Neottialges (Caloenectes) ciconiae, Mironov & Ramilo, 2019

Mironov, Sergey V. & Ramilo, David W. R., 2019, A new mite species of the genus Neottialges (Acariformes: Hypoderatidae) from the black stork Ciconia nigra (Ciconiiformes: Ciconiidae) in Portugal, Acarologia 59 (2), pp. 279-287 : 281-285

Neottialges (Caloenectes) ciconiae n. sp.

Zoobank: 99A9608D-C8F3-478A-8138-85EB5EAE0E88

( Figures 1–3 )

Type material — Holotype deutonymph ( FMV 2001) and 10 deutonymph paratypes from Ciconia nigra (Linnaeus) ( Ciconiiformes : Ciconiidae ), Portugal, border of Beja and Évora Districts, Alqueva Dam, 38°11’51”N, 7°29’47”W, 23 March 2018, collected by ICNF (Instituto

de Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas, I.P.) personnel.

Depositories — Holotype and 3 paratypes — FMV, remaining paratypes in UMMZ and ZISP.

Description — Deutonymph (holotype, range for 10 paratypes in parentheses). Idiosoma ovate, with very short and wide rostral extension, length 1040 (950–1050), greatest width 500 (600–450). Median area of dorsal side of idiosoma occupied by roughly punctate prodorsal

and hysteronotal shields with blurred and indistinct borders ( Figure 1 ). Sejugal furrow not expressed dorsally. Prodorsal shield transversely ovate in form, occupying central part of propodosoma, not encompassing bases of scapular setae si and se. Setae si situated slightly anterior to level of setae se; distances between scapular setae: se:se 260 (215–260), si:si 170 (125–170); length of setae: se 115 (110–120), si 30 (20–30). Hysteronotal shield occupying

only median area of hysterosoma, anterior margin straight, posterior margin rounded, surface with a pair of poorly sclerotized longitudinal bands. Setae cp situated dorsally. Setae c2

posterior to level of setae cp. Setae c1, d1, d2 and e1 situated on hysteronotal shield, setae cp,

c2, e2, and h1 situated off hysteronotal shield. Cupules ia situated posteromesal to setae c2;

cupules im, ip and ih indistinct. Four pairs of hysterosomal setae cp (, c1, c3, and h3) elongate

and comparable in length to scapular setae se; remaining setae of dorsal side of hysterosoma

and ventral setae of posterior end of opisthosoma very thin and not exceeding 50 long; length of long hysterosomal setae: cp 120 (100–140), c1 130 (90–130), c3 110 (100–120), h3 140 (130–150).

Gnathosoma situated ventrally, reduced to small trapezoidal sclerite 15 (15–17) long and 28 (25–28) wide at base, with two pairs of rudimentary setae represented by alveoli (Figures

2 and 3A). Vertical setae vi filiform, about 15 long, situated ventrally near anterior end of gnathosomal plate. Supracoxal setae scx situated near lateral margins of gnathosomal plate

in small invaginations. Sternum 20 (12–20) long, much shorter than free parts of epimerites I. Coxal fields I, II and IV open; coxal fields III closed. Inner tips of epimerites III, IV with irregular pennate striation. Bases of trochanters I–IV flanked by narrow sclerotized bands. Coxal setae 1a and 3a rudimentary, represented by alveoli. Genital field ovate, situated at level of trochanters IV, well outlined. Genital apodeme rudimentary, represented by a pair of small inverted L-shaped sclerites anterior to genital papillae; surface between papillae poorly sclerotized ( Figure 3B ). Genital papillae ovate, small, anterior and posterior pairs similar in size, length 15 (13–15). Anal opening rudimentary, distant from genital papillae. Coxal setae 4b 45 (30–45) long, situated at midlevel of coxal fields III, genital setae g 40 (35–50) long. Postanal shield absent, setae h2 and h3 situated on soft tegument.

Leg segments normally developed, tarsi I, II approximately 1.5 times longer than corre-

sponding tibiae and genua, tarsi III, IV 2.3–2.5 times longer than corresponding tibiae and genua.

