Euryparasitus maseri Whitaker & Klompen

Hagele, Thomas, Kaufman, Bruce, Whitaker, John O., Jr & Klompen, Hans, 2005, The genus Euryparasitus in North America (Mesostigmata: Euryparasitidae), Zootaxa 1036, pp. 1-20 : 12-14

Euryparasitus maseri Whitaker & Klompen n. sp. ( Figs. 1 C–D, 2C, 5)

Diagnosis. Deutonymph of medium size. Some idiosomal and all hypostomal setae barbed. Setae S 3 absent from opisthosomal shield. Chelicerae with 4 teeth on the fixed, 3 teeth on the movable digit. Gnathotectum with a serrate anterior, free, margin. Acrotarsus on legs I absent.

Description. Idiosomal length 797 (57), width 536 (51) (N= 6).

Gnathosoma. Chelicerae with 4 large teeth on the fixed digit, and 3 on the movable digit ( Fig. 1 D). Lyrifissures id and i present, well developed; dorsal seta vestigial or absent; pilus dentilis much larger than in E. occidentalis . Gnathotectum developed into a single median point; with serrate anterior margin ( Fig. 1 C). All hypostomal setae barbed, tip of setae hyp 2 surpassing the insertion points of setae cs; setae hyp 2 subequal in length to setae hyp 1 ( Fig. 2 D). Deutosternum with 14–16 rows of irregular shaped and arranged teeth. Palps as in E. occidentalis , but third tine of palpal pretarsus distinct.

Idiosoma. Podonotal shield distinctly larger than opisthonotal shield ( Fig. 5 A). Most setae inserted on dorsal shields smooth, but setae s 2, r 2, r 4, Z 5, and all marginal opisthosomal setae barbed. Setal complement on shields largely as in E. occidentalis , but opisthonotal seta S 3 absent. The occasional presence of an undesignated seta off the shield, near the usual position of seta S 3, suggests that S 3 might still be present, but inserted off the shield (see Fig. 5 A). Number of marginal setae in soft cuticle increased by presence of five additional setae, tentatively designated as setae R 3, R 4, R 5, Rv 2, and Rv 5. Shield setae j 2, r 4, Z 3 and Z 5 distinctly longer than remaining dorsal setae; setae Z 3 and Z 5 subequal in length, almost twice as long as the other opisthonotal setae; setae j 1 and z 1 similar in length to other podonotal shield setae; marginal opisthosomal setae generally shorter. Gland pattern and lyrifissure complement as in E. occidentalis .

Venter ( Fig. 5 B). Sternal shield large. Setae st 4 inserted off shield in soft cuticle in one specimen, on sternal shield in all other specimens examined. Peritremes extending anteriorly to the middle of coxal acetabula I. Peritrematal, metapodal, and anal shields as in E. occidentalis , although anal shield not quite as rounded. Sternal setae st 1 and st 2, and opisthogastral seta Rv 5 strongly barbed, remaining sternal and opisthogastral setae with weak barbs or smooth. Opisthogastral setal complement richer than in E. occidentalis by the addition of setae Zv 4 and Sv 2. Para­anal setae positioned slightly posterior to the anus. Lyrifissure and gland pattern generally as in E. occidentalis ; cluster of gv 2 glands posterior to each coxa IV more prominent; lyrifissure ivp, situated posterior to the anus in E. occidentalis , not observed (may be an artifact).

Legs. Leg setation pattern similar to that in E. occidentalis . Acrotarsus I absent or poorly developed. Legs II more conspicuously thickened than in E. occidentalis . Tarsal setae av 2, pv 2, and mv, and tibial setae pv 1 of legs II strongly thickened, spinelike, with distinct barbs. Tibial seta av 1 barbed, but less thick and spinelike. Lateral and dorsal setae may be barbed, but remain setiform.

Material examined (all deutonymphs). U.S.A.: Oregon, Malheur Co., Whitehorse Ranch, 10 km SE of, 43°15'N 117°40'W, ex Onychomys leucogaster (CM7223), 19 Aug 1976, coll. Maser, C. O., OSAL 013968 (Holotype). Paratypes: Same collection data, OSAL 013956–67; Malheur Co., 10 km SSE Vale, 43°15'N, 117°40'W, ex Dipodomys ordii (Dipodidae) (CM6478), coll. Maser, C. O., OSAL 013969; ex Spermophilus townsendii (Sciuridae) (CM6471), 20 Mar 1975, coll. Maser, C. O., OSAL 013971; ex Spermophilus townsendii (CM6496), 21 Mar 1975, coll. Maser, C. O., OSAL 013970; Malheur Co., 43°15'N, 117°40'W, ex Lemmiscus curtatus (Muridae) (CM7233), 27 Aug 1976, coll. Maser, C. O., OSAL 013972; ex Lemmiscus curtatus (CM7239), 29 Aug 1976, coll. Maser, C. O., OSAL 013973.

CANADA: Alberta, Bow Island, 49°52'N, 111°22'W, ex Onychomys sp. ( Muridae ) (GSJ1307), 11 Aug 1972, coll. Jones, G. S., OSAL 013974–75.

Deposition of types. Holotype deutonymph, OSAL013968, in OSAL. Paratypes in OSAL, JOW, ZIN.

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Chris Maser, who collected many of the mites in this study.

Remarks. Relative to the ventral setal complement of adult E. emarginatus ( Lee, 1970) this deutonymph features one additional Zv and one Sv seta. The additional Rv setae are considered less significant as some of these lateral setae may appear dorsal or ventral on slide mounted specimens. They may be homologous with any of the large number of marginal setae figured for E. emarginatus in dorsolateral position.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Euryparasitus deutonymphs, gnathotectum (A, C, E) and chelicerae (B, D, F). A, B: E. occidentalis n. sp.; C, D: E. maseri n. sp.; E, F: E. calcarator (Banks).

FIGURE 2. Euryparasitus deutonymphs, subcapitulum. A: E. occidentalis n. sp.; B: E. longicheta Bondartchuk & Buyakova; C: E. maseri n. sp.; D: E. calcarator (Banks).

FIGURE 5. Euryparasitus maseri n. sp., deutonymph. A: dorsal view; B: ventral view.