Pterygosoma ligare

Fajfer, Monika & Acuña, Daniel González, 2013, Pterygosomatid mites of a new species group ligare (Acariformes: Pterygosomatidae: Pterygosoma) parasitizing tree iguanas (Squamata: Liolaemidae: Liolaemus), Zootaxa 3693 (3), pp. 301-319 : 302

Species group ligare

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Gnathosoma . Movable cheliceral digit without basal spur. Palp setation (femur-tarsus): 1–1– 3–5, palp femur seta dF longer than palp genu seta dG, palpal tibia with 3 long simple setae, palpal tarsus with 5 setae and solenidion ω. Subcapitulum with 1 pair of setae n. Hypostome with smooth rounded apex. Idiosoma. Body much wider (1.5–1.8 times) than long. Dorsum. Body with numerous ornamented setae. Antero-medial part of idiosoma with plumose short setae, maximum 35 long, grouped in common cluster (anterior-mid cluster); numerous plumose setae, about 150–230 pairs, situated laterally to this cluster; postero-lateral parts of idiosoma with setae which elongated from anterior to posterior part of idiosoma; peripheral part of idiosoma with long setae (170–230 long) situated on dorsal and ventral sides; anterior to each side of pseudoanal area 15–25 pairs of setae present. Eyes absent. Venter. Posterior part with 10–18 setae vm located anterior to or laterally to genital area. Postero-lateral parts with 19–40 setae, variable in length. Genital series represented by 1 pair of fine-pointed setae g1 situated on ventral side. Pseudoanal setal series represented by 3–5 pairs, located dorsally or ventrally. Legs. Coxal setation: 1a, 1b, 2b, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d arranged in formula 2-1-4-0, all setae situated on coxal fields, except for 3a located on intercoxal area, coxal setae: 1a, 1b, 2b, 3b and 3c filiform, 3d slightly serrated, setae of trochanters I– IV (1-1-1-1), femora I–IV (5-5[4]-3-3[2]), genua I–IV (5[4]-5[4]-3-3), tibiae I–IV(5-5-5-5). All setae on each prodomers plumose, dorsal setae thicker than ventral ones. Setation of tarsi I: 14 setae (ft, tc’, tc”, p’, p”, a’, a”, it’, it”, u’, u”, vs’, vs”, pl’) and solenidion ω 1, tarsi II: 10 setae (tc’, tc”, p’, p”, it’, it”, u’, u”, vs’, vs”) and ω1, tarsi III and IV with 10 setae each (tc’, tc”, p’, p”, it’, it”, u’, u”, vs’, vs”). Setae tc’, tc”, a’, a” of leg I represented by euphatidia, it’ and it” smooth or slightly serrated, pl’ slightly serrated. Setae tc’ and tc” of legs II–IV serrated and it’ and it” smooth. All setae u’ and u” pectinate, vs’ and vs” bipectinate, p’ and p” fan-like.

Host range. Mites of this species group are associated with three iguans of the genus Liolaemus .

Species included. Pterygosoma chilensis sp. nov., P. cyanogasteri sp. nov., P. f o r m o s u s sp. nov., P. levissima sp. nov., P. ligare sp. nov., P. ovata sp. nov.

Differential diagnosis: Females of this new species group differ from those of other species of the subgenus Pterygosoma by the presence of the movable cheliceral digit without a basal spur, solenidion ω of the palp tarsus, anterior mid-dorsal setae, large number of setae (about 200–300 pairs) on the lateral and the posterior parts of the idiosomal dorsum and the lateral parts of the idiosomal venter, by the idiosomal hypertrichy of ventro-median setae vm, setae 3a located outside of coxal fields II, the absence of setae 4b, the presence of paired setae tc and vs on tarsi III–IV, five setae on tibiae II–IV, four or five setae on genua I, II, three setae on genua III – IV, five setae on femur I, five or four setae on femur II and three setae on femur III. In other females of the subgenus Pterygosoma , the movable cheliceral digit has the basal spur, solenidion ω on the palp tarsi is absent; the anterior mid-dorsal setae are absent, a smaller number of setae (<200) on the lateral and posterior parts of the dorsum and the lateral parts of the venter are present; one to three pairs of ventro-median setae vm1–vm3 are present; setae 3a are situated on intercoxal area; setae 4b are present; setae tc and vs of tarsi III, IV are unpaired; three setae on tibiae II–IV are present; genu III bears three setae maximally and genua II–IV are with one setae each, femur I bears two or three setae, femora II and III are with one seta.