Parasecia molini, Stekolnikov, Alexandr A. & González-Acuña, Daniel, 2015

Stekolnikov, Alexandr A. & González-Acuña, Daniel, 2015, A review of Chilean chiggers (Acari: Trombiculidae), with the description of a new genus and ten new species, Zootaxa 3964 (1), pp. 1-43 : 15-17

Parasecia molini sp. nov.

(Figs. 8, 9)

Diagnosis. SIF = 7BS-N-3-3111.0000; fsp = 7.7.7; fCx = 1.1.1; fSt = 2.2; fPp = B/B/NNB; fSc: PL = AM> AL; Ip = 736–769; fD = 2H-6-6-2-4-2 (6-6-4-2-2); DS = 22; VS = 12–13; NDV = 34–35. Standard measurements of holotype: AW 66, PW 79, SB 35, ASB 23, PSB 14, SD 37, P-PL 14, AP 16, AM 36, AL 23, PL 34, H 36, D min 29, D max 38, pa 266, pm 232, pp 270, Ip 769, DS 22, VS 12, NDV 34, TaIIIL 65, TaIIIW 14. Standard measurements of type series and additional material given in Table 3 .

Description (larva). IDIOSOMA. Eyes 2 + 2, on ocular plate. One pair of humeral setae, 20 dorsal idiosomal setae covered with barbs of moderate length, fD = 2H-6-6-2-4-2 (configuration of 3 posterior rows also can be treated as 4-2-2); 4 sternal setae; 12–13 ventral setae; total number of idiosomal setae excluding coxal and sternal 34–35.

FIGURE 8. Parasecia molini sp. nov. (holotype). A, scutum and eyes; B, C, dorsal idiosomal setae of 1st row; D, preanal ventral idiosomal seta; E, arrangement of dorsal idiosomal setae; F, arrangement of ventral idiosomal setae. Scale bars: 50 Μm (A), 20 Μm (B–D), 100 Μm (E, F).

GNATHOSOMA. Cheliceral blade with tricuspid cap; cheliceral base with dense puncta in proximal part; gnathobase moderately covered with puncta and bears 1 pair of branched setae; palpal femur with few puncta; galeala nude; palpal claw with 3 prongs; seta on palpal femur branched; seta on palpal genu branched; dorsal and lateral palpal tibial setae nude, ventral palpal tibial seta branched; palpal tarsus with 7 branched setae, nude subterminala and basal tarsala.

SCUTUM. Nearly rectangular, with concave posterior margin, moderately covered with puncta; AM base at level of ALs; SB at level of PLs; PL = AM> AL; ALs with much longer and wider barbs than AM and PLs; flagelliform sensilla with about 8 branches in distal half.

LEGS. All 7-segmented, with 1 pair of claws and claw-like empodium. Leg I: coxa with 1 non-specialized branched seta (1B); trochanter 1B; basifemur 1B; telofemur 5B; genu 4B, 3 genualae, microgenuala; tibia 8B, 2 tibialae, microtibiala; tarsus 22B, tarsala 14 long, microtarsala distal to tarsala, subterminala, parasubterminala, pretarsala. Leg II: coxa 1B; trochanter 1B; basifemur 2B; telofemur 4B; genu 3B, genuala; tibia 6B, 2 tibialae; tarsus 16B, tarsala 15 long, microtarsala proximal to tarsala, pretarsala. Leg III: coxa 1B; trochanter 1B; basifemur 2B; telofemur 3B; genu 3B, genuala; tibia 6B, tibiala; tarsus 15B.

Hosts. Liolaemus chillanensis Müller and Hellmich , Phymaturus palluma (Molina) (= P. flagellifer ) ( Squamata : Liolaemidae ).

Type material. Holotype larva ( ZIN collection No. 7707, T-Tr.-70) ex Liolaemus chillanensis No. 10, CHILE: Biobío Region, Nevados de Chillán Mts, Aguas Calientes (36°54′28″ S, 71°22′14″ W), altitude 2050 m a.s.l., 22 January 2006, coll. D. González-Acuña; 3 larvae paratypes (7705, 7706, 7708) with same data.

Additional material. Three larvae (8525–8527) ex Phymaturus flagellifer No. 135, CHILE: Valparaíso Region, Valparaíso Province, Cerro Bellavista, 30 March 2013, coll. D. González-Acuña.

Etymology. The species is named after Fr. Juan Ignacio Molina, a famous Chilean naturalist and author of the first account of the natural history of Chile.

Remarks. The new species is similar to Parasecia fundata ( Brennan, 1969) but differs from it in a wider scutum (AW = 65–68 vs. 49–55, PW = 77–79 vs. 61–62, and SB = 32–35 vs. 22–24), a lesser number of idiosomal setae (VS = 12–13 vs. 17–22, and NDV = 34–35 vs. 39–44), and shorter PL setae (34–36 vs. 41–50).

The above comparison was based on the original description of P. fundata ( Brennan 1969) and our measurements of 2 specimens of this species collected in Costa Rica (ZIN collection Nos. 7069 and 7083). Collection data of this material were given by Stekolnikov et al. (2007). The new species moreover differs from Costa Rican specimens of P. fundata in P-PL = 14–16 vs. 11–12 and in somewhat longer legs (Ip = 736–769 vs. 675 and TaIIIL = 63–65 vs. 52–56). However, these measurements were not reported for the type series of P. fundata ; therefore, their taxonomic significance is unclear.

Additional material of P. m o l i ni differs from the type series in a somewhat wider scutum (AW, PW), slightly shorter scutal and idiosomal setae (AM–V max), and in slightly shorter legs (pa, pp, Ip) ( Table 3 ). Moreover, 2 of 3 specimens in this material (Nos. 8526 and 8527) have fPp = B/B/BBB vs. B/B/NNB in the type series. We consider these differences to be intraspecific.

Tables

TABLE 3. Standard measurements of Parasecia molini sp. nov.

Variable	Type series			Additional material
	Range	Mean	Sample size	Range Mean	Sample size
AW	65–68	67	4	70–81 74	3
PW	77–79	79	4	83–95 88	3
SB	32–35	34	4	33–38 36	3
ASB	22–23	23	4	22–23 22	3
PSB	14–14	14	4	13–14 14	3
SD	36–38	37	4	34–38 36	3
P-PL	14–16	15	4	14–16 15	3
AP	15–16	16	4	15–17 16	3
AM	35–36	36	4	27–30 29	3
AL	19–23	21	4	17–18 17	3
PL	34–36	35	4	31–32 32	3
S	58–58	58	1	52–52 52	1
H	36–42	39	4	33–33 33	3
D min	28–31	30	4	23–27 26	3
D max	38–41	39	4	29–32 31	3
V min	27–27	27	1	20–23 22	2
V max pa	35–35 250–266	35 258	1 3	29–31 30 239–248 243	2 3
pm	220–232	226	3	214–229 222	3
pp	259–270	264	3	245–250 248	3
Ip	736–769	748	3	700–720 713	3
DS	22–22	22	4	22–22 22	1
VS	12–13	12	4	12–12 12	1
NDV	34–35	34	4	34–34 34	1
TaIIIL	63–65	64	4	59–65 62	3
TaIIIW	14–15	14	4	14–14 14	3