Anisophyllodes Atyeo, 1967

Mironov, Sergey V., Literak, Ivan, Sychra, Oldrich & Capek, Miroslav, 2017, Feather mites of the subfamily Proctophyllodinae (Acari: Proctophyllodidae) from passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) in Costa Rica, Zootaxa 4297 (1), pp. 1-105 : 66

Genus Anisophyllodes Atyeo, 1967

Type species: Anisophyllodes pipromorphae Atyeo, 1967 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. BOTH SEXES. Moderately elongated proctophyllodines. Prodorsal shield entire, covering nearly entire prodorsum, with extending antero-lateral extensions, and with posterior angles rounded or acute. Vertical setae vi rudimentary, represented by alveoli. Scapular setae si and se situated on prodorsal shield and arranged in transverse line. Humeral shields well developed dorsally, encompassing bases of setae cp, setae c2 on or off these shields. Subhumeral setae c3 lanceolate. Epimerites I free, bow-shaped, with posterior ends slightly divergent. Full set of hysterosomal setae occurring in proctophyllodines present. Solenidion σ1 of genu I slightly longer than solenidion ω3 of tarsus I. Tarsi I, II with 3 ventral setae, seta wa anterior to or at the same level with setae la and ra on these tarsi. Segments of legs I and II without processes or other modifications.

MALE. Hysteronotal shield covering almost all hysterosoma. Opisthosoma attenuate posteriorly. Opisthosomal lobes short, rounded or truncate, separated by narrow terminal cleft, posterior margin of lobes with semi-circular terminal lamellae, striated or punctated dorsally (heteromorph males); or triangular, with bluntangular terminal cleft, without terminal lamellae (homeomorph males). Supranal concavity well expressed, narrow. Setae h3 shorter than macrosetae h2. Setae h1 close to transverse level of setae ps2. Coxal fields I–IV open, without extensive sclerotized areas. Genital organ at level of trochanters IV; genital arch of moderate size, wider than long, aedeagus in sheath longer than genital arch. Adanal shields present, variable in form, situated anterolateral to adanal suckers and setae ps3, not connected each other anterior to anal opening. Genital papillae situated at level of genital arch apex, surrounded by ovate plates or these plates absent. Pregenital apodemes present, situated between epimerites IIIa and genital apparatus, fused to each other or free. Adanal apodemes absent. Opisthoventral shields not developed. Adanal suckers cylindrical, corolla dentate or edentate. Legs IV slightly thicker than legs III. Tarsus IV with bidentate or with simple apical claw-like process, with or without ventral extension at base of seta w, modified setae d and e button-like.

FEMALE. Lobar region of opisthosoma clearly separated from remaining part of hysterosoma, opisthosomal lobes well developed, with terminal appendages. Anterior hysteronotal and lobar shields separated by narrow band of striated tegument. Lobar shield entire. Supranal concavity absent. Macrosetae h2 thickened basally, with filiform apex. Epigynum large, semicircular or horseshoe-shaped, free from epimerites IIIa or fused with them ( A. pipromorphae ); if fused, traces of fusion clearly distinct. Translobar apodemes present, fused to each other anterior to terminal cleft or free. Copulatory opening subterminal, near anterior margin of fused translobar apodemes. Legs III and IV subequal in size; segments without modifications; solenidion φ of tibia IV equal to or slightly longer than φ of tibia III.

Hosts: Tyrannidae .

Remarks. The genus currently included four species associated with Tyrannidae ( Atyeo 1967a, 1969; Hernandes et al. 2007; Mironov & González-Acuña 2009). Atyeo (1967a) originally erected the genus Anisophyllodes based on a single species, Anisophyllodes pipromorphae Atyeo, 1967 , which was described only from males. Establishing the genus, this author erroneously indicated that idiosomal setae e1 are absent in A. pipromorphae , and this feature was included in the diagnosis of the genus. Actually these setae in A. pipromorphae are present but are very close to the strongly sclerotized lateral margins of the hysteronotal shield, and for this reason they were simply missed. In all subsequently described species these setae are clearly visible ( Atyeo 1969; Mironov & González-Acuña 2009). Below we describe one new species, describe for the first time a female of A. pipromorphae and provide a new key to species.

Anisophyllodes pipromorphae is a unique species in the genus Anisophyllodes in having two uncommon features. First, this species exhibits male dimorphism (hetero- and homeomorphs), which is quite rare within the subfamily Proctophyllodinae . Second, females of A. pipromorphae are unique among proctophyllodines because they have the epigynum fused with epimerites IIIa, as it is in all representatives of the subfamily Pterodectinae .