Geckobia synthesys, Fajfer, 2023

Fajfer, Monika, 2023, Two new mite species of the genus Geckobia Mégnin (Acariformes: Pterygosomatidae) from Israel, Zootaxa 5227 (2), pp. 251-264 : 256-263

Geckobia synthesys sp. nov.

( Figs 5–10 )

Description. FEMALE ( Figs. 5–6 ). Gnathosoma . Chelicerae 100 (100–110) long. Swollen cheliceral part 45 (45– 50) long, slender distal part 55 (55–60) long. Fixed cheliceral digit tapered and about 5 long. Palp femoral setae dF filiform and with barely discernible serration, about 50 (40) long; palp genual setae dG filiform and smooth, 60 (55) long. Subcapitular setae n filiform and smooth, 45 long. Each branch of peritremes about 70 (65–75) long. Idiosoma 415 (415–460) long and 415 (405–460) wide. Dorsum with slightly serrate setae. Propodonotal shield squarish, about 95 (90–115) long and 140 (135–145) wide with 6 pairs of setae present: in anterior part 4 pairs of setae (1 pair of longer setae about 95 (95) long and 3 pairs of shorter setae about 25 (20–40) long), in medio-lateral part 2 pairs of setae, about 60 (55–60) long. Inconspicuous eyes present outside propodonotal shield near lateral setae. Additional 23 pairs (22–27) of dorsal setae 35–60 (35–60) long arranged as in Fig. 5 . Venter with 23 (19–28) pairs of setae increasing in length from anterior part 10–20 long (10–25) to posterior part 30–40 (35–45 long) of idiosoma. Genital area with 3 genital setae g1–g3 25 (25), 20 (15), 15 (15) long, respectively. Pseudanal setal series represented by 2 slightly serrate setae ps1 45 (40) long and ps 2 40 (35) long. Legs. Coxal setae arranged in formula: 2–2–2–2. Setae 1a, 1b, 2a filiform and smooth, setae 2b filiform and serrate, setae 3a, 3b, 4a and 4b densely serrate. Leg chaeotaxy 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). All setae of trochanter–genua I–IV filiform and smooth, except for serrate setae lTrI–IV and l’FI. 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” of legs I in form of euphathidia. Setae pl ’ smooth, setae tc’, tc” of legs II–IV and all setae a’ and a” smooth, setae vs ’ and vs ” of legs I–IV slightly serrate. Setae ft smooth, about 5 long; solenidion ω1 about 50 long.

MALE ( Fig. 7 ). Gnathosoma as in female. Chelicerae 80 long. Slender cheliceral part 40 long, swollen basal part 50 long. Fixed cheliceral digit about 5 long. Setae dF thick and serrate, about 15 long, palp genual setae filiform and smooth, about 25 long. Subcapitular seta n 35–40 long. Each branch of peritremes about 45 long. Hypostome with ornamented apex. Idiosoma 170–175 long and 145–165 wide. Dorsum with propodonotal shield 60 long and 80 wide and accompanied by ocular plate on its lateral margins. On propodonotal shield 4 serrate setae present:1 pair of short setae 10–15 long and 3 pairs of longer setae 35–40 long; eyes situated on ocular plate with accompanied seta, about 35 long. Medial and posterior part with about 22 pairs of serrate setae, 30–50 long. Aedeagus 115 long and bifurcated. Genital cone with 2 filiform setae about 10–15 long. Venter with 4–5 pairs of short, filiform setae (30–40 long) situated medially and about 27 pairs of serrate setae, 40–90 long. Legs. Coxae in formula: 2–2–2–2. Setae 1a, 1b, 2a and 2b filiform and smooth. Setae 3a and 3b short and densely serrate, setae 4a and 4b longer than 3a and 3b and finely serrate. Setae of tibiae-trochanters I – IV as in female, except for lack of setae l’GI.

DEUTONYMPH ( Fig. 8 ). Gnathosoma as in female. Chelicerae 110–130 long. Swollen cheliceral part 50–60 long; slender distal part 60–70 long. Fixed cheliceral digit 10 long. Setae dF and dG subequal in length, 40–55 long. Subcapitular setae n about 45 long. Each branch of peritremes about 80 long. Idiosoma 210–280 long and 180–295 wide. Dorsum. Propodonotal shield 80–100 long and 115–150 wide and with 5 pairs of slightly serrate setae: 3 pairs situated in antero-lateral part (1 longer seta about 55 long situated between 2 shorter setae, 35–40 long) and 2 pairs situated medio-laterally, 45–50 long. Laterally to propodonotal shield an eye with associated seta (35 long) on rounded ocular plate present. About 30 pairs of serrate setae (35–45 long) situated in lateral and medial part of idiosoma. Venter with 6–7 short serrate setae (35–45 long) in antero-medial part, and 25–34 longer setae (20–35 long) in medial part. Coxae in formula: 2–2–2–2. Setae 1a, 1b and 2a filiform and smooth, setae 2b filiform with barely discernible serration, setae 3a, 3b, 4a and 4b thick and serrate. Legs. Setae of trochanters I–IV to tarsi I–IV as in female. Setae lTrI–IV, l’FI, l”FI–II serrate, l’FIII–IV slightly serrate, vFI–II, l”FIII and l”FIV with barely discernible serration, l’TiI–IV, l”TiI–IV, v’TiI–IV, v”Ti, dTiI–IV, l’GI and v’GIV smooth.

