Pterygosoma persicus Hirst, 1917

Fajfer, Monika, 2020, A systematic revision of the scale mite genus Pterygosoma Peters, 1849 (Acariformes: Pterygosomatidae), Zootaxa 4805 (1), pp. 1-147 : 43-45

Pterygosoma persicus Hirst, 1917 ( Figs 33 and 34 )

Pterygosoma persicus Hirst, 1917: 136

Pterygosoma persicum Hirst, 1926: 197 , fig. 17; Jack 1962: 288, fig. 25

Type host: Laudakia nupta (Sauria: Agamidae ). Type locality: Iran (Kermanshah).

Redescription. FEMALE (based on neotype and 2 additional females from type host species, Laudakia nupta ). Gnathosoma . Chelicerae 190–230 long; swollen cheliceral part 85–90 long, slender distal part 110–140 long. Fixed cheliceral digit with spinous process, about 15 long. Setae dF 35–40 long; setae dG 25–30 long. Palpal tibia with slender claw. Palpal tarsi with 4 setae. Subcapitular setae n absent. Peritremes 145–160 long. Hypostome about 165 long, with smooth rounded apex. Idiosoma 550–615 long and 1145–1155 wide. Dorsum. Antero-lateral part with 17–22 pairs of slightly serrate setae, 15–20 long; anterior group consisting of 5–6 setae, lateral group consisting of 11–16 setae. One smooth setae, 25–30 long, present posterior to lateral groups. Medial part with 3 pairs of dorsomedian setae dm1–dm3. Setae dm1 filiform, 20–25 long, setae dm2 and dm3 with barely discernible serration 20–30 and 40–50 long, respectively. Postero-lateral part with 10–22 pairs of filiform setae: 2 pairs of shorter setae, 35–75 long, situated laterally and 10–20 pairs of longer setae, 230–275 long, situated posteriorly. Eyes absent. Venter with 3 pairs of setae: vm1 and vm2 filiform, vm3 with barely discernible serration. Genital slit situated mainly dorsally. Genital series represented by 1 pair of minute setae g1 (visible only in 1 specimen) and 3 pairs of conspicuous spinelike setae g2–g4. Pseudanal series represented by 1 pair of slightly serrate setae ps1 and 9–10 pairs of filiform setae ps2–p11. Legs as in persicum group i. e. setae of trochanters I–IV (1–1–1–1), femora I–IV (3–1–1–1), genua I–IV (3–1–1–1), tibiae I–IV (5–3–3–3). All setae on each podomere filiform. Setation of tarsi I−IV as in group A i. e. tarsi: I 13 setae (ft, tc’, tc”, p’, p”, a’, a”, it’, it”, u’, u”, vs’, vs”) and solenidion ω1; II 8 setae (tc’, p’, p”, a’, a”, u’, u”, vs’) and ω1; III and IV with 8 setae each (tc’, p’, p”, a’, a”, u’, u”, vs’). Setae tc’ of legs II–IV and a’, a”, u’, u” of legs I–IV smooth, all setae vs’ and vs” smooth except for vs’ of legs II.

MALE (based on description presented in Jack 1962b, amended). Gnathosoma as in female. Chelicerae about 180 long; swollen cheliceral part about 75 long, slender distal part about 105 long. Fixed cheliceral digit with spinous process, about 10 long. Hypostome with smooth rounded apex. Idiosoma 340–380 long and 705–720 wide. Dorsum with 3 groups of setae: anterior group consisting of 8–10 pairs of slightly serrate short setae, 20–45 long; postero-lateral group of 3 pairs of setae, 80–100 long; medial part with 2 pairs of dorso-median setae dm1 and dm2, 40–50 and about 25 long, respectively. Peripheral setae represented by 5 pairs of smooth fine-pointed setae 125–220 long, 4 of them situated postero-laterally, 1 pair situated medially. Eyes absent. Aedeagus about 190 long, directed backwards; genito-anal opening with 4 pair of filiform setae, 1 pair situated dorsally, 3 pairs situated ventrally. Venter. Setae vm1 filiform, vm2 and vm3 slightly serrate. Legs as in female.

PROTONYMPH (based on description presented in Jack 1962b, amended). Gnathosoma as in female. Chelicerae about 160 long; swollen cheliceral part about 65 long slender distal part about 95 long. Idiosoma 350–385 long and 765–830 wide. Dorsum with slightly serrate setae, about 20 long; anterior group consisting of 3 setae, lateral group consisting of 3 setae. One smooth seta posterior to lateral groups, about 30 long. Medial part with 4 pairs of dorsomedian setae dm1–dm4 about 20, 30, 20 and 50 long, respectively. Postero-lateral part with 6 pairs of filiform setae: 2 pairs of shorter setae, 50–75 long, situated laterally and 4 pairs of longer setae, 85–170 long, situated posteriorly. Eyes absent. Venter as in female. Genital series represented by 1 pair of setae situated ventrally. Pseudanal series represented by 4 pairs of setae ps. Setae ps1 and ps2 situated ventrally, 20–30 long; setae ps3 and ps4 situated dorsally, 40–55 long. Legs as in female.

Type material (not examined). Type specimens described from Laudakia nupta (de Filippi) (Sauria: Agamidae ) from IRAN: Kermanshah Province, Kermanshah.

Type material deposition. The type material is lost ( Hirst 1917, 1926) (Janet Beccaloni, personal communication).

Neotype (examined). One female neotype ( NHM no. 1966.2.22.851–860) from Laudakia nupta ( NHM no. 1926.12.31.88), IRAN: 60 miles North-West of Kermanshah, 31 December 1926, coll. unknown

Non-type material (examined). One female ( NHM no. 1966.2.22.852) from Laudakia nupta ( NHM no. 1926.12.31.86) IRAN: 60 miles North-West of Kermanshah, 31 December 1926; coll. unknown; 1 female ( NHM no. 1966.2.22.860) from same host species ( NHM no. 1926.12.31.89) and locality, 31 December 1926, coll. unknown .

Host and distribution. This species is known only from Laudakia nupta from Iran [Kermanshah Province, Kermanshah] ( Hirst 1917, 1926) and Middle East ( Jack 1962b).

Remarks. In the specimens loaned from the NHM, 10–11 pairs of the pseudanal setae and 10–22 of the peripheral setae situated postero-laterally are present (as in the original description of the species in Hirst 1917) vs. presence of 6–9 pairs of the pseudanal setae and 15–16 pairs of the peripheral setae situated postero-laterally according to Jack’s (1962b) redescription.

Furthermore, in accordance with Article 75.3 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 1999, 2012) I designate one of the female specimens from the NHM as a neotype of Pterygosoma persicus Hirst, 1917 with the purpose of clarifying the taxonomic status of the species. P. persicus was originally described by Hirst (1917) and later illustrated in Hirst (1926). To my knowledge, none of the original type series of Hirst’s collection are extant. However, based on Hirst’s type specimens and newly collected mites Jack (1962b) redescribed the species, described male and protonymph, and provided data about new localities. For these reasons the specimen is suitable for designation as the neotype.

Based on the close morphological similarity of the specimen loaned from NHM from the type locality and type host to the original description of the species ( Hirst 1917), I designate a neotype ( NHM no. 1966.2.22.851–860) and present a redescription of the species above .

Figures

FIGURE 33. Pterygosoma persicus Hirst, 1917, female. A, dorsal view; B, ventral view.

FIGURE 34. Pterygosoma persicus Hirst, 1917, female. A, gnathosoma in dorsal view; B, tarsus I in ventro-lateral view; C, tarsus II in lateral view.