Pterygosoma inermis ( Trägårdh, 1905 ), Hirst, 1926

Fajfer, Monika, 2020, A systematic revision of the scale mite genus Pterygosoma Peters, 1849 (Acariformes: Pterygosomatidae), Zootaxa 4805 (1), pp. 1-147 : 34-35

Pterygosoma inermis ( Trägårdh, 1905) ( Figs 26 and 27 )

Geckobia (Eupterygosoma) inermis Trägårdh, 1905: 20 , figs 11–13, 15–18, 36–38

Pterygosoma inermis Hirst, 1926: 196 ; Jack 1962: 287

Type host: Stellagama stellio (Sauria: Agamidae ). Type locality: Egypt (Cairo).

Redescription. FEMALE (based on 1 neotype and 2 additional specimens from type host species, Stellagama stellio ). Gnathosoma . Chelicerae 170–175 long; swollen cheliceral part 80–85 long, slender distal part 90 long. Fixed cheliceral digit 15 long, with spinous process. Seta dF and dG, 45 and 35 long, respectively. Palpal tibia with short claw. Palpal tarsi with 3 setae. Subcapitulum with filiform setae n, 20 long. Peritremes about 145 long. Hypostome 100 long, with smooth rounded apex. Idiosoma 435 – 450 long and 715–770 wide. Dorsum. Antero-lateral part with slightly serrate setae, 20–40 long. Anterior group consisting of 5–11 setae, lateral group consisting of 3–9 setae. One smooth or very slightly serrate seta, 50–60 long, present posterior to lateral groups. Medial part with 3 pairs of dorso-median setae dm1–dm3 25–35, 50 and 70 long, respectively. Setae dm1 filiform, setae dm2 and dm3 paddle-shaped. Postero-lateral part of idiosoma with 5–7 pairs of paddle-shaped setae, 110–150 long, with minute spicules on apical part. Eyes absent. Venter with filiform ventro-median setae vm1–vm3. Genital slit situated terminally. Genital series represented by spine-like conspicuous setae g1–g4, about 20 long. Pseudanal series represented by 1 pair of smooth or very slightly serrate setae ps1, 20–25 long, and 4–5 pairs of apically expanded setae ps2–ps6, 40–55 long. Setae ps1 and ps2 situated ventrally, setae ps3 terminally, ps4 and ps5 dorsally. Legs as in inermis group i.e. setae of trochanters I–IV (1–1–1–1), femora I–IV (3–1–1–1), genua I–IV (2–0–0–1), 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”, vs’, vs” of legs I–IV smooth.

MALE. Unknown.

Type material (not examined). All type material from Stellagama stellio (Linnaeus) (Sauria: Agamidae ), EGYPT: Cairo.

Type material deposition. Type material is lost (Gunvi Lindberg, personal communication).

Neotype (examined). One female neotype from Stellagama stellio ( NHM no. 1920.XII.31. 83), EGYPT: Ghizeh , 31 December 1920; coll. unknown.

Non-type material (examined). One female from Stellagama stellio ( NHM no. 1926.12.31.80), CYPRUS, 31 December 1926, coll. unknown; 1 female from same host species ( NHM no. 1926.12.31.81) and location, 31 December 1926, coll. unknown .

Host and distribution. This species is recorded from Stellagama stellio from Egypt [Cairo and Ghizeh], Cyprus [Limassol district, Limassol] ( Trägårdh 1905; Hirst 1926); Palestine, Greece [Cyclades, Mykonos], Turkey [Southeastern Anatolia Region, Gaziantep] and Southern Asia ( Jack 1962a).

Remarks. In accordance with Article 75.3 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 1999, 2012) I designate one of the female specimens from Jack’s (1962a) study as neotype of Pterygosoma inermis ( Trägårdh, 1905) with the purpose of clarifying the taxonomic status of the species.

The species was well described and illustrated in Trägårdh (1905) (see Figures no. 11–13, 15–18 and 36–38). However, to my knowledge, none of the original type series of Trägårdh’s collection are extant. Later on, Hirst (1926) in his work included short diagnosis of the mite species from the type host found in different localities. Nonetheless, it was too brief and was not supplied with any figures, therefore, it fits to description of all mites of the inermis group presented in this work. Finally, Jack (1962a) redescribed the species based on specimens found on the type host in the type locality. The author also presented new locality records, extending the distribution of the species to most parts of the Middle East.

Based on the close morphological similarity of Jack’s specimen from type locality and type host ( NHM no. 1920.XII.31. 83) to the original description of the species ( Trägårdh, 1905) (i.e. the position of gnathosoma and the number of dorsal and pseudanal setae are the same), I designated a neotype and presented a redescription of the species above .

Figures

FIGURE 26. Pterygosoma inermis (Trägårdh, 1905), female.A, gnathosoma in dorsal view, B, tarsi I in lateral view.

FIGURE 27. Pterygosoma inermis (Trägårdh, 1905), female.A, dorsal view; B, ventral view.