Passeroptes gaudi ( Vassilev and Kolebinova, 1965 ) Vassilev and Kolebinova, 1965

Bochkov, Andre V. & Mironov, Sergey V., 2012, Mites of the genus Passeroptes Fain (Acariformes: Dermationidae) from passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) of North-Western Russia, Zootaxa 3563, pp. 43-57 : 53-56

Passeroptes gaudi ( Vassilev and Kolebinova, 1965) comb. nov.

( Figs. 10 , 11 )

Rivoltasia gaudi Vassilev and Kolebinova, 1965: 161 , figs. 1–4

Passeroptes sturninus Arutunjan and Mironov, 1983: 324 , figs. 12, 13 syn. nov.

Redescription. FEMALE (10 specimens). Body 220–255 long and 150–165 wide. Idiosomal shields without ornamentation, soft idiosomal cuticle striated, without scales or tubercules. Distance between propodonotal and hysteronotal shields about 20. Propodonotal shield 60–65 long and 65–70 wide, posterolateral extensions encompassing bases of setae se, in some specimens also bases of si. Setae se at least 3 times longer than si. Hysteronotal shield 90–105 long and 60–65 wide. Setae d2 present. Humeral shields without dorsal valves. Coxal fields III closed. Adanal shields widely separated from each other, moderately sclerotized. Legs III and IV subequal, 100–115 long. Femora III and IV each with 1 ventral moderately developed retrorse projection. Other projections on posterior legs absent. Rudimental solenidion ω 1 present on tarsi I. Lengths of setae: se 55–60, cp 100–115, c3 70–75, h2 190–230, h3 and ps2 50–55, d II 70 –75, d III–IV 60 –65, ω 3 and ω 1 I about 25, φI– II 30, φIII and φIV about 3, σ 1 I about 17, and σII about 3.

Material examined. 10 females ex Sturnus vulgaris (Linnaeus) ( Passeriformes : Sturnidae ), RUSSIA: Kaliningrad Province, Curonian spit, Rybachy village, 55°09'15" N, 20°51'14" E, 28 April 1958, coll. V. Jygis.

Hosts and distribution. This species is known only from Sturnus vulgaris (Linnaeus) ( Passeriformes : Sturnidae ) from Bulgaria, Russia (Kaliningrad Province), and Armenia ( Vassilev & Kolebinova 1965; Arutunjan & Mironov 1983; present publication).

Remark. The description of Rivoltasia gaudi Vassilev and Kolebinova, 1965 (Dermationidae) from Sturnus vulgaris from Bulgaria ( Vassilev & Kolebinova 1965) and revision of dermationids by Fain (1965) were published simultaneously. Therefore this species was not included in Fain’s revision. Later on, Arutunjan and Mironov (1983) described Passeroptes sturninus from the same host from Armenia, but were not aware of R. gaudi , because the latter species was, at that time, in a genus other than Passeroptes . We compared the description of R. gaudi and P. sturninus (based on the original descriptions and our additional material) and concluded that these two species are conspecific. Therefore, we transfer Rivoltasia gaudi to the genus Passeroptes and consider Passeroptes sturninus syn. nov. as a junior synonym of this species.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Passeroptes gaudi (Vassilev and Kolebinova, 1965), female in dorsal view.

FIGURE 11. Passeroptes gaudi (Vassilev and Kolebinova, 1965), female in ventral view.