Peristerophila upupi, Klimovičová, Miroslava, Mikula, Peter, Kahure, Njoki & Hromada, Martin, 2014

Klimovičová, Miroslava, Mikula, Peter, Kahure, Njoki & Hromada, Martin, 2014, A review of quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) parasitising Kenyan birds, Zootaxa 3857 (4), pp. 571-580 : 575

Peristerophila upupi sp. nov.

( Figs. 2 and 3 )

Description. FEMALE. Total body length of holotype 630 (550–665 in 10 paratypes). Gnathosoma . Infracapitulum punctate. Each medial branch of peritremes with 2 chambers, each lateral branch with 5–6 chambers. Stylophore apunctate, 135 long (130–145). Movable cheliceral digit (95–100) long. Idiosoma . Propodonotal shield divided into 3 punctate sclerites, bearing bases of setae ve, si and c1. Length ratio of setae ve: si 1:1.7. Setae se and c1 subequal in length. Hysteronotal shield not fused to pygidial shield, apunctate, situated between bases of setae d1. Pygidial shield punctate posteriorly. Agenital setae ag1 about 2.8 times longer than setae ag2. Genital setae g1 and g2 subequal in length, both 1.3 times longer than pseudanal setae ps1 and ps2. All coxal fields punctate. Legs. Setae tc“III and IV 2.5 times longer than tc‘III and IV. Some of podomers of all legs punctate. Setae l´RI and l´RIII extending to respective genu, l´RII extending to respective tibia and l´RIV reach anterior margin of femur. Fan-like setae p‘ and p“ of legs III and IV with 16 short tines. Lengths of setae: ve 15 (15–20), si 25 (20–30), se 230 (180–230), c1 205 (180–225), c2 175 (185–215), d1 180 (140–170), d2 200 (180–210), e2 135 (110–140), f1 20 (15–20), f2 190 (170–225), h1 25 (20–30), h2 350 (295–365), g1 and g2 20 (15–25), ps1 and ps2 15 (10–20), ag1 125 (100–130), ag2 45 (40–50), ag3 150 (150–185), tc‘III– IV 20 (20–25), tc“ II–IV 50 (45–55), 3b (20–30), 3c 75 (65–85), l´RI 20 (20), l´RII 20 (20–25), l´RIII 30 (20–30), l´RIV 20 (20–25).

MALE. Total body length of paratype 385. Gnathosoma . Infracapitulum punctate. Each medial branch of peritremes with 1–2 chambers, each lateral branch with 3–5 chambers. Stylophore apunctate, 100 long. Idiosoma . Propodonotal shield entire, sparsely punctate, constricted posteriorly, bearing bases of setae ve, si and c1. Length ratio of setae ve: si 1:1.3. Hysteronotal shield present near bases of setae d1, not fused to pygidial shield, apunctate. Setae d2 1.7 times longer than d1. Pygidial shield sparsely punctate. Setae h2 and f2 subequal in length. Agenital setae ag1 1.8 times longer than ag2. Genital setae g1 situated anteriorly to level of setae g2. All coxal fields punctate. Setae 3c twice as long as 3b. Legs. Setae tcʼʼIII and IV 1.5 times longer than tcʼIII and IV. Podomers of legs I and II with minute punctations. Lengths of setae: ve 15, si 20, se 105, c1 120, c2 80, d1 15, d2 25, e2 20, f2 20, h2 20, ps1 5, ps2 5, g1 5, g2 5, ag1 55, ag2 30, tc‘III– IV 20, tc“ III–IV 30; 3b 20, 3c 40, l´RI 20, l´RII 15, l´RIII 15.

Etymology. The specific epithet (a noun in apposition) refers to generic name of the host— Upupa .

Type material. Female holotype, 10 female and 1 male paratypes from Upupa epops Linnaeus, 1758 (Coraciiformes: Upupidae ): KENYA: Nyahururu, 0°0'37.69"S, 36°22'48.89"E, elev. 2380 m a.s.l., 30 October 2012, coll. W.Wamiti.

Type deposition. All material is deposited in the AMU (Reg. No. AMU −SYR.476), except 5 female paratypes in the LMEE (Reg. No. LMEE /S/6).

Differential diagnosis. Peristerophila upupi sp. nov. is morphologically similar to P. accipitridicus Skoracki, Lontkowski and Stawarczyk, 2010 . In females of both species, the stylophore is apunctate; the propodonotal shield is divided into 3 punctate sclerites; the hysteronotal shield is not fused to the pygidial shield, apunctate; the pygidial shield is punctate posteriorly; genital setae g1 and g2 are subequal in length; all coxal fields are punctate; some of podomers of all legs are punctate. This new species is distinguished from P. accipitridicus , by the following characters: in females of P. upupi , each lateral branch of the peritremes is with 5–6 chambers; agenital setae ag1 are about 2.8 times longer than setae ag2; both genital setae are 1.3 times longer than pseudanal setae ps1 and ps2. In females of P. accipitridicus , each lateral branch of the peritremes is with 3–4 chambers; agenital setae ag1 are about 2.5 times longer than setae ag2; both genital setae are 1.5–2 times longer than pseudanal setae ps1 and ps2.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Peristerophila upupi sp. nov., female from Upupa epops. A, dorsal view; B, ventral view; C, peritremes. Scale bars: A, B = 50 Μm; C = 20 Μm.

FIGURE 3. Peristerophila upupi sp. nov., male from Upupa epops. A, dorsal view; B, ventral view; C, peritremes. Scale bars: A, B = 50 Μm; C = 20 Μm.