Bertrandiella chamelaensis Paredes-León, Klompen and Pérez

Paredes-León, Ricardo, Klompen, Hans & Pérez, Tila M., 2012, Systematic revision of the genera Geckobiella Hirst, 1917 and Hirstiella Berlese, 1920 (Acari: Prostigmata: Pterygosomatidae) with description of a new genus for American species parasites on geckos formerly placed in Hirstiella, Zootaxa 3510, pp. 1-40 : 20-21

Bertrandiella chamelaensis Paredes-León, Klompen and Pérez , new species

( Figs. 5–6 )

Diagnosis. Female. Dorsal idiosomal setae vi, ve, sci and sce longer than in B. otophila and B. tenuipes but shorter than in B. jimenezi ; femur IV with apparent division into 2 non-articulating segments; companion seta (ft) shorter than solenidion ω 2 on tarsus I; subcapitular setae (n) longer than length of palpal femur.

Description. Female. Gnathosoma ( Fig. 5 A–B). Subcapitulum simple, not expanded at apex, with a pair of ventral, slender and smooth setae (n) inserted behind palps; palps relatively small and stout, mainly at the base; base of gnathosoma almost as long as the rest of palps; femoral and genual setae (d) and tibial seta l’ thick, peripectinate and long (longer than their respective palpal segments); tibial seta lT smooth and simple, seta v with nude stalk ending in a thick brush-like structure; tibial claw simple and short although longer than reduced palpal tarsus and curved at tip; tarsus short and round, with basal solenidion ω and with 5 setae: 2 simple and sparsely barbed (anterior longer); 2 apical, smooth and simple, and 1 (lateral to ω) simple and barbed at its tip. Chelicerae short (shorter than palps), and with proximal part of cheliceral base elongate (length five times more than width in distal part); fixed digit membranous and spiniform, and movable digit robust and curved. Peritreme short, never reaching palpal femur.

Idiosoma ( Fig. 5 C–D). Ovoid, longer than wide; maximum width at level of setae c2; cuticle surrounding prodorsal shield, setal platelets, coxae and anogenital area striated; oligotrichy present. Dorsum. Prodorsal shield shaped as an inverted equilateral triangle with 3 pairs of long and peripectinate setae (vi, ve and sci). Dorsal setae peripectinate and long, each row of setae reaching next row. Setae c3 absent; anal area located forward of posterior tip, with ps1–3 arboriform (extensively pectinate), subequal in length and slightly shorter than rest of dorsal setae. Venter. Setae: coxal formula 2–2–4–2, located on coxae I–IV except for 3a located on intercoxal area and 4a between coxae IV; 1a, 2a, 3a, 3b and 4a slender and sparsely barbed, 1b, 2b, 3c, 3d and 4c thick and peripectinate. Setae ag1–3 longer than coxal setae, thick and heavily pectinate; located between coxae IV and beginning of genital region; ag3 slightly longer than subequal ag1–2; 1 pair of arboriform genital setae (g1) not located on lobes, subequal in length to setae ag1–2.

Legs ( Fig. 6 ). Setal formulae (I–IV, microsetae (κ) and solenidia in brackets): trochanter 1–1–1–1, femur 5–4–3–2, genua 5(κ)–5–3–3, tibia 5–5–5–5, tarsus 14(1)–10(1)–10(1)–10; tarsi I–IV progressively thinner from proximal to distal end. All the setae on trochanter-tibia I–IV pectinate and long (some of them as long as each podomer). Tarsi I–IV with setae p feather-like; tarsus I with 1 pair of setae tc smooth (eupathids), subequal in length and short (as long of pretarsus or shorter); tarsi II–IV with setae tc peripectinate and subequal in length (tc’ = tc”), and longer than setae tc of tarsus I. Tarsus I also with 1 pair of setae it (eupathids) at base of pretarsus; seta vs” on tarsi I–IV present; setae a on tarsi I–IV simple and smooth. Solenidion ω 2 on tarsus I longer than its companion seta (ft); solenidion ω 1 on tarsus I absent; solenidia on tarsi II–III shorter than solenidia on tarsus I; solenidion on tarsus III shortest. Pretarsi with paired claws bearing tenent hairs.

Measurements. HOLOTYPE female (followed in parentheses by range and mean of HOLOTYPE and nine PARATYPE females). Idiosoma length (gnathosoma excluded) 372 (369–397, 381), idiosoma maximum width 301 (263–301, 292), prodorsal shield length 136 (133–139, 137), prodorsal shield width (at anterior margin) 167 (167–178, 174), width between setal pair vi on prodorsal shield (WVI) 53 (50–56, 53), width between setal pair ve on prodorsal shield (WVE) 139 (135–146, 141), width between setal pair sci on prodorsal shield (WSCI) 56 (43–67, 56); setal lengths: vi 132 (132–143, 138), ve 146 (144–152, 147), sci 143 (135–146, 141), sce (ocular setae): 139 (133–139, 138); leg lengths (excluding coxa and ambulacrum): leg I 432 (406–435, 428), leg II 333 (333–406, 385), leg III 422 (352–435, 407), leg IV 467 (429–472, 457); solenidion ω 2 of tarsus I length 52 (51–57, 54), ft (companion seta of solenidion ω 2 of tarsus I) length 27 (27–32, 30), solenidion ω of tarsus II length 14 (12–14, 13), solenidion ω of tarsus III length 10 (9–10, 10); gnathosoma length 158 (153–161, 157), base of gnathosoma width 152 (146–160, 153), subcapitular setae n length 47 (42–51, 48), chelicerae length 146 (143–152, 146), chelicerae width (at base) 34 (31–34, 32), palp length 158 (147–160, 152), palp width 46 (43–54, 48), palpclaw length 27 (26–31, 27), and peritreme length (complete) 136 (136–152, 147).

Type. Female HOLOTYPE ( CNAC 007051), female PARATYPES ( CNAC 007052–81, OSAL and USNMC).

Type locality. Chamela, Jalisco, México.

Type host. Phyllodactylus lanei rupinus Dixon.

Type series. Female HOLOTYPE, 30 female PARATYPES ex Phyllodactylus lanei rupinus , MEXICO, Jalisco, Mpio. La Huerta, Chamela, km 54 carr. Manzanillo–Puerto Vallarta, 19.45506° N, - 105.03205° W, 15 m asl, 4 October 2010, coll. D. Barrales and R. Paredes-León ( CNAC 007051–81). 10 female PARATYPES ex Phyllodactylus lanei rupinus , same data ( OSAL, USNMC).

The holotype and 30 paratype females are deposited at CNAC (007051–81). The remaining paratypes (10 females) are deposited in OSAL and USNMC.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the collecting locality, the town of Chamela.

Remarks. This species appears to be a specific ectoparasite of Phyllodactylidae (see Table 3 ).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Bertrandiella chamelaensis sp. nov., female. A, gnathosoma dorsal view; B, gnathosoma ventral view. Scale bar 50 µm; C, Idiosoma dorsum; D, Idiosoma venter. Scale bar 100 µm.

FIGURE 6. Bertrandiella chamelaensis sp. nov., female, legs I – IV (trochanters-tarsi). Scale bars 50 µm.