Leptotrombidium fletcheri ( Womersley and Heaslip, 1943 )

STEKOLNIKOV, ALEXANDR A., 2013, <strong> <em> Leptotrombidium </ em> (Acari: Trombiculidae) of the World </ strong>, Zootaxa 3728 (1), pp. 1-173 : 93-94

206. Leptotrombidium fletcheri ( Womersley and Heaslip, 1943)

Trombicula fletcheri Womersley and Heaslip, 1943: 86 .

Leptotrombidium (Leptotrombidium) fletcheri fletcheri, Vercammen-Grandjean & Langston 1976: 301 , pls. 38, 39. Leptotrombidium (Leptotrombidium) fletcheri francolini Wen and Xiang, 1984b: 213 , fig. III-24, syn. nov.

Diagnosis. fPp = N/N/BNN; Pc = 3; Gn = 2; fSc: AM = PL> AL; SB/PL; fCx = 1.1.1; fSt = 2.2; fD = 2H-10-8-8- 6-4-2; DS = 32–44; VS = 22–32; NDV = 52–74; Ip = 646–703; AW 62–69, PW 73–81, SB 28–34, ASB 20–28, PSB 12–17, SD 34–44, AP 25–30, AM 48–57, AL 33–42, PL 47–57, S 62–78, H 47–58, D min 32–44, D max 44–56, V min 29–38, V max 50–51, pa 220–242, pm 192–213, pp 220–249.

L. fletcheri francolini : fD = 2H-10-8-8-6-2; DS = 34–37; VS = 22–26; NDV = 56–62; Ip = 641–665; AW 63– 67, PW 73–82, SB 30–35, ASB 24–26, PSB 15, SD 40, AP 27–29, AM 55–56, AL 38–43, PL 54–57, S 67–75, H 53–61, D min 39–46, D max 45–55, V min 30–39, V max 40–46, pa 218–228, pm 190–203, pp 228–243.

Type data. Malaysia, Selangor State, from Rattus rattus (L.) ( L. fletcheri ); China, Yunnan Province, from Francolinus pintadeanus (Scopoli) ( L. fletcheri francolini ).

Remarks. Differences given to support the separation of L. fletcheri francolini from L. fletcheri fletcheri ( Wen & Xiang 1984b) consist mainly in mean values (of DS, AM, PL, and S). Comparison of the above intervals for these characters shows, however, that they are overlapped almost completely. Other characteristics of L. fletcheri francolini , namely, 12 branches of sensilla vs. 17–19 in L. fletcheri fletcheri , absence of small cilia in the proximal part of sensilla, and slightly longer solenidia (S 1 = 17 vs. 14–15 and S 2 = 14 vs. 12–13) can be treated as individual variation. Thus, I regard the separation of L. fletcheri francolini as not proved and consider it as a synonym of L. fletcheri .

Species group linjeromae

Diagnosis. fPp = N/N/BNN; Pc = 3; Gn = 2; fSc: AM ≥ PL> AL; SB-PL; fCx = 1.1.1; fSt = 2.2; fD = 2H-10-6(8)- 8-6-2; DS = 34–36; VS = 28–34; NDV = 62–70; Ip = 764–802; AW 65–74, PW 78–90, SB 32–38, ASB 29–33, PSB 12–14, SD 42–47, AP 28–34, AM 62–73, AL 44–54, PL 56–74, S 80–86, H 56–75, D min 46–54, D max 59–75, V min 32–38, V max 50–64, pa 266–285, pm 229–243, pp 262–280. Philippines (Palawan Island) and Indonesia (Java Island).