Fedrizzia scutata (Womersley)

Seeman, Owen D., 2007, Revision of the Fedrizziidae (Acari: Mesostigmata: Fedrizzioidea), Zootaxa 1480, pp. 1-55 : 29

Fedrizzia scutata (Womersley)

Neofedrizzia scutata Womersley, 1959: 35 . Comb. nov.

Neofedrizzia bicornis – Karg, 1997: 54. Syn. nov.

Type specimens. Holotype, F, PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Bulolo, 3.ix.1954, H. Womersley, on passalid beetle (N1952374). In SAMA. Paratypes, 2 F, same data as holotype (N1952375-N1952376a-c).

Other specimens. Holotype, F, An einem Passaliden (Zuckerkäfer) auf West-Guinea, 1992, leg. M. Balke. Also with label “ Neofedrizzia bicornis F KARG. 6683, F”, marked holotype by a red T.

Diagnosis. Both sexes: idiosoma 1118 –1260 long, with anterior hyaline projection extending posteriorly just past level of Cx IV, without large pores; ventral, ventrianal and marginal shields smooth to lineate-reticulate; anterolateral corner of ventrianal shield not fused with ventral shield; exopodal patterning between CxII– III striped; pedofossae III present; CxIV-marginal suture present; femur III and IV with large lamellae, seta pv1 thickened; femur IV not elongated; seta h1 with swollen base. Female: setae st 2 23–33, st 3 31–33, st4 33– 40; lyrifissure stp2 level with stp x; sternogynial shield weakly reticulated to smooth, loosely flanked by several pores, not surrounded by a distinct smooth area. Male: not seen, probably without suture behind genital opening.

Remarks. In addition to the diagnosis, F. scutata lacks the large pair of pores posteromedially of CxIV, the pores laterad CxIV are not clustered (but are in a longitudinal line), and the lateral setae of the ventrianal shield are 10–20 long. The holotype is in average condition. The best specimen is the paratype N1952376a–c. This anomalous species appears intermediate between Neofedrizzia and Fedrizzia ( Womersley 1959) . Characters shared with Fedrizzia are: the form of the sternogynial shield; pores laterad Cx IV in a longitudinal line; large (10 – 20 long) lateral setae on the ventrianal shield; palp trochanter with seta av1 pilose; corniculi on hypostomal tubercles; seta h1 straight, smooth; and both cheliceral excrescences ribbon-like and of similar size. Characters shared with Neofedrizzia are: proximal seta of femur IV spine-like; pedofossae III and CxIV– marginal suture present; and exopodal patterning striped. I have reclassified F. scutata mostly because of the inverted bell-shaped genital shield, but also for the other characters it shares with Fedrizzia .

Fedrizzia scutata is so similar to Neofedrizzia bicornis Karg that I have synonymised these species. Karg (1999) does list some differences between these species, but I do not deem these sufficient to separate them. Firstly, the length:width of the idiosoma and anal shield is almost identical; the five large pairs of ventrianal shield setae are present in both species ( Womersley [1959] shows these only for Fedrizzia sp. cf. grossipes , but Fedrizzia spp. have lateral setae 10–30 long on the ventrianal shield); and setae st3 and st4 are almost the same length (33 each for F. scutata , 40 and 31 for N. bicornis ). The form of the palp trochantal process has one spine in F. scutata and two in N. bicornis , but I have already discussed the problems of interpreting this structure in the Remarks section for F. c a r a b i. The only other difference is that lyrifissure stp2 is posterior of st 2 in F. scutata but level with seta st 2 in N. bicornis . This character does hint that the species could be different, but I have seen some variation in the placement of stp2, so I cannot accept that N. bicornis is a different species from F. s c u t a t a.