Schoengastia mabuyana Lawrence, 1949

Stekolnikov, Alexandr A., 2024, Revision of South African chiggers (Acariformes: Trombiculidae) originated from the collection of R. F. Lawrence, with redescriptions of nine species, Zootaxa 5493 (1), pp. 1-35 : 26-28

Schoengastia mabuyana Lawrence, 1949

( Figs. 15B , 16 )

Schoengastia mabuyana Lawrence, 1949: 423 , fig. 11; Wharton & Fuller 1952: 88; Vercammen-Grandjean 1958b: 658, pl. 9; Stekolnikov 2018: 82 .

Schoengastia (Schoengastia) mabuyana : Zumpt 1961: 157; Vercammen-Grandjean 1965b: 82.

Diagnosis. SIF = ???-?-3-3111.?000; fPp = N/N/NNN; AL> PL >> AM; fD = 2H-9-6-6-4+4; DS = 31; V = 22; NDV = 53; scutum pentagonal, with greatly projected rounded posterior margin; sensillary bases anterior to level of PLs; Ip = 698–729. Standard measurements are in Table 6 .

Redescription (two paratypes). IDIOSOMA ( Figs. 15B , 16A–F ). Eyes 2 + 2, in ocular plate; 31 dorsal idiosomal setae, including one pair of humeral setae, moderately barbed, 9 setae in 1 st posthumeral row (C excluding humeral setae), by 6 setae in next two rows (D and E), four setae in 4 th row (F) plus 4 caudal setae; 4 sternal setae; 22 ventral setae; NDV = 53.

GNATHOSOMA. Cheliceral blade with tricuspid cap and row of four dorsal teeth; palpal claw with three prongs; setae on palpal femur, genu, and tibia nude; other structures visible indistinctly.

SCUTUM ( Figs. 15B , 16F ). Pentagonal, moderately covered with small puncta, anterior and lateral scutal margins almost straight, posterior margin greatly projected, rounded; AM slightly posterior to level of ALs; sensillary (trichobothrial) bases anterior to level of PLs (PSB – P-PL = 3–9); AM and PLs uniform with dorsal idiosomal setae, ALs covered with much longer thin barbs; AL> PL >> AM; sensilla (trichobothria) globose, covered with wide scalelike setules.

LEGS ( Fig. 16G–I ).All 7-segmented, with 1 pair of claws and claw-like empodium. Leg I: coxa with 1 branched seta (1B); trochanter 1B; basifemur 1B; telofemur 5B; genu 4B, 3 genualae (σ), microgenuala (κ) not observed; tibia 8B, 2 tibialae (φ), microtibiala (κ) not observed; tarsus 21B, tarsala (ω), microtarsala (ε) far distal to tarsala, subterminala (ζ), parasubterminala (z), pretarsala (ζ). Leg II: coxa 1B; trochanter 1B; basifemur 2B; telofemur 4B; genu 3B, genuala (σ); tibia 6B, 2 tibialae (φ); tarsus 16B, tarsala (ω), microtarsala (ε) behind tarsala, pretarsala (ζ). Leg III: coxa 1B; trochanter 1B; basifemur 2B; telofemur 3B; genu 3B, genuala (σ); tibia 6B, tibiala (φ); tarsus with only 11 setae visible.

Distribution and hosts. This species was described from (1) Chishawasha, Southern Rhodesia (currently Zimbabwe), ex Trachylepis striata (syn. Mabuya striata ); (2) Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia (currently Zimbabwe), ex Trachylepis margaritifera (Peters) (syn. Mabuya quinquetaeniata margaritifer ); (3) Ubombo, Zululand (currently KwaZulu-Natal Prov., South Africa), ex T. striata ; (4) Zululand (locality unknown), ex T. varia (syn. Mabuya varia ).

Material examined. Two paratypes, larvae, SAM 8713 (slides 2 and 3; NM 26422 and 26423), ex M. striata, Chishawasha, S. Rhodesia, collector and date unknown ( Fig. 1 , 25–26) .

Remarks. Schoengastia mabuyana differs from S. monticola and S. scincicola in a narrower scutum (AW 50 vs. 53–61 and PW 66–68 vs. 77–94), shorter legs (Ip 698–729 vs. 823–895 and TaIIIL 74 vs. 79–83), and wider setules of sensilla. Examination of new materials would add more diagnostic characters.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Slide labels. 1, Microtrombicula homopholis, holotype; 2, Hypotrombidium subquadratum, holotype; 3, Willmannium natalense, lectotype; 4, W. natalense, paralectotype 1; 5, M. nivaria, paratype; 6, Herpetacarus (Abonnencia) alticolus, holotype; 7, H. (A.) alticolus, paratype; 8, H. (A.) alticolus, slide with topotypic specimens; 9, H. (A.) africanus, holotype; 10, H. (A.) africanus, topotypic specimen (ZIN label is on the opposite side); 11, H. (A.) longispinus, holotype; 12, H. (A.) longispinus, topotypic specimen (ZIN label is on the opposite side); 13, Ascoschoengastia rhabdomyia, slide NM 5387; 14, Riedlinia (Trombigastia) cadei, specimen NM 6544/3 (pencil inscription “/3” is mine; my identification label is on the opposite side); 15, Schoengastia pseudocordyli, slide NM 4939/1 (pencil inscriptions are mine; my identification label is on the opposite side); 16, S. scincicola, holotype; 17, S. scincicola, paratype NM 4870/2; 18, S. scincicola, paratype NHM 1957-8-12-35; 19, S. scincicola, non-type specimen (renounced paratype) NM 4870/3; 20, S. monticola, holotype; 21, S. monticola, paratype NHM 1957-8-12-34; 22, S. monticola, non-type specimen (renounced paratype) NM 4827; 23, S. monticola, specimen NM 4810/1 (pencil inscription “/1” is mine; my identification label is on the opposite side); 24, S. gerrhosauri, paratype NHM 1957-8- 12-36; 25, S. mabuyana, paratype NM 26422; 26, S. mabuyana, paratype NM 26423; 27, Microtrombicula (Microtrombicula) zumpti, specimen NM 5871/1 (pencil inscriptions are mine; my identification label is on the opposite side); 28, Neotrombicula (Anamasticula) rhodesiana, holotype.

FIGURE 15. Schoengastia gerrhosauri Lawrence, 1949, paratype NHM 1957-8-12-36 (A), Schoengastia mabuyana Lawrence, 1949, paratype NM 26422 (B), Microtrombicula (Microtrombicula) zumpti Vercammen-Grandjean, 1965, specimen NM 5871/1 (C), Neotrombicula (Anamasticula) rhodesiana (Lawrence, 1949), holotype (D). Dorsal aspect of idiosoma (A, B), scutum (C, D). Scale bars: 50 µm.

FIGURE 16. Schoengastia mabuyana Lawrence, 1949, paratype NM 26422. A, dorsal aspect of idiosoma; B, arrangement of ventral idiosomal setae; C, dorsal idiosomal seta; D, humeral seta; E, preanal idiosomal seta; F scutum and eyes; G, leg I, trochanter–tarsus (microtibiala and microgenuala invisible); H, leg II, trochanter–tarsus; I, leg III, trochanter–tarsus (tarsus broken). Abbreviations as in Fig. 9. Scale bars: 100 µm (A, B), 20 µm (C–E), 50 µm (F), 50 µm (G–I).