Promyialges italicus, Faradonbeh & Ostovan & OConnor & Gheibi & Joharchi & Macchioni, 2019

Faradonbeh, Majid Moradi, Ostovan, Hadi, OConnor, Barry M., Gheibi, Mehdi, Joharchi, Omid & Macchioni, Fabio, 2019, Promyialges italicus sp. nov. (Astigmata: Epidermoptidae) with redescriptions of mites of the families Epidermoptidae and Cheyletidae (Prostigmata) associated with Pseudolynchia canariensis (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) from Iran and Italy, Persian Journal of Acarology 8 (1), pp. 27-46 : 36-41

Promyialges italicus sp. nov. ( Figs. 9–12 )

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Promyialges lophortyx – Furman and Tarshis (1953), Macchioni et al. (2005), Marcelino et al. (2009). Type host – Pseudolynchia canariensis (Mcquart, 1840) from Columba livia (Gmelin 1789) .

Type material

Female holotype and five female paratypes from Tuscany, Pisa, Italy, 43° 42' N, 10° 24' E, alt. 6 m., F. Macchioni collector. Holotype and three paratypes – JAZM, two female paratypes – ACSIAU.

Diagnosis

Dorsum with striated lines. Prodorsal shield triangular and with troughs in the anterior. Idiosoma ovoid, sejugal furrow located between si and c2, dorsal setae smooth. d1 and e1 located on hysterosomal shield. Ornamentation structure with circular pattern. Apodemes of coxae I fused; outer scapular setae delicate, 2/3 as long as propodosomal plate. With anchor-like structure exceeding apodemes of coxa II.

Description

Female ( Figs. 9 A, B; n = 7, all specimens ovigerous) – Idiosoma saccate, Idiosomal length × width, 467 × 258 (326–496 × 193–282) greatest width at level posterior to legs IV 256–260. Gnathosoma: subcapitulum triangular, strongly attenuated anteriorly, moderately elongate (reach to tarsi leg I), length including palps 57 (56–61), width at base 39 (39–42), length/width ratio 1.4; length of chelicerae 53 (51–58). Prodorsal shields: postero-lateral extensions blunt, not extend to bases of scapular setae se and si (se and si located out of prodorsal shield). Antero-lateral extensions extend to lateral margins of prodorsum and fuse with bases of epimerites Ia; median part of posterior margin concave; greatest length of shield 88 (85–91), width close to level of scapular setae 110 (107–110). Light yellow to semitransparent. Dorsum with 2 pairs of prodorsal setae (si and se) and 8 pairs of hysterosomal setae (c2, cp, d2, e2, ps1, f2, h2 and h3), all dorsal setae simple. Distance between scapular setae: se:se 112 (108–112), si: si 97 (89–97); internal scapular setae shorter than external scapular setae these setae located at same level and distance between transverse levels is 6 (5–8). Scapular shields well developed. Humeral shields present, large. c2 on humeral shields. Hysterosomal setae c2 and d2 and e2 short (microsetae). Setae c2 not reaching until the posterior end of their own plate. Length of d2 and e2 approximately equal and less than 1/3 distance between these setae. Setae cp very long (more than twice as c2); d2 and e2 located on hysterosomal plate. Length of hysterosoma 364 (227–376). Distance between hysteronotal setae: c2: d2 108 (61–108), d2: e2 80 (80–89), e2: h2 106 (44–107), h2: h2 90 (72–92). Epimerites I fused in inverse arc; posterior tip of sternum bifurcate ( Fig. 9B ). Epimerites II narrow and slightly curved. Coxal fields II with sclerotized area. Coxal fields III and IV completely sclerotized. Epimerites IVa absent. Epigynum at level of sejugal furrow with acute tips and bidentate median extension on posterior margin, maximum thickness (at mid-line) 9 (9–13), width 118 (70–118). Genital opening present between coxae III and IV, with 1 pair of genital setae (g). Genital folds present. All around folds of ovipore with sclerotized. Setae 3b on sclerotized areas of coxal fields III ( Fig. 9B ). Distance between ventral setae: 3a: g 58 (44–66), g: 4a 91 (26–91). Spermatheca and spermducts as in figure 12. Coxal plates I not reaching to posterior extremity of prosternal apodeme; anal opening posteriorad of genital opening, with 2 pairs of setae (ps3, ps2). Legs light brown. Pretarsi of all legs bilobate. Tarsus I with claw like dorsal extension (round and sickle shaped) ( Fig. 10A ); length of transverse piece of this extension 25 (25–26); tarsi of legs III with short dorso-apical spine ( Fig. 10C ). Chaetotaxy of legs ( Figure 10A, D ): coxae 1, 0, 1, 0; trochanters 1, 1, 1, 0; femur 1, 1, 0, 0; genua 2 + 1 σ, 2 + 1 σ, 0, 0; tibiae 2, 2, 2, 2; tarsus 7, 5 + 1 dorsoapical spine + 1 ω, 5 + 1 dorso-apical spine, 5 + 1 dorso-apical spine.

