Geckobia bochkovi, Fajfer, 2023

Fajfer, Monika, 2023, Two new mite species of the genus Geckobia Mégnin (Acariformes: Pterygosomatidae) from Israel, Zootaxa 5227 (2), pp. 251-264 : 252-256

Geckobia bochkovi sp. nov.

( Figs 1–4 )

Description. FEMALE ( Fig. 1–3 ). Gnathosoma . Chelicerae 180 (170–210) long. Slender cheliceral part 100 (95– 115) and swollen basal part 80 (70–95) long. Fixed cheliceral digit about 15 (10–15) long, tapered and with small sharp protuberance ( Fig. 3A ). Palp femur with filiform barely serrate setae dF, about 70 long (60–85) long; palp genu with filiform smooth setae dG 85 (75–90) long. Palp tibia with filiform and smooth setae l’Ti, l”Ti, and dTi. Palp tarsi with 3 filiform setae and small eupathidion. Subcapitular setae n filiform and smooth, 80 (70–95) long. Peritremes 135 (130–160) long. Hypostome with ornamented apex (as in Fig. 3A ). Idiosoma 580 (520–650) long and 575 (560–650) wide. Dorsum. Propodonotal shield slightly concave in its anterior and posterior part, 105 (95 – 110) long and 220 (225–250) wide, with 14 pairs of slightly serrate setae (30–75 long). Inconspicuous eyes present laterally to propodonotal shield between row of dorsal setae. Postero-lateral and medial part of dorsum with numerous serrate setae 50–80 (50–80) long ( Fig. 1 ). Venter. In anterior part numerous slightly serrate setae that increase in length from anterior to posterior part of idiosoma, 20–50 (25–40) long. In medial and posterior part lanceolate setae, 40–60 (55–70) long, wider in medial part than in posterior part of idiosomal venter ( Fig. 3 B-C). Genital area with 4 pairs of setae g1–g4 70 (60–85), 40 (50 – 80), 40 (35 – 45) long and 25 (15–35) long, respectively. Setae ps1–ps12 slightly lanceolate with minute serration and tapered at tip, 50–80 (55–75) long. Coxae arranged in formula: 2–2–3–3. Setae 1a, 1b and 2a filiform and smooth. Setae 2b and 3c thick and densely serrate; setae 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b and 4c long, thick and slightly serrate. Between coxal plates one or two additional setae present. Leg chaetotaxy as in group I of Jack (1964): tibiae I–IV (5–5–5–5), genua I–IV (1–0–0–1), femora I–IV (3–2–2–2) and trochanters I–IV (1–1–1–1). Setae l’TrI–IV thick and densely serrate, l’FI and l’FIII–IV filiform and serrate, vFI–II, l”FI–IV, lGI, vGIV, l’TiI–IV, l”TiI–IV, v’TiI–IV, v”TiI–IV and dTiI–IV filiform and smooth. Setation of tarsi I: 14 setae (ft, tc’, tc”, p’, p”, a’, a”, it’, it”, u’, u”, vs’, vs”, pl’) and solenidion ω1; tarsi II: 10 setae (tc’, tc”, p’, p”, a’, a”, u’, u”, vs’, vs”) and ω1; tarsi III and IV with 10 setae each (tc’, tc”, p’, p”, a’, a”, u’, u”, vs’, vs”). Setae it’, it”, tc’ and tc” on legs I in form of euphatidia. Setae pl’, tc’, tc” of legs II–IV and all setae vs’, vs”, a’ and a” filiform and smooth. Setae ft smooth, about 5 long; solenidion ω1 about 35 long.

MALE ( Fig 4 ). Gnathosoma as in female. Chelicerae 110–130 long. Slender cheliceral part slightly longer (70) than swollen basal part (55–60) long. Fixed cheliceral digit about 10 long. Setae dF thick and densely serrate, 15–20 long. Setae dG filiform and smooth, 50–60 long. Subcapitular seta n about 55 long. Each branch of peritremes about 85 long. Hypostome with depressions on apex. Idiosoma 270–315 long and 275–300 wide. Dorsum with propodonotal shield 75–85 long and 170–175 wide and with 5 serrate setae (40–55 long) on the shield. Medial and posterior part with about 18–21 pairs of serrate setae, 40–55 long. Aedeagus 170–180 long and slightly bifurcate. Genital cone with 2 pairs of filiform setae: setae situated anteriorly 15–25 long, setae situated posteriorly 10–15 long. Venter with about 19–22 slightly serrate setae increasing in length from anterior to posterior part of idiosoma, 20–25 long. Legs as in female.

Type material: Female holotype ( HUJINV-Acari_Pte00001.1 ) from Ptyodactylus guttatus Hayden (Phyllodactylidae) (tympanum) (HUJ no. 18802), Israel: Negev desert, Be’er Sheva : HaNegev Junction , 15.05.1991 , 1 female paratype and 2 males (HUJINV-Acari_ Pte 00001.2-8) from the same host (HUJ no. 7225) (tympanum) from Israel: Hajfa district: Wadi Ara , 01.1965, coll. A. Verechson ; 1 female (HUJINV-Acari_ Pte 00001.9) paratype from same host species (HUJ no. 2798) (tympanum), Israel, Mount Carmel National Park , 15.02.1955, coll. Yehudah L. Werner ; 2 female paratypes (HUJINV-Acari_ Pte 00001.10–11) from same host species (HUJ no. 11033) (tympanum) Israel: Haifa area, 25.06.1969, coll. Yehudah L. Werner.

Type deposition. Holotype, 2 female paratypes and 2 males in HUJ, 2 female paratypes in CSWU.

Etymology. The species is named after my mentor Dr. Andre V. Bochkov (1968–2018), a recognized acarologist investigating parasitic mites, including the scale-mites.

Differential diagnosis. This new species is the most similar to Geckobia squameum Bertrand, Paperna, and Finkelman, 1999 from Ptyodactylus guttatus Heyden and P. puiseuxi Boutan from Israel and P. hasselquistii (Donndorff) (Gekkota: Phyllodactylidae ) from Sinai Peninsula (Bertrand et al. 1999). In both species, the idiosoma is almost as long as wide, the propodonotal shield is present, and the ventral setae are scale-like. In Geckobia bochkovi sp. nov., the propodonotal shield is well-outlined and concave in its anterior and posterior part, the dorsal setae are fine-pointed and slightly increase in length from the anterior to the posterior part of the idiosomal dorsum, coxal setae 4a, 4b and 4c are long and smooth, or with barely visible serration, one or two setae are present between the coxal plates and leg setae l’FI and l’GI are present. In G. squameum the propodonotal shield is barely visible and rectangular, the anterior dorsal setae are tapered or slightly expanded apically, and these setae are much shorter than setae situated in the posterior half of idiosoma, coxal setae 4a, 4b, and 4c are thick and serrate, five or six setae are present between the coxal plates, and leg setae l’FI and l’GI are absent.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Geckobia bochkovi sp. nov., female, holotype in dorsal view.

FIGURE 2. Geckobia bochkovi sp. nov., female, holotype in ventral view.

FIGURE 3. Geckobia bochkovi sp. nov., female, details. A, part of gnathosoma in ventral view, B, anterior ventral setae; C, posterior ventral setae.

FIGURE 4. Geckobia bochkovi sp. nov., male. A, in dorsal view; B, in ventral view.