Soricilichus sylvisorex, Bochkov, Andre V., Mbalitini, Sylvestre G. & Verheyen, Erik, 2016

Bochkov, Andre V., Mbalitini, Sylvestre G. & Verheyen, Erik, 2016, Review of the fur-mite genus Soricilichus Fain, 1970 (Acariformes: Chirodiscidae) — symbionts of the African shrews of the subfamily Crocidurinae (Soricomorpha: Soricidae), Zootaxa 4072 (2), pp. 235-253 : 249-252

Soricilichus sylvisorex sp. nov.

( Figs. 13–15 )

Diagnosis. Both sexes: setae cp shorter than 55 ( Figs. 13 B, 14C). Setae c3 and cp situated off sclerotized parts of coxal fields III ( Fig. 13 , 14 C). Male: hysteronotal shield with roughly triangular anterior margin ( Fig. 14 A, B). Adanal sclerite small, without median concavity ( Fig. 13 B). Ventro-lateral membranes of opisthosoma with attenuated, triangular posterior angles ( Fig. 14 B). Female: setae h 2 30–40 long ( Fig. 14 D).

Description. MALE (holotype, Figs. 13 , 14 A, B, 15A, B). Body 265 long (255–270 in 10 paratypes) and 75 wide in lateral position at level of setal bases cp (70–75). Propodonotal shield 37 long (36–40). Idiosomal dorsum with 16–17 transverse striae. Setae c3 and cp situated off sclerotized parts of coxal fields III. Hysteronotal shield 42 long (38–43), with roughly triangular anterior margin. Setae d1 situated distinctly anterior to anterior margin of this shield (approximate distance 10). Lengths of idiosomal setae: cp 48 (25–50), c2 and d2 7–8, and h2 22 (20–28). Aedeagus about 11 long. Adanal sclerite small (about 10 long and 2 wide), without median concavity. Posterior angles of ventro-lateral opisthosomal membranes distinctly attenuated, triangular. Legs III 110 long (110–115), legs IV 47 long (45–50), tarsi III 25 long (23–26), tarsi IV 12 long (12–14). Lengths of solenidia: φ III 28 (26–30), φ IV 20 (19–21), and σ III 2–3.

FEMALE (10 paratypes, Figs. 14 C–F, 15C, D). Body 350–375 long and 75–90 wide in lateral position at level of setal bases cp. Propodonotal shield about 35 long. Idiosomal dorsum with 28–31 transverse striae. Setae c3 and cp situated off sclerotized parts of coxal fields III. Lengths of idiosomal setae: cp 25–40, c2, d2, ps 3 9–11, and h 2 30–40. Legs III and legs IV about 70 long, tarsi III and tarsi IV about 20 long. Lengths of solenidia: φ III about 50, φ IV and σ III about 3.

Type material. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Male holotype, 6 male, and 6 female paratypes ( ZISP AVB 15-3010-001) from Sylvisorex granti Thomas (host JKSG 272) ( Soricomorpha : Soricidae : Crocidurinae ), North Kivu Province, Kasugho, 21 July 2010, coll. S.G. Mbalitini et al.; 3 male and 7 female paratypes ( ZISP AVB 15-3010-002) from same host (host MKSG 033), North Kivu Province, Kasugho, 25 June 2010, coll. S.G. Mbalitini et al.; 5 male and 5 female paratypes ( ZISP AVB 15-3010-003) from same host (host JKSG 307), North Kivu Province, Kasugho, 25 June 2010, coll. S.G. Mbalitini et al.; 2 male and 8 female paratypes ( ZISP AVB 15-3010-024) from same host (host JKSG 384), North Kivu Province, Kasugho, 1 August 2010, coll. S.G. Mbalitini et al.

Type deposition. Holotype, 5 male and 5 female paratypes in MRAC, other paratypes in ZISP.

Non-type material. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: 5 males, 5 females ( ZISP AVB 15-3010- 025) from Sylvisorex lunaris Thomas (host JKSG 240), North Kivu Province, Kasugho, 19 July 2010, coll. S.G. Mbalitini et al.; 5 males, 5 females ( ZISP AVB 15-3010-026) from same host (host JKSG 284), North Kivu Province, Kasugho, 22 July 2010, coll. S.G. Mbalitini et al.; 5 males, 5 females ( ZISP AVB 15-3010-027) from same host (host JKSG 328), North Kivu Province, Kasugho, 26 July 2010, coll. S.G. Mbalitini et al.; 11 males, 9 females ( ZISP AVB 15-3010-028) from Sylvisorex vulcanorum Hutterer and Verheyen (host JKSG 040), North Kivu Province, Kasugho, 25 June 2010, coll. S.G. Mbalitini et al.; 6 males, 4 females from same host (host JKSG 311), North Kivu Province, Kasugho, 25 July 2010, coll. S.G. Mbalitini et al.; 5 males, 5 females from Crocidura denti Dollman (host JKSG 262) ( Soricomorpha : Soricidae : Crocidurinae ), North Kivu Province, Kasugho, 21 July 2010, coll. S.G. Mbalitini et al.; 5 males, 5 females from Crocidura cf. niobe (host KSG 008), North Kivu Province, Kasugho, 25 June 2010, coll. S.G. Mbalitini et al.; 5 females from same host (host KSG 255), North Kivu Province, Kasugho, 20 July 2010, coll. S.G. Mbalitini et al.; 10 males, 9 females from Crocidura sp. (host KSG 219), North Kivu Province, Kasugho, 25 July 2010, coll. S.G. Mbalitini et al. Vouchers in ZISP, except 5 females and 5 males in UMMZ.

Etymology. The specific epithet derives from the generic name of the host and is a noun in apposition.

Hosts and distribution. This species is known from shrews of the genus Sylvisorex , S. granti (type species), S. lunaris , S. vulcanorum and the genus Crocidura , C. denti , C. cf. niobe , and Crocidura sp. in DR of Congo (present paper).

Differential diagnosis. The new species, Soricilichus sylvisorex sp. nov., differs from the two other species of this genus by following features. In both sexes of S. sylvisorex , setae cp are shorter 55 (vs. longer than 70 in both other species); in males, the adanal sclerite is small and without median concavity (vs. large and with deep median concavity). Additionally, this species differs from S. scutisorex by the following character states. In both sexes of S. sylvisorex , setae cp and c3 are situated off the sclerotized parts of coxal fields III (vs. on these parts in S. scutisorex ); in males, the anterior margin of the hysteronotal shield is roughly triangular (vs. almost straight), setae d1 are situated far anterior from the anterior margin of this shield (vs. almost at level of this margin), the ventrolateral membrane has a triangular posterior edge (vs. with widely rounded edge); in females, setae h2 are 30–40 long (vs. 9–10 long). Females of S. sylvisorex differ from those of S. kivuensis in having shorter setae h 2 30–40 long (vs. 75–90 in S. kivuensis ).

Figures

FIGURE 13. Soricilichus sylvisorex sp. nov., male. A—dorsal view; B—ventral view.

FIGURE 14. Soricilichus sylvisorex sp. nov. Male (A, B). A—opisthosoma in dorsal view; B—same in lateral view. Female (C – F). C—lateral view; D—posterior end of opisthosoma in lateral view; E—tibia-tarsus III in ventral view; F—tibia-tarsus IV in ventral view. Scale bars: A, B, D—F = 50 µm; C = 100 µm.

FIGURE 15. Soricilichus sylvisorex sp. nov., SEM photos. A