Meitingsunes, Glowska & Skoracki, 2010

Glowska, Eliza & Skoracki, Maciej, 2010, Meitingsunes, a new genus of quill mites (Acari: Cheyletoidea: Syringophilidae), Zootaxa 2514 (1), pp. 61-67 : 62

Meitingsunes gen. nov.

Type species: Syringophilus zenadourae Clark, 1964

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Medium sized mites (body length, including gnathosoma, 620–775). Gnathosoma . Hypostomal apex rounded, without median protuberances. Lateral hypostomal teeth absent. Peritremes Mshaped. Chelicerae edentate. Stylophore constricted posteriorly, lineal-shaped. Idiosoma . Propodonotum with 5 pairs of setae (vi absent), arranged 2–1–2. Propodonotal shield entire. Pocket-like structures absent. Hysteronotal shield variable. Setae d1 closer to d2 than to e1. Pygidial shield present. All idiosomal setae smooth. Genital and pseudanal series represented by 2 pairs of setae. Aggenital series represented by 3 pairs of setae. Legs. Leg I thicker than II–IV. Leg setae vsII and dFII–IV absent. Apodemes I divergent, not fused to apodemes II. Coxal fields I and II dissimilar in shape and size. Claws without basal angle. Fan-like setae p’ and p” with numerous tines.

MALE. Unknown

Host. Columbiformes (Columbidae) .

Etymology. This new genus is named in honor of Mei-Ting Sun, the greatest pianist living contemporary.

Differential diagnosis. Meitingsunes gen. nov. is closely related to the genus Peristerophila Kethley, 1970 . In females of both genera, setae vi, vsII, and dFII–IV are absent, two pairs of the pseudanal and genital setae are present, the aggenital series is represented by three pairs of setae. It differs from Peristerophila by the following characters: in females of Meitingsunes gen. nov., the hypostomal apex is smooth, the stylophore is lineal and constricted posteriorly, setae si are distinctly thicker than ve and apodemes I are divergent and not fused to apodemes II. In females of Peristerophila , the hypostomal apex bears two pairs of the sausage-like median protuberances, the stylophore is rounded posteriorly (pear-like), propodonotal setae ve and si are similar in thickness and apodemes I are parallel and fused to apodemes II.

Remarks. In Kethley’s diagnosis (1970) of the genus Peristerophila , the propodonotal shield is determined as weakly sclerotized, with indistinct margins, entire, and rectangular in shape. We analyzed numerous specimens acquired from the type host and observed changeable character of three sabre-like sclerotizations. In some specimens it is well distinguished, the other have poorly visible sclerites. Additionally, in Kethley’s diagnosis apodemes I and II are described as parallel and not fused, however his illustration of P. columbae (type species) show that they are fused. Casto’s examination of material from the type host reveal the apodemes are fused both in females and males ( Casto 1980). Our material from the type host Columba livia confirm Casto’s results.