Length of legs excluding trochanters: I 87 (85–88), II 92 (90–92), III 125 (120–128), IV 110

(105–115); length of tarsi: I 37 (35–40), II 42 (37–42), III 68 (62–70), IV 65 (58–68). Tarsus I

with setae aa, d, wa long filiform with simple tips; setae la, ra, p, q long filiform with foliate

distal tips, seta e short filiform, seta f spine-like, solenidion ω1 distinctly punctate and slightly

tapering apically; solenidion ω3 elongate, situated apically; famulus ε spine-like, situated at

midlevel of tarsus, at same level as setae aa and wa; solenidion ω2 vestigial, situated anterior

to base of seta aa ( Figure 3C ). Tarsus II similar in structure to tarsus I (except for absence

of seta aa and famulus and presence of ba), solenidion ω1 punctate and slightly thickened in

basal third ( Figure 3D ). Tarsus III strongly elongate and straight, with small apical spine, with

8 setae: seta d long filiform, exceeding the length of segment; setae w, r filiform, nearly half as

long as segment; setae e, f, p, q, filiform with foliate apices; seta s short spiculiform ( Figure 3E ).

Tarsus IV with small apical spine and with 4 setae of uncertain homology: apical seta (possibly

d) represented by macroseta, nearly 3 times longer than leg IV and with small sparse barbs in

basal part; two spine-like setae (possibly w, r) situated basally, and thin spine-like seta (possibly

s) situated subapically ( Figure 3F ). Empodial claws of tarsi I, II shorter than half-length of

corresponding tarsi, acute and slightly curved apically, both 12 (11–13) long; empodial claw

of tarsus III bidentate apically and slightly curved, 10 (8–10) long. Tibia I with longitudinal

dorsal crest, seta gT long filiform, seta hT thick spine-like, solenidion φ subequal in length

to solenidion ω1 of tarsus I. Tibia II similar to tibia I except both setae gT and hT spine-like,

solenidion φ twice as long as solenidion ω1 of tarsus II. Tibia III with seta kT thick, spine-like,

solenidion φ short, about 2/3 the length of this segment. Tibia IV with seta kT thick, spine-like

and solenidion φ about 1/3 the length of this segment. Genu I with setae mG, cG filiform,

solenidion σ2 a very short and blunt spine. Genu II with seta mG filiform, seta cG as on tarsus

I, and solenidion σ spiculiform. Genu III with seta nG thick spine-like, with solenidion σ small,

spiniform. Femoral setae vF I, vF II, and wF IV filiform, shorter than corresponding legs. Setae

pR of trochanters I, II subequal in length to corresponding tarsi, seta sR of trochanter III shorter

than corresponding tarsus. Leg setation (solenidia in parentheses): tarsi 10(3)-9(1)-8-4, tibiae

2(1)-2(1)-1(1)-1(1), genua 2(1)-2(1)-1(1)-0, femora 1-1-0-1, trochanters 1-1-1-0.

Differential diagnosis — Among previously known species, Neottialges (Caloenectes)

ciconiae n. sp. is most similar to N. (C.) distinctus Fain and Lawrence, 1986 in having the

median dorsal sclerotization of the idiosoma represented by separate prodorsal and hysteronotal

shields, the median sclerotized bridge connecting the ventral propodosomal sclerotized area

(fused coxal fields I, II) and ventral hysterosomal sclerotized area (coxal fields III, IV), and only

two long pairs of hysteronotal setae (c1 and cp). Neottialges (Caloenectes) ciconiae differs

from the latter species by the following features: the bases of setae si, se are not encompassed

by the prodorsal shield, hysteronotal setae cp, c2, e2 and h1 are situated off the hysteronotal

shield, the area between the genital papillae is completely sclerotized, and its anterior end is

fused with the sclerotized area of coxal fields III, IV, and the postanal shield on the ventral side

of opisthosoma is absent. In deutonymphs of N. (C.) distinctus , the bases of setae si, se are

encompassed by the prodorsal shield, hysteronotal setae cp, c2, e2 and h1 are situated on the

hysteronotal shield, the area between the genital papillae is sclerotized only medially, and its

anterior end is separated from the sclerotized area of coxal fields III, IV, and the ventral side of

the opisthosoma bears a rhomboid postanal shield encompassing the bases of setae h2 and h3.

Figures

Figure 1 Neottialges (Caloenectes) ciconiae n. sp., dorsal view of deutonymph.

Figure 2 Neottialges (Caloenectes) ciconiae n. sp., ventral view of deutonymph.

Figure 3 Neottialges (Caloenectes) ciconiae n. sp., details of deutonymph. A – gnathosomal plate, B – genital papillae, C–F – dorsal view of legs I–IV, respectively.