Geckobiella harrisi Davidson

Paredes-León, Ricardo, Klompen, Hans & Pérez, Tila M., 2012, Systematic revision of the genera Geckobiella Hirst, 1917 and Hirstiella Berlese, 1920 (Acari: Prostigmata: Pterygosomatidae) with description of a new genus for American species parasites on geckos formerly placed in Hirstiella, Zootaxa 3510, pp. 1-40 : 10

Geckobiella harrisi Davidson

Geckobiella harrisi Davidson, 1958: 75 .

Diagnosis. Female. Idiosoma laterally compressed; dorsal setae short club-like, occurring in patches; short peritremes which do not extend to second palpal segment. Setae ps1–2 spinose spatulate (club-like) and ps3 sparsely barbed.

Male. Idiosoma dorso-ventrally flattened; club-like setae present, most abundant anteriorly on margin of dorsum.

Type. Female HOLOTYPE ( USNMC 1860) and allotype ( USNMC); PARATYPES in OSAL.

Type locality. 12 miles south of Santarem, Para, Brazil.

Type host. Plica plica (Linnaeus) .

Material examined. Female HOLOTYPE, 1 male ALLOTYPE ex Plica plica , BRAZIL, 12 mi South Santarem, Para, 5 September 1955, coll. L. E. Harris Jr. ( USNMC); 2 females ex Plica plica , BRAZIL, Para, 13 January 1956, coll. L. E. Harris Jr. ( OSAL 0067352–53).

Remarks. This species appears to be a specific ectoparasite of Tropiduridae lizards (see Table 2 ). Davidson (1958) mentioned the absence of eyes as a diagnostic character for this species, however we found that G. harrisi has a pair of eyes each located anterolaterally as in other pterygosomatids. Apparently without solenidion ω on tarsus III (unlike Jack 1964).