Leptotrombidium europaeum ( Daniel and Brelih, 1959 )

Stekolnikov, Alexandr & Daniel, Milan, 2012, 3216, Zootaxa 3216, pp. 1-104 : 72-73

Leptotrombidium europaeum ( Daniel and Brelih, 1959)

( Fig. 48)

Trombicula (Leptotrombidium) intermedia europaea Daniel and Brelih, 1959: 363 , figs. 4–7.

Leptotrombidium intermedia europaea (sic), Kepka 1964a: 563.

Leptotrombidium (Leptotrombidium) intermedia europaea (sic), Kolebinova 1970: 94.

Leptotrombidium europaeum, Schluger & Vysotzkaya 1970: 165 ; Kudryashova 1998: 97, fig. 58; Stekolnikov 2004: 396.

Leptotrombidium (Leptotrombidium) europaeum europaeum, Vercammen-Grandjean & Langston 1976: 323 , pl. 48; Kolebinova 1992: 49, fig. 27.

Leptotrombidium (Leptotrombidium) europaeum, Kudryashova 1979: 30 .

Diagnosis. SIF = 7B-B-3-2111.0000; fPp = N/N/BNN; fCx = 1.1.1; fSt = 2.2; fSc: PL> AM> AL; Ip = 855–1017; fD = 2H-(8–15)-(8–12)-(7–11)-(5–11)- …, basic formula 2H-10-8-8-6-4-2; DS = 35–51; VS = 29–51; NDV = 69–102. Standard measurements of specimens from Turkey are given in Table 24.

Type material deposition. The species was described from single specimen collected in Kamniška Bistrica valley ( Slovenia). Holotype (label J 271/2c) is currently preserved in the private collection of M. Daniel; in future, it will be deposited in IPASCR.

Type material examined. Holotype larva ex Microtus multiplex (Fatio) , SLOVENIA: Kamniška Bistrica valley , 46° 20' 12" N, 14° 34' 12" E, 875 m a.s.l., 26 June, 1957, coll. M. Daniel.

Material from Turkey examined. Three larvae (ZISP) ex Apodemus flavicollis , Çanakkale Prov., 3.8 km SW from Ayvacik, 340 m a.s.l., 12 October 1969, coll. M. Daniel; 40 larvae (ZISP) ex A. flavicollis and A. mystacinus , Çorum Prov., 1.7 km E from Bogazkale, near Yazılıkaya, 1190 m a.s.l., 26 October 1969, coll. M. Daniel; 1 larva (ZISP) ex A. uralensis , Trabzon Prov., Kalkanli (Zigana) Mts, 2050 m a.s.l., 10 June 1998, coll. AAS; 32 larvae (ZISP) ex A. mystacinus , GümüŞhane Prov., UğurtaŞı, 1750 m a.s.l., 12 June 1998, coll. AAS; 6 larvae (ZISP) ex Chionomys nivalis , Erzurum Prov., 1.5 km N from Güzelyayla, 2300 m a.s.l., 16 June 1998, coll. AAS; 8 larvae (ZISP) ex A. (Sylvaemus) sp. (two specimens in theriological collection of ZISP, labelled as A. fulvipectus ), Erzurum Prov., southern slope of Mescit Range, 2100 m a.s.l., 18 June 1998, coll. AAS; 28 larvae (ZISP) ex Ch. nivalis , Cricetulus migratorius , and A. (Sylvaemus) sp., Erzurum Prov., northern slope of Mescit Range, 2650 m a.s.l., 19 June 1998, coll. AAS; 4 larvae (ZISP) ex Apodemus sp. and Ch. nivalis , ibidem, 1.5 km S from Ahlatli, 2030 m a.s.l., 20 June 1998, coll. AAS; 6 larvae (ZISP) ex A. (Sylvaemus) sp., ibidem, 2.3 km NW from Ahlatli, 1800 m a.s.l., 21 June 1998, coll. AAS; 5 larvae (ZISP) ex Crocidura leucodon (Hermann) and A. ponticus , Artvin Prov., East Pontic Mts, 1750 m a.s.l., 23 June 1998, coll. AAS; 1 larva (ZISP) ex Microtus majori , Artvin Prov., 2.8 km NE from Marsis Mt, 2400 m a.s.l., 24 June 1998, coll. AAS; 21 larvae (ZISP) ex M. majori , A. ponticus , and A. (Sylvaemus) sp., Rize Prov., upper part of Çağlayan (Abu) valley, 1000 m a.s.l., 27 and 28 June 1998, coll. AAS; 4 larvae (ZISP) ex Apodemus witherbyi , Antalya Prov., 2 km E from Avlan Lake, 1300 m a.s.l., 24 April 2009, coll. AAS; 1 larva (ZISP) ex A. witherbyi , Adana Prov., 8 km NE from Karanfil Mt, 1678 m a.s.l., 4 May 2009, coll. AAS; 6 larvae (ZISP) ex Ch. nivalis and A. flavicollis , Mersin Prov., 8 km NW from Çamlıyayla (Namrun), 1795 m a.s.l., 10 May 2009, coll. AAS

Hosts. 25 species of soricomorphs, rodents, and lagomorphs, and 1 bird species ( Parus major L.) ( Kudryashova 1998) plus Cricetulus migratorius (Pallas) , Apodemus ponticus (Sviridenko) , A. uralensis (Pallas) , and A. witherbyi Thomas.

Distribution. Spain, France, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, Russia (Dagestan), Azerbaijan, Turkey. Previous records from Turkey (under the name L. intermedia ): Meryemana, YeŞilce, Yalnizçam Mts, Ulubey ( Kepka 1966).

Remarks. Larvae collected near Avlan Lake differ from other examined material on L. europaeum in shorter legs (Ip 791–806 vs. 855–941, TaIII 64–70 vs. 72–83) and lower number of idiosomal setae (DS 33–35 vs. 35–47, VS 26–35 vs. 29–43, NDV 61–68 vs. 69–89). One specimen collected near Karanfil Mt. differ from other examined material in longer setae (AM 72 vs. 50–64, AL 50 vs. 36–46, PL 74 vs. 55–70, H 77 vs. 53–72, D min 58 vs. 40–52, D max 73 vs. 52–69, V min 39 vs. 30–34, V max 58 vs. 46–48), longer legs (Ip 1013 vs. 855–941, TaIII 88 vs. 72–83), and slightly lower number of idiosomal setae (NDV 66 vs. 69–89). Probably, these cases represent different geographic forms of L. europaeum . Previously, clear difference between L. europaeum from Dagestan and Turkey was reported, as well as the significant geographic variability in closely related species L. alanicum Stekolnikov, 2004 and L. montanum Stekolnikov, 2004 described from the Caucasus and Transcaucasia.