PROTONYMPH ( Fig. 9 ). Gnathosoma as in female. Swollen cheliceral part 35 long, slender distal part 30 long. Setae dF 25 long, setae dG 40 long. Each branch of peritremes 50 long. Idiosoma 200 long and 185 wide. Dorsum with densely serrate setae. Propodonotal shield 90 wide and 80 long with 4 setae present on shield: 2 setae situated anteriorly shorter (15–20 long) than 2 setae situated medially (25–35 long). Laterally to propodonotal shield eye with associated seta (35 long) on rounded ocular plate present. In medial and posterior part numerous setae, 30–45 long, present. Venter with densely serrate setae. In anterior part about 19 short setae (10–20 long), in posterior part numerous longer setae (30–40 long). Genital setae g1–g3 filiform with barely discernible serration, 10–15 long. Pseudanal setae ps1 and ps2 slightly serrate and 25–30 long. Legs as in female.

LARVA ( Fig. 10 ). Gnathosoma as in female. Chelicerae about 55 long. Slender cheliceral part 25–35 long, swollen part about 30 long. Setae dF 15–20 long, setae dG 30–35 long. Peritremes about 30 long. Subcaptular setae n absent. Idiosoma 120–180 long wide and 140–190 long. Dorsum with propodonotal shield 55 long and 80–120 wide. On propodonotal shield 1 pair of short densely serrate setae, 15–30 long, and 3 pairs of longer serrate setae, 35–45 long. Laterally to propodonotal shield eyes with 1 accompanied serrate seta present on rounded ocular plates. Posteriorly to propodonotal shield 7 pairs of serrate setae, about 45 long, present. Venter devoid of any setation. Genital area with 3 filiform genital setae g1–g3, about 10 long, and 2 slightly serrate pseudanal setae ps1–ps2 15–20 long. Coxae in formula: 2–0–1. Setae 1a and 1b filiform, 3a short and densely serrate. Setation of trochanters-tarsi I–III typical for larva ( Fig. 5 and Tab 2 in Fajfer 2019).

Type material: Female holotype (HUJINV-Acari_ Pte 00002.1), 4 female paratypes and 4 larvae (HUJINVAcari_ Pte 00002.2–9) from Ptyodactylus guttatus Hayden (Phyllodactylidae) (tympanum) (HUJ no. 18802), Israel: Negev desert, Be’er Sheva : HaNegev Junction , 15.05.1991, coll. Yehudah L. Werner et al.; 3 females and 1 larva (HUJINV-Acari_ Pte 00002.10–13) from same host species (HUJ no. 2798) (tympanum), Israel, Mount Carmel National Park , 15.02.1955, coll. Yehudah L. Werner ; 1 female paratype and 1 larva (HUJINV-Acari_ Pte 00002.14–15) from same host species (HUJ no. 18679) (tympanum), Israel: Southern District: Arad , 04.1988, coll. Gad Perry ; 1 female paratype, 3 deutonymphs and 1 protonymph (HUJINV-Acari_ Pte 00001.2-8) from same host species (HUJ no. 7225) (tympanum) from Israel: Hajfa district: Wadi Ara , 01.1965, coll. A. Verechson.

Type deposition. Female holotype, 6 female paratypes, 2 deutonymphs, 1 protonymph, and 4 larvae in HUJ, 3 female paratypes, 1 deutonymph, and 2 larvae in CSWU.

Etymology. The name synthesys is a noun and refers to the name of the funding programme Synthesys, which allowed the author to collect many mite materials over the years.

Differential diagnosis. This species is most similar to Geckobia keegani Lawrence, 1953 from Hemidactylus frenatus Duméril and Bibron from Phillipine Islands ( Lawrence 1953), New Guinea ( Domrow 1983), and Costa Rica (Frenkel and Vargas 1005). In both species, the idiosoma is almost as long as wide; the propodonotal shield is present and well-outlined, all dorsal setae are slightly serrate, and the setae outside the propodonotal shield differ very little in length, the posterior part of the idiosomal dorsum is without any setae, the eyes are present, the ventral setae situated in anterior part are much shorter than setae in the posterior half of idiosoma, palp femoral setae dF are filiform and finely serrate, palp genual setae dG are filiform and smooth, coxae II possess four densely serrate setae (3a, 3b, 4a and 4b). This new species differs from G. keegani by the presence of five pairs of setae on the propodonotal shield, the shape of the propodonotal shield, which is almost straight in its posterior margin, 19–28 pairs of ventral setae, three genital setae, and presence of leg setae l’GI, l’GIV, vFI–II, vFIII–IV, lFIII–IV, and vTrIV. In G. keegani seven or eight pairs of setae are present on the propodonotal shield, the propodonotal shield is deeply concave in its posterior margin, about 50 pairs of ventral setae are present, four genital setae are present and leg setae l’GI, l’GIV, vFI–II, vFIII–IV, lFIII–IV, and vTrIV are absent.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Geckobia synthesys sp. nov., female, holotype in dorsal view.

FIGURE 6. Geckobia synthesys sp. nov., female, holotype in ventral view.

FIGURE 7. Geckobia synthesys sp. nov., male. A, in dorsal view; B, in ventral view.

FIGURE 8. Geckobia synthesys sp. nov., deutonymph. A, in dorsal view; B, in ventral view.

FIGURE 9. Geckobia synthesys sp. nov., protonymph. A, in dorsal view; B, in ventral view.

FIGURE 10. Geckobia synthesys sp. nov., larva. A, in dorsal view; B, in ventral view.