Ornithocheyletia hallae hallae Smiley, 1970

Faradonbeh, Majid Moradi, Ostovan, Hadi, OConnor, Barry M., Gheibi, Mehdi, Joharchi, Omid & Macchioni, Fabio, 2019, Promyialges italicus sp. nov. (Astigmata: Epidermoptidae) with redescriptions of mites of the families Epidermoptidae and Cheyletidae (Prostigmata) associated with Pseudolynchia canariensis (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) from Iran and Italy, Persian Journal of Acarology 8 (1), pp. 27-46 : 29-31

Ornithocheyletia hallae hallae Smiley, 1970 ( Figs. 1–4 )

Ornithocheyletia hallae – Smiley (1970), Fain (1981), Macchioni (2003), Macchioni et al. (2005), Valim and Gazêta (2007), Marcelino et al. (2009), Bilal (2012).

Ornithocheyletia hallae hallae – Smiley (1970), Fain (1981).

Material examined

Nine females from two countries, four females, Iran, Alborz, Karaj, 35º 48' N, 50º 59' E, alt. 1550 m a.s.l., O. Joharchi coll., on Pseudolynchia canariensis collected from domestic pigeons Columba livia , deposited in JAZM and ACSIAU. Five females, Italy, Tuscany, Pisa, 43° 42' N, 10° 24' E, alt. 6 m, F. Macchioni coll., on P. canariensis , deposited in JAZM and ACSIAU.

Amended diagnosis

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 1 , A) – Body short and wide, Width/Length> 1. Cuticle striated, bearing three sclerotized plates: two large sclerotizations, one located anteriorly (propodonotal) and one medially (hysteronotal), and a much smaller subterminal (pygidial) plate. In some species these plates are very poorly or not sclerotized and bear very fine striations. Ventral surface clearly striated. Coxae strongly sclerotized and in some species their internal parts striated. Vulva located subterminoventrally. Anus generally terminal. Gnathosoma small with unusually long palps; palpfemur distinctly longer than all other articles of the pedipalps. Palptibia short, ending in a curved "claw". Palptarsus without combs. Peritremes short, with three or four pairs of segments.

Description

Female ( Fig. 1 , A, B) – Body length, including gnathosoma (390–420), width (200–210). Gnathosoma ( Fig. 4 , A) (72–80) long, (55–60) wide. Female with the following setae: vi, ve, sci, sce, c1, c2, d1, d2, e1, f1, h2, 1a, 3a, 4a, ag1, ag2, ag3, g1, g2, ps1, ps 2, ps3. Setae: sci 178, sce 48, vi 33, ve 42, c1 182, c2 172, d1 23, d2 36, e1 41, f1 25, h2 177. Palpal femur about 18 long. Palpal tibial claw without teeth. Peritremes slightly arched; with 6–7 pairs of transverse striated segments. Rostrum (protegmen) and rostral shield weakly ornamented. A few tubercles and striations present in anterior part of peritremes. Idiosoma (270–295) long; idiosomal length/ width ratio 1.3, distance 2c– 3b about 25, more than 1/8 of body width. Remnants of propodonotal and hysteronotal shields as distinct weak spots (ultrafine spots with periodically). Propodonotum with 5 pairs of setae, setae c4 absent. All propodonotal setae setiform. Setae d2 about 160 long. Hysteronotum with 2 pairs of setiform setae (e1, e2), sizes and shapes similar to propodonotal setae; setae f2 inserted significantly on pygidial plate. Two pairs of genital setae, 2 pairs of pseudogenital setae, and 3 pairs of aggenital setae present. Setae ag4 and a g5 are barbed ( Fig. 4 , B). The pygidial plate is 42–45 wide. Setae sci, c1, c2 and h2 smooth and 180 long ( Fig. 1 , A) Setae vi, ve, sce, d1 45–60 long ( Fig. 1 , A). Setae h2 157. Tibia III-IV with 3 setae. Tarsus IV with at least one branched setae (at the base of two branches) ( Fig. 3 , C). Solenidion of tibia I inflated in its middle part and about 5 long ( Fig. 3 , A). Solendion genu I without a stalk ( Fig. 2 , B).

Legs ( Fig. 3 , A–D) – All usual leg setae of Ornithocheyletia present. Leg I–IV setation: tarsi 7 (tc’, tc”, a”, u’, u”, vs smooth, p’ and p”) -7 + solenidion ω1 (tc’, tc”, u ’, u”, vs smooth, p’ and p) - 7-7, tibiae 4 + solenidion φ + (d, v’, v” smooth, l’ serrate)-3 + solenidion φ -3-3, genua 2 + solenidion σ (d serrate, l’ smooth)-2-2-1, femora 2 (d serrate, v smooth)-2-1-1, trochanters 1 (v serrate)-1-0-0, coxae 2 (1b and 1c smooth)-1 (2b smooth)-2 (3b and 3c smooth)-1(4b smooth). Coxae forming two sections separated by striated cuticle, an anterior with coxae I-II and a posterior smaller area with coxae III-IV. Tarsi with a dorsal preapical protuberance and ending in paired claws and a multi-rayed empodium.

Remarks

Ornithocheyletia hallae Smiley, 1970 was originally described from a pigeon ( Columba livia ) in Brownsville, Texas, USA ( Smiley 1970). Fain (1972) described O. similis from a common emerald dove, Chalcophaps indica that had been imported into Belgium from Asia. In 1981, Fain published a revision of Ornithocheyletia and reduced O. similis to a subspecies of O. hallae and distinguished O. hallae hallae and O. hallae similis on measurements of the setae sci, c1, c2, and h2 and the width of the pygidial plate. The first description was based female ( Smiley 1970). In 1978, Smiley described the two male forms and a "nymph" (clearly the nymph II), in which males appeared in two different forms, “normal and heteromorphic males”. Our redescription and studies are based on females instead and their different morphologies at different collection sites. Our figures and photographs are herewith presented with more morphological details and will support the identification of subspecies.

Females of O. hallae hallae Smiley, 1970 and O. hallae similis Fain, 1972 are similar, but differ in the lengths of setae sci, c1, c2 and h2 (180 long in O. hallae hallae versus 140–150 in O. hallae similis ) and the pygidial plate width (45 in O. hallae hallae versus 32 in O. hallae similis ).

Male – not found.

Figures

Figure 1. Ornithocheyletia hallae hallae Smiley, 1970 (female) – A. Dorsal mite in total view with idiosomatal setation. Left side: Cuticula sculpture; B. Ventral idiosoma.

Figure 2. Ornithocheyletia hallae hallae Smiley, 1970 – A. Solenidion of Ti I; B. Solenidion of Ge I (dorsal view); C. Ta IV.

Figure 3. Ornithocheyletia hallae hallae Smiley, 1970 – A. Leg I; B. Leg II; C. Leg III; D. Leg IV.

Figure 4. Ornithocheyletia hallae hallae Smiley, 1970 – A. Gnathosomal structure; B. Anogenital region.