Aulonastus henicorhina Sikora and Skoracki

Sikora, Bozena, Fajfer, Monika, Kavetska, Katarzyna & Skoracki, Maciej, 2012, Three new species of quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) parasitizing the wrens (Aves: Troglodytidae), Zootaxa 3167, pp. 57-65 : 60-62

Aulonastus henicorhina Sikora and Skoracki sp. nov.

( Figs. 7–10 )

Description. FEMALE (holotype, 5 paratypes). Total body length 430 (410–435). Gnathosoma . Infracapitulum and stylophore apunctate. Each medial branch of peritremes with 2 chambers, each lateral branch with 4–5 chambers. Length of stylophore and movable cheliceral digit 115 (115) and 80 (80), respectively. Idiosoma . Propodonotal shield rectangular in shape, bearing bases of setae ve, si, se and c1, sparsely punctate near bases of setae ve and si, Setae se and c1 situated at same transverse level. Length ratio of setae ve: si 1:1. Setae c1 1.1–1.2 times longer than se. Length ratio of setae d2: c1 1:1.1–1.2. Hysteronotal shield fused to pygidial shield, well sclerotized, apunctate, bases of setae d1 and e2 situates near this shield. Setae f2 about 3 times as long as f1. Setae h2 3.5–3.7 times longer than f2. Length ratio of setae ag1:ag2:ag3 1.1–1.3:1:1.6–2.1. Genital plate absent. Both pairs of genital setae subequal in length. All coxal fields sparsely punctate. Legs. Fan-like setae p’ and p” of legs III and IV with 5 tines. Lengths of setae: ve (15), si (20), se 145 (135–145), c1 (155–165), c2 125, d1 20 (20–25), d2 135 (135–150), e2 20 (20–25), f1 20 (20), f2 (60–65), h1 20 (20), h2 210 (210–225), ps1 15 (15), g1 and g2 25 (25–30), ag1 (50– 55), ag2 40 (40–50), ag3 85 (80–90).

MALE. Unknown.

Type material. Female holotype and paratypes: 5 females, 8 nymphs, 2 larvae and 3 eggs from quill of body feather of Henicorhina leucosticta (Cabanis); ECUADOR, near Quito, coll. R. Olalla. Mites removed by M. Skoracki.

Type deposition. All type material is deposited in the AMU (AMU–SYR. 350), except 1 female paratype in the ZISP ( ZISP AVB 011-2908-003) and 1 female paratype in the ZSM ( ZSMA 20112002).

Etymology. The name henicorhina is taken from the generic name of the type host and is a noun in apposition.

Differential diagnosis. A. henicorhina sp. nov. is morphologically similar to A. pirangus Skoracki, Hendricks & Spicer, 2010 described from Piranga ludoviciana (Wilson) ( Passeriformes : Cardinalidae ) from USA ( Skoracki et al. 2010a). In the females of both species each medial and lateral branch of the peritremes has 2 and 5 chambers respectively; setae c1 and se are subequal in the length; setae f2 are about 3 times longer than f1; setae h2 are distinctly longer than f2; setae h2 are about 11-12 times longer than h1 and f1 and the coxal fields of legs I–IV are sparsely punctate. This new species differs from A. pirangus by the following characters: in females of A. henicorhina , the lengths of aggenital setae ag1, ag2 and ag3 are 50–55, 40–50 and 80–90, respectively; the hysteronotal shield is well sclerotized; fan-like setae of legs III and IV are with 5 tines. In females of A. pirangus , the lengths of aggenital setae ag1, ag2 and ag3 are 105–120, 115 and 130–145, respectively; the hysteronotal shield is indistinct and weakly sclerotized; fan-like setae of legs III and IV are with 8 tines.

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 10. Aulonastus henicorhina sp. nov., female. 7, in dorsal view; 8, in ventral view; 9, peritremes; 10, fan-like seta p’ of leg III. Scale bars: 7, 8 = 50 μm; 9, 10 = 20 μm.