Paracaropsis travisi ( BAKER, 1949 ), 1969

Skvarla, M., Fisher, J. R. & Dowling, A. P. G., 2014, Redescription Of Paracaropsis Travisi (Baker, 1949) (Trombidiformes: Cheyletidae), With Range Expansion, Additional Host Records, And Reevaluation Of Cheyletid Chaetotaxy Based On The Sejugal Furrow, Acarologia 54 (3), pp. 335-345 : 338-343

Paracaropsis travisi ( BAKER, 1949)

( FIGS. 1-4 )

Acaropsis travisi Baker 1949: 313 , plate 16, figs. 131- 135.

Acaropsis strofi Samši ˇnAEk 1956: 356, fig. 3.

Paracaropsis strofi (Samši ˇnAEk) Volgin 1969: 403, fig. 350.

Paracaropsis travisi (Baker) Volgin 1969: 405 , figs. 351-353; Summers and Price 1970, 39: fig. 31. Klimov 1997.

Diagnosis — Palp claw with 7-9 teeth. Palp tarsus with 1 comb, 2 sickle-shaped setae; comb with ca. 14 teeth. Eyes present. Proterosomal shield extending onto hysterosoma, capturing c seta. Plate bearing no setae present between d1 and e1. Plate bearing h1-3 present. Dorsal body setae (except c2) short, slightly serrate. Setae c2 long, smooth.

Female (n=21, all Nearctic specimens). Idiosoma 310 (320) long, 160 (210) wide.

Gnathosoma ( Figure 1 ) — Subcapitulum less than half length of idiosoma, 130 (108-133). Surface smooth with ridge-like striations around base of palp. Two pairs of minute adoral setae (ao1-2), one pair of dorsal setae (ds) and two pairs of ventral setae (vs1-2) present. Peritremes arched, each branch with 7 segments. Palp 113 (95-113) long (excluding claw). Palp femora and genua fused dorsally. Palp femora with patches of sculpturing dorso- and ventolaterally. Palp femora and genua with 5 filiform setae, 2 dorsal and 3 ventral. Palp tibiae with 3 filiform setae. Palp tibial claw with 7-9 teeth. Palp tarsi longer than wide, with 2 filiform setae, 2 comb-like setae (sul, acm), and 1 ω solenidion. Setae sul 26 long with about 14 teeth, acm 22 long with 6 minute teeth. Solenidia flame-shaped. Chelicerae highly modified, styliform.

Dorsum ( Figure 2 ) — Eyes present. Proterosomal shield present, smooth with fine, widely spaced striae. Five pairs of setae (vi, ve, sci, x1, x2) present on shield; all approximately same length, 18-25. Setae sce and hm present adjacent to shield on minute platelets in soft integument, 23 (23-28) and 108 (95- 125), respectively. Hysterosomal shield present, smooth and not complemented with setae. Setae c1, c2, d1, d2, and e1 present on minute platelets in soft integument, 18 (15-20), 20 (18-23), 15 (15-23), 18 (15-23), and 18 (18-23), respectively. Setae f1-2 and h1 present on posterior plate, 20 (20-28), 15 (13-28), and 25 (15-38), respectively. Lyrifissures ia and im present. Integument striated.

Venter ( Figure 3 ) — Coxal plates I and II separate, but closely approximated; coxal plates III and IV fused, but retaining part of a dark line indicating a suture. Coxal plates smooth. Coxae I-IV setal formula 2-1-2-2. Setae 1a, 3a, 4a, and three pairs of aggenital setae (ag1-3) located on small platelets in soft integument between or slightly posterior to coxae. Two pairs of genital setae (g1-2) and three pairs of pseudanal (ps1-3) setae present. Lyrifissures ih present.

Legs ( Figures 4 a-d) — I-IV shorter than idiosoma: 200, 1423, 163, and 150, respectively (only lectotype measured). All legs with well-developed claws and empodia. Setal and solenidia count of legs I-IV: trochanters 1-1-2-1, femora 2-2-2-1, genua 2 (1)-2-2-2, tibiae 4(1)-4(1)-4-4, tarsi 9(1)-7(1)- 7-7; Trochanteral setae v TrI, v TrII, l’ TrIII and v TrIII lightly barbed, while v TrIV smooth. Femoral setae d FI, d FII, d FIII, v FIII, d FIV lightly barbed, while v FI, and l’ FI smooth. Genual setae d GIII, v GIII lightly barbed, while d FI, l’ GI, d GII, l’ GII, d GIV, and v GIV smooth. Tibial setae v’ TiI, v’ TiII, (v) TiIII, and (v) TiIV lightly barbed, while d TiI, l" TiI, v" TiI, d TiII, l’ TiII, v" TiII, (l) TiIII, and (l) TiIV smooth. Tarsal setae v’ TaI, (a) TaII, v’ TaII, (a) TaIII, v’ TaIII, (a) TaIV, and v’ TaIV lightly barbed, while (tc) TaI, it TaI, (p) TaI, a’ TaI, u’ TaI, (tc) TaII, (it) TaII, (tc) TaIII, (it) TaIII, (tc) TaIV, and (it) TaIV smooth; setae iTI, u"TI, a"TI, (p)TII, (u)TII, (p)TIII, (u)TIII, (p)TIV, (u)TIV absent. We do not identify which iteral on tarsus I is present and which is absent as the seta that is present is found on the midline of the segment. We also identify se- tae on legs II- IV as prorals and anterolaterals based on the fact that they occur closer to the tectals than to the tarsal claws; however, it is also possible that they are prorals and unguinals that have moved posteriorally after the loss of the prorals and anterolaterals. Genua solenidia σ I and tibial solenidia ’ I and ’ II short (3, 5, 4, respectively), tarsal solenidia ω I long (30), and tarsal solenidia ω II of medium length (12); all solenidia dorsal, except tarsal solenidia ω II, which is lateral towards the midline. Empodia with tenent hairs in two parallel rows.

Male and immature stages. Unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 1: Paracaropsis travisi, gnathosoma. 1a. Dorsal aspect. Left side illustrates the striations and extent of the tegmen, right side illustrates the peritremes under the tegmen. 1b. Ventral aspect. 1c. Pedipalpal tarsus, ventral. 1a and 1b to same scale.

FIGURE 2: Paracaropsis travisi, idiosoma, dorsal.

FIGURE 3: Paracaropsis travisi, idiosoma, ventral.

FIGURE 4: Paracaropsis travisi, legs. 4a. Leg I, lateral. 4b. Leg II, lateral. 4c. Leg III, dorsal. 4d. Leg IV, dorsal.