Onychalges odonturus Gaud, 1968

Grootaert, Patrick, 2014, Revision of the subfamily Onychalginae Fain, 1988 (Acariformes: Pyroglyphidae) — ectoparasites of passerine birds, Zootaxa 3785 (2), pp. 175-200 : 188-191

Onychalges odonturus Gaud, 1968

( Figs. 12 , 13 , 20 )

Onychalges odonturus Gaud, 1968: 306 , figs. 3c, 4c, 6b ( Psoroptidae ); Fain 1988: 21 ( Pyroglyphidae ).? Sturnophagoides (Kivuicola) kivuana Fain, 1971: 4 , figs. 3, 4, syn. nov.

? Kivuicola kivuana, Fain 1988: 21 ( Pyroglyphidae ).

Redescription. MALE (holotype, Figs. 12 , 20 ). Body, including gnathosoma and opisthosomal lobes, 500 (500– 520 in 4 paratypes) long and 300 (300–310) wide. Idiosoma . Propodonotal shield about 140 long and 80 wide.

Hysteronotal shield about 220 long, 100 wide at level of setae d1 and 140 wide at level of setae f2 bases. Minimal distance between shields about 40. Dorsal striae fine. Anterior and posterior pairs of genital papillae located almost at same longitudinal level. Aedeagus very short, 3–4 long. Sheath of aedeagus not developed. Diameter of adanal suckers about 20. Adanal shields fused or narrowly separated anteriorly, about 140 long. Terminal cleft about 45 long. Opisthosomal lobes about 50 wide at base. Apical membrane of opisthosomal lobes present, angular apically, about 8 long posterior to level of seta h3 bases. Maximum distance between lobes about 55. Lengths of setae: si 45–50, se 230–250, c2 190–220, cp 290–310, c3 220–230, d2 130–140, e2 200–220, f2 220–240, h2 and h3 410– 440, ps1 115–130, ps2 195–200, ps 3 28–30, 1 a 75–80, 3 a 140–160, 4 a 80–85, 4 b 130–140, and g about 4. Distances between setal bases (approximate): c1-c1 100, c2-c2 200, d1-d1 80, d2-d2 120, e1-e1 100, e2-e2 150, and 4b-4b 40. Distances between levels of seta bases (approximate): c1-d1 60 and e1- e2 50. Legs III about 360 long; legs IV about 270 long. Tarsi III and IV about 100 and 80 long, respectively. Lengths of solenidia and setae: ω 1 I 50–55, ω1 II 22–23, ω3 48–50, φ I and φ II about 110, φ III and φ IV about 120, σ 1 I 95–100, σ2 I 5, σ II 6–5, σ III 60 –65, sR III 240–250, kT III and kT IV about 70.

FEMALE (5 paratypes, Figs. 13 , 20 ). Body, including gnathosoma, 430–450 long and 270–290 wide. Idiosoma . Propodonotal shield about 150 long and 90 wide. Hysteronotal shield about 80 long and 40 wide. Its anterior margin widely concave, lateral margins subparallel, and posterior margin almost straight. Maximum distance between shields about 80. Dorsal striae fine. Epigynum about 100 long. Bursa copulatrix globose. Lengths of setae: si 33–38, se 230–260, c2 130–150, cp 190–220, c3 140–160, d2 and e2 80 –90, f2 47–50, h2 and h3 280– 300, ps1 about 50, ps2 55–60, ps3 36–39, 1 a about 50, 3a 90–100, 4 a 100–110, 4 b and g about 50. Distances between setal bases (approximate): c1-c1 130, c2-c2 190, d1-d1 60, d2-d2 150, e1- e1 70, e2-e2 150, and 4b-4b 80. Distances between levels of seta bases (approximate): c1-d1 60 and e1- e2 30. Legs III and IV about 200 long. Tarsi III and IV about 65 long. Lengths of solenidia and setae: ω 1 I 39–41, ω1 II 20–23, ω3 38–40, φ I and φ II about 80, φ III 80 –85, φ IV about 40, σ 1 I 75–80, σ 2 I about 5, σ II 6–7, σ III 40 –45, sR III 145–160, kT III and kT IV 50 –60.

Type material examined. Holotype male ( MRAC 188.247), 4 male, 5 female and 2 tritonymph paratypes ( MRAC 188.247-188.249) from Spermophaga haematina (Vieillot) ( Passeriformes : Estrildidae ), CAMEROON: Centre Region, Yaounde, 3°52'N, 11°31'E, August 1955, coll. J. Mouchet.

Non-type material examined. 2 males and 6 females ( MRAC 188.251-188.254) from Lagonosticta rubricata ( Lichtenstein) ( Passeriformes : Estrildidae ) [new host], SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal Province, Sisonke District Municipality, Donnybrook, 29°55'36''S, 29°52'41''E, 8 April 1968, coll. unknown; 1 male ( MRAC) from Sporaeginthus subflavus (Vieillot) ( Passeriformes : Estrildidae ), ZIMBABWE: Harare Province, Harare, 17°49'39''S, 31°03'12''E, 23 April 1973, coll. B. Colahan.

Hosts and distribution. This species was recorded from Spermophaga haematina in Cameroon ( Gaud 1968), Lagonosticta rubricata in Zimbabwe (Colaham 1982) and South Africa (present paper), and Sporaeginthus subflavus from Zimbabwe.

Remark. The opisthosomal lobes of males from Lagonosticta rubricata have rounded apical membranes instead of pointed membranes as found in males of the type series and the male from Sporaeginthus subflavus ( Fig. 12 C, D).

Kivuicola kivuana Fain, 1971 was very briefly described from a single female specimen collected from dry skin of Perodicticus potto (Muller) ( Primates : Lorisidae ) originating from D.R. of the Congo (North Kivu: Mutwanga) ( Fain 1971). The original description indicates that the female holotype is deposited in MRAC.

However we did not find this specimen there or in IRSNB (collection of A. Fain) and think that it is probably lost. The original figures show the strong similarity between this specimen and females of O. odonturus . The holotype differs only by larger body - 505 long and 305 wide (vs 430–450 long and 270–290 wide in examined specimens of O. odonturus ). These differences are probably the result of intraspecific variability and we consider K. kivuana syn. nov. as a putative junior synonym of O. odonturus . The record of these mites on a potto is certainly an accidental contamination ( Fain 1971).

Figures

FIGURE 12. Onychalges odonturus Gaud, 1968, male. A—dorsal view; B—ventral view; C—apical membrane of opisthosomal lobe (specimen from Lagonosticta rubricata); D—apical membrane of opisthosomal lobe (specimen from Amandava subflava).

FIGURE 13. Onychalges odonturus Gaud, 1968, female. A—dorsal view; B—ventral view.

FIGURE 20. Onychalginae, details: aedeagus, spermatheca, and modified setae s and w of posterior legs.