiform, 10 (15) long; setae e2 represented by thick macrosetae extending to or slightly beyond lobar apices, 125 (130) long; setae e1 setiform, situated posterior to level of macrosetae h2; setae f2 spatuliform with bidentate or obliquely cut apical part. Distance between dorsal setae: c2:d2 128 (135), d2:e2 138 (145), e2:h3 110 (112), e2: e1 80 (78), e2:e2 125 (130), h2:h2 85 (90), h3:h3 78 (70), ps1:ps1 60 (57), e2:h2 65 (68), h2:h3 -42 (40), h2: e1 12 (10), ps1:h3 22 (25). Genital apparatus 28 x 20 (22 x 16), its base at midlevel of trochanters IV. Paragenital apodemes with anterior ends connected to epimerites IIIa, middle parts of apodemes connected by large but weakly sclerotized transverse bridge ( Fig. 7 B). Distance between ventral setae: 3b:3a 8 (5), 3a:g 15 (18), g:4a 58 (62), 4a:ps3 115 (112). Diameter of anal suckers 22 (22).

Legs II approximately 1.8–2 times longer than legs I. Tarsus I with crest-like ventral extension stretching along entire segment; proximal angle of this extension rounded ( Figs 8 A, B). Tibia, genu and femur I without any apophyses; solenidion φ of tibia I smooth. Tarsus II with large rectangular ventral extension bearing setae ra, wa on its apex ( Figs 8 C, D). Tibia II with short tubercle-like ventral apophysis and with low dorsal crest; solenidion φ smooth. Genu II with acute antero-dorsal extension and with small antero-ventral tubercle bearing seta mG II; seta cG II setiform, 1.8–2 times longer than segment. Tarsus IV slightly longer than corresponding tibia; setae d and e unequal in structure: setae d spiculiform, with clear basal ring, seta e as thick poorly sclerotized spine ( Fig. 8 E).

Homeomorph male (1 specimen from additional material). Subcapitulum with posterior margin strongly convex, central part with numerous transverse striae ( Fig. 8 I)). Terminal cleft as a narrow inverted U, approximately 3 times longer than wide; apices of opisthosomal lobes obliquely cut, dorsal surface of terminal part without transverse crest ( Fig. 15 B). Anterior ends of paragenital apodemes not connected with epimerites IIIa; transverse bridge between middle parts of paragenital apodemes absent.

Legs II 1.3 times longer than legs I. Tarsi I, II with short blunt-angular ventral margin ( Figs 8 G, H). Tibiae I, II with scarcely distinct ventral tubercules. Genua I, II with distinct ventral tubercles. Setae cG of genu II thickened, 1.2–1.3 times longer than segment.

Measurements: Idiosoma, length x width, 505 x 280. Prodorsal shield 128 long. Setae si 40 long. Distance between scapular setae: se:se 70, si:si 40. Hysterosoma 370 long. Hysteronotal shield: greatest length 360, greatest width 210. Terminal cleft 65 x 22. Setae c2 spiculiform, 22 long; setae d2 10 long; setae e2 missing in specimen. Distances between dorsal setae: c2:d2 120, d2:e2 135, e2:h3 86, e2: e1 66, e2:e2 125, h2:h2 80, h3:h3 68, ps1:ps1 52, e2:h2 58, h2:h3 30, h2: e1 10, ps1:h3 18. Genital apparatus 28 x 22. Distance between ventral setae: 3b:3a 15, 3a:g 15, g:4a 55, 4a:ps3 110. Diameter of anal suckers 22.

Female (3 females, additional material). Gnathosoma as in homeomorph male. Idiosoma, length x width, 440–465 x 255–270. Prodorsal shield with posterior margin straight, length along midline 120–125, surface above sclerotized inflations of epimerites I, II with distinct wavy striation, remaining areas monotonously punctate, transverse band across scapular setae poorly sclerotized ( Fig. 11 B). Setae si spiculiform, 38–45 long. Distance between scapular setae: se:se 78–82, si:si 45–48. Hysterosoma 310–330 long. Hysteronotal shield: length 295–320, width 200–215, anterior margin almost straight, surface uniformly punctate with fine transverse striation laterally and net-like pattern in anterior part; subtegumental sclerotizations in posterolateral part of opisthosoma strongly enlarged, bean-shaped. Setae c2 spiculiform; setae d2 filiform, short; setae e2 flattened, saber-shaped; setae f2 with narrow membranous enlargement in basal part; setae ps1 and ps2 setiform, ps1 shorter than half-width of idiosoma, setae e1 situated at level of cupules im. Length of lateral hysteronotal setae: c 2 20–25, d 2 10–15, e2 70 –75, f2 35–38. Distance between hysteronotal setae: c2:d2 112– 115, d2:e2 125–140, e2:h3 75–80, e2:e2, 150–158, h2:h2 75–82, ps1:ps 1 25–32. Epigynum bow-shaped, 13– 20 x 45 –50. Setae mG of genu I, II setiform.

Type host and locality. Pseudeos fuscata, New Guinea.

Remark. Favette and Trouessart (1904) described this species from Ps. fuscata based on males and females. Males of P. magnificus have a quite distinct appearance with extraordinary elongated legs II and noticeably elongated opisthosomal lobes ( Fig. 7 B). The slide 34A11 contains 2 heteromorph males and 2 females and bears the additional mark “ Lectotype male, paralectotype male” (supposedly by W.T. Atyeo). However, only the males represent P. magnificus in this slide, while both females actually belong to some species of the crassior rather than brachiatus group. Simple setiform setae e 2 in these females (the diagnostic character of the crassior group) are even recognizable in the original figure ( Favette & Trouessart 1904: Pl. VI, Fig. 8 ). Thus, the type series of P. magnificus contains only heteromorph males. Descriptions of the female and homeomorph male of P. magnificus in the present work are based on the additional collections from the type host.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Protolichus magnificus, heteromorph male. A—dorsal view, B—ventral view.

FIGURE 8. Protolichus magnificus, male. A—leg I of heteromorph male, dorsal view, B—tarsus I of heteromorph male, ventral view, C—leg II of heteromorph male, dorsal view, D—genu, tibia and tarsus of leg I in heteromorph male, ventral view, E—tibia and tarsus IV of heteromorph male, dorsal view, F—gnathosoma of heteromorph male, ventral view, Gleg I of homeomorph male, dorsal view, H—leg II of homeomorph male, dorsal view, I—gnathosoma of homeomorph male, ventral view.

FIGURE 11. Protolichus females, dorsal view. A— Protolichus strangulatus, B— P. magnificus.

FIGURE 15. Dorsal view of male opisthosoma of Protolichus magnificus (A, B) and P. crassior (C, D). A, Cheteromorph male, B, D—homeomorph male.