Trouessartia mironovi Constantinescu

Constantinescu, Ioana Cristina, Chișamera, Gabriel, Pocora, Viorel, Stanciu, Cătălin & Adam, Costică, 2013, Two new species of feather mites (Acarina: Analgoidea) from the Moustached Warbler, Acrocephalus melanopogon (Passeriformes, Acrocephalidae), in Romania, Zootaxa 3709 (3), pp. 267-276 : 272-275

Trouessartia mironovi Constantinescu sp. nov. ( Figs. 4–6 )

Type material. Male holotype (ANA078), 5 male and 6 female paratypes (ANA079, ANA080) from Acrocephalus melanopogon , ROMANIA: Tulcea, Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, Letea, 23 September 2010, coll. I.C. Constantinescu.

Description. MALE (holotype, Figs. 4 ). Idiosoma size excluding terminal lamellae length × width 372 × 195 (idiosomal size of 5 paratypes 370-385 × 190-200). Prodorsal shield 110 × 135, with long extensions produced laterally between bases of legs I and II, not fused laterally with scapular shields, surface with fine granular ornamentation. Setae si hair-like, 17 long, distance between them 60; setae se 115 long, distance between them 90. Humeral shields with setae c2 and c3 filiform, 27 and 23 in length respectively, cp setae 140 long. Hysteronotal shield entire, length × width 230 × 140, DHA (dorsal hysterosomal apertures) absent, lateral margins with deep hevily sclerotized incisions at level of trochanters III, surface with fine granular ornamentation. Distance between prodorsal and hysteronotal shields along median line 32. Setae d1 present, apices of opisthosomal lobes contiguous, separated by slit-like terminal cleft 22 in lenght. Lamellae ovoid in general shape, their margins with 14 rounded festoons. Setae h1 anterior to level of setae h2. Epimerites I fused into a V, with pair of short and acute posterior extensions; basal parts of these epimerites with narrow sclerotized bands flanking bases of trochanters I. Rudimentary sclerites rEpIIa ovate. Epimerites IIIa and IVa well-developed, coxal fields IV almost closed. Genital apparatus ( Fig. 4 C) situated between levels of trochanters III and IV, 28 × 12, aedeagus minute, epiandrium present. Genital setae g and coxal setae 4a filiform, 16 and 19 long respectively, situated at same transverse level. Adanal suckers circular, 16 in diameter, distance between their centers 23. Adanal apodemes heavily sclerotized, extended to midlevel of trochanters IV, without apophyses and with lateral membranes. Translobar apodeme present. Legs ( Fig. 6 ). Setae sR III filiform with acute apex ( Fig. 6 C). Setae e on tarsus IV truncated, without discoid cap, seta d with discoid cap ( Fig. 6 D).

FEMALE (paratype, Figs. 5 ). Length of idiosoma including lamellar processes on lobar apices 425, width of idiosoma 160 (idiosomal size of other 5 paratypes 405-415 × 165-180). Prodorsal shield as in male, 90 in lenght, 115 in width, setae si filiform, 13 long, distance between them 60; setae se 65 long, distance between them 82. Humeral shields with setae c2 and c3 filiform, 38 and 20 long respectively; setae cp 105 long. Hysteronotal shield, length x width, 210 × 105, DHA (dorsal hysterosomal apertures) absent, setae d1 present, lateral margins with deep and heavily sclerotized incisions at level of trochanters III, surface with fine granular ornamentation. Distance between prodorsal and hysteronotal shields along median line 59. Setae h1 filiform, minute, about 5 long, positioned 16 anterior to level of setae h2. Setae ps1 about 5, positioned on dorsal opistosomal lobes, anterior to level of setae h3, distance ps1–h3 20. Lenght of macrosetae h2 and h3 205 and 150 respectively. Distance from setae h2 to membranous lobar apices 82. Setae f2 absent, supranal concavity ovoid, closed, separated from terminal cleft. Lenght of terminal cleft from its top to lobar apices 99, interlobar membrane occupying about ¼ of cleft. Spermatheca ( Fig. 5 B) with thickened primary spermduct in proximal part, head of spermatheca cup-shaped and secondary spermducts thickened. Primary spermduct projecting from margin of interlobar membrane into terminal cleft, forming external copulatory tube about 5 long. Setae sR III filiform, with acute apex. Epimerites I fused into a U with slightly divergent anterior ends, bases of these epimerites with narrow sclerites flanking trochanters I. Epigynium bowshaped, length × width 24 × 58, setae 4b (16) and genital setae g (8) situated near tips of epigynum, genital papillae situated between bases of these setae. Apodemes of egg-laying opening small and triangular in shape.

Differential diagnosis: Trouessartia mironovi Constantinescu sp. nov. is readily distinguished from other know species by having an unique combination of characters within the genus: epimerites I are fused in both sexes, and epimerites IVa strongly elongate in male. The new species can not be arranged in any of seven species groups that have been previously established in the genus Trouessartia .

Among all species of the genus this species seems to be closest to Trouessartia santosdiasi Till, 1953 from Lamprocolius corruscus (Sturnidae) . Males of T. mironovi and T. santosdiasi have the following similarities of the hysteronotal shield: the lateral margins are notched at the level of trochanters III, the surface is without distinct lacunae, the dorsal hysterosomal apertures are absent, and dorsal setae d1 are present. Ventrally, males have the translobar apodeme on the opisthosomal lobes, the apices of opisthosomal lobes are contiguous, separated by a narrow terminal cleft, the terminal lamellae are ovoid and their margins with rounded festoons.

Both sexes of T. mironovi differ from those of T. santosdiasi by having epimerites I fused and setae sRIII filiform (epimerites I are free, and setae sRIII are lanceolate in T. santosdiasi ).

Males of the new species differ from T. santosdiasi by the absence of lateral incision on the hysteronotal shield at the level of setae e2, absence of apophyses on the adanal apodemes, epimerites IVa exceeding far beyond the level of setae 4a. In males of T. santosdiasi , the lateral incision of the hysteronotal shield at level of setae e2 is present, two pairs of apophyses on adanal apodemes are present, and epimerites IVa do not exceed to the level of setae 4a. Females of T. mironovi differ from those of T. santosdiasi by lack of lacunae on the posterior half of the hysteronotal shield and by the shape of spermatheca; in the first the secondary spermaducts are completely separated from the primary spermaduct ( Fig. 5 B), while in the second species the secondary spermaducts are joined to primary spermaduct.

Etymology: This species is named in honour of Dr. Sergey V. Mironov (Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia) in recognition for his huge contribution in elucidating the taxonomy of feather mites.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Trouessartia mironovi Constantinescu, sp. nov., male. A—idiosoma, dorsal view; B. — idiosoma, ventral view; C—genital apparatus.

FIGURE 5. Trouessartia mironovi Constantinescu sp. nov., female. A—idiosoma, dorsal view; B—spermatheca; C—dorsal idiosoma, ventral view.

FIGURE 6. Trouessartia mironovi Constantinescu sp. nov., dorsal view of male legs. A—D, legs I – IV, respectively.