Diffrential diagnosis

Promyialges italicus sp. nov. most closely resembles Pr. lophortyx in the similarity of the prodorsal shield shape and the structure of the membranes of the gnathosoma and shape of hysterosomal shield. Females of Pr. italicus sp. nov. differ from those of Pr. lophortyx by having setae si located at the same level as se, c2 short and not reaching the posterior edge of humeral shield, setae g at level trochanter IV (vs. setae g before coxa IV as in Fig. 13C ), cp not located on humeral shield, d2 and e2 are short and not reach half the distance between each setal pair ( Fig. 9A ).

In Pr. lophortyx , solenidion ϕ on tibia II is thin, stick-like and equal in length to the segment, the epigynum is thinner (8–9) and the sclerotized area around the sternum attenuates towards. On the other hand, Pr. italicus sp. nov. is similar to Pr. pari Fain, 1965 in the shape of hysterosomal shield; however, it differs from the latter species by having a prodorsal shield bearing a pair of spots anterolateral in Pr. pari . In Pr. pari , the prodorsal shield is in the shape of a trapezium, both pairs of scapular setae are situated on the posterolateral margin of the shield.

Etymology The species is named after Italy country where the new species was found.

Remarks

Mironov et al. (2005) studied the phylogeny of four species belonging to Promyialges and divided the genus into two groups. Group I included Pr. pari and Pr. uncus Vitzthum, 1934 . According to Pr. italicus sp. nov. similar to this group. These are with Pr. lophortyx ( Furman & Tarshis, 1953) closely similar to Pr. italicus sp. nov. but differs from it by the shapes apodemes of coxae I (in Pr. lophortyx fused versus not fused in Pr. uncus ) and the length of the outer scapular setae (in Pr. lophortyx delicate, 2/3 as long as propodosomal plate versus in Pr. uncus ). Level of scapular setae in Pr. lophortyx deffer to Pr. italicus sp. nov. (in Pr. lophortyx si posteriorly se as in Fig. 13B ) c2, d2 and e2 long and each one reach to posteriorly setae ( Fig. 13B ).

Male – not found.

Comparative morphological measurements between different populations of species

Some characters among three species within different sites were compared; Pr. lophortyx is not found in Iran, but Italian species were surveyed and compared with original descriptions ( Furman and Tarshis 1953). Length and width differences are reported. Ratio of length/width were in the original description ≈ 1.4 and in Italian specimens ≈ 1.6. As a result, the ratio of original specimens is less than Italian specimens ( Table 1).

As to M. anchora , nine characters in populations from Iran and Italy were compared with each other. A clear difference was observed between their body lengths and widths, so that ratio of length/width in Iranian specimens is 1.7 and in Italian specimens is 1.6 but show clear differences in comparison with Fain, 1965 as 2.5. The length of d2, f2, and h2 setae indicated clear differences between Iranian and Italian specimens ( Table 2).

Ornithocheyletia hallae hallae was studied in three geographic regions of Alborz, Iran, Tuscany, Pisa, Italy and the Canoga Park, California (Smiley 1977). Body size, shape of the pygidial plate and also some setae, such as sci, vi, c1, c2, d2, and h2 differed regarding their lengths. In the original description and our Italian specimens, the ratio of length/width was ≈ 1.7, whereas the ratio of length/width in Iranian specimens was 1.8. Some of these variables are different only in subpopulations. To differ subspecies of O. hallae hallae and O. hallae similis , the width of the pygidial plate and the lengths of setae sci, c1, c2 and h2 long was important. In Italian specimens the pygidial plate was distinctly wider, while setae sci, c1, c2 and h2 were distinctly longer 180 of our Iranian specimens ( Table 3).

1970 with those collected in Iran and Italy.

Figures

Figure 9. Promyialges italicus sp. nov. (female) – A. Dorsal view of idiosoma; B. Ventral view of body.

Figure 10. Promyialges italicus sp. nov. (female) – A. Leg I; B. Leg II; C. Leg III; D. Leg IV.

Figures 11–12. Spermatheca and spermducts – 11. Promiyalges lophortyx (Furman & Tarshis, 1953) (female); 12. Promyialges italicus sp. nov. (female). Pd = primary spermduct; sd = secondary spermduct; st = spermatheca.

Figure 13. A. Myialges anchora Trouessart, 1907 (female) – Genital papillae; B, C. Promyialges lophortyx (Furman & Tarshis, 1953) (female) – B. Dorsal view of podosoma, C. Ventral view of metapodosoma.