Neoaulonastus sidorchukae, Zmudzinski & Skoracki & Hromada, 2019

Zmudzinski, Mateusz, Skoracki, Maciej & Hromada, Martin, 2019, Neoaulonastus sidorchukae, a new species of quill mites (Acariformes Syringophilidae) associated with the purple-rumped sunbird Leptocoma zeylonica (Linnaeus) (Passeriformes: Nectariniidae) from Sri Lanka, Zootaxa 4647 (1), pp. 83-87 : 84-86

Neoaulonastus sidorchukae sp. nov.

( Figure 1 A–D)

Description. Female, holotype. Total body length 530 (490–520 in 3 paratypes). Gnathosoma . Infracapitulum apunctate. Each medial branch of peritremes with 2 chambers, each lateral branch with 5–6 chambers. Stylophore apunctate, 125 long (125). Movable cheliceral digits 90 (90) long. Idiosoma . Propodonotal shield apunctate, weakly sclerotized, with concave anterior margin and constricted posteriorly, bearing bases of setae ve and si; bases of setae c1 situated on or caudal to posterior margin of propodonotal shield. Setae ve and si subequal in length. All idiosomal setae smooth. Bases of setae se situated anterior to level of setae c1. Setae c1 1.6–2.3 times longer than c2. Hysteronotal shield fused with pygidial shield, apunctate, very weakly sclerotized, with visible longitudinal striation, anterior margin at level of setal bases d1. Setae d2 slightly longer (1.2–1.3 times) than e2. Setae h2 3 times longer than f2, setae h1 and f1 subequal in length. Genital setae g1 and g2 2–2.5 times longer than pseudanal setae ps1 and ps2. Genital plate absent. All coxal fields apunctate. Legs. Fan-like setae p’ and p” of legs III and IV with 6 tines. Lengths of setae: ve 15 (15–20), si 20 (15-20), se 180 (150–180), c1 215 (200–210), c2 130 (90-125), d1 130 (140–150), d2 160 (140–150), e2 130 (100–120), f1 25 (20–25), f2 105 (70–80), h1 25 (20–25), h2 300 (255), ps1 and ps2 10 (10–15), g1 and g2 25 (20–25), ag1 broken in holotype (80), ag2 60 (60), ag3 110 (90–115), 3b 20 (20), 3c 35 (35–40), l’RIII– IV 20 (20).

Male. Not found.

Type material. Female holotype and three female paratypes from the under-tail covert quill of the purplerumped sunbird Leptocoma zeylonica (Linnaeus) (host no. ZSM 11.1161/V188-9, male) ; SRI LANKA: Kahatagasdigiliya, 7 March 1911, coll. C.B. Haniel. Mites removed by M. Skoracki and M. Zmudzinski in 2017.

Type material depository. All type specimens are deposited in the AMU, except 1 female paratype in the ZSM.

Differential diagnosis. The new species, Neoaulonastus sidorchukae sp. nov., is morphologically most similar to Neoaulonastus cinnyris Klimovicova, Smolak, Njoroge & Hromada, 2014 described from Cinnyris mediocris Shelley (Nectariniidae) in Tanzania ( Klimovicova et al. 2014). In females of both species, the infracapitulum and the stylophore are apunctate; the movable cheliceral digits are about 90 long; the propodonotal shield is with concave anterior margin, weakly sclerotized, and apunctate; setae vi and si are subequal in length; bases of setae se are situated anterior to the level of setal bases c1; the hysteronotal shield is fused to the pygidial shield; setae h1 and f1 are subequal in length; genital setae are about twice as long as pseudanal setae; all coxal fields are apunctate; and fan-like setae p’ and p” of legs III and IV have six tines. The new species differs from N. cinnyris by following features: in females of N. sidorchukae , each medial branch of peritremes has two chambers; setae c2 and d2 are 90–130 and 140–160 long, respectively; and the genital plate is absent. In females of N. cinnyris , each medial branch of peritremes has three chambers; setae c2 and d2 are 155–190 and 90–115 long, respectively; and the genital plate is present.

Etymology. This species is named in honor of the prominent Russian acarologist and paleontologist Dr. Ekaterina (Katya) Sidorchuk (Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow), who died in a tragic accident.

Remarks. During the study, eight individuals of Leptocoma zeylonica were investigated, two of them were infested with Neoaulonastus sidorchukae sp. nov. (prevalence 25%, Sterne´s 95%, CI 3.1–65.1).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Neoaulonastus sidorchukae sp. nov. Female. A, dorsal view; B, ventral view; C, peritremes; D, fan-like seta p’III. Scale bars: A, B = 50 μm, C, D = 20 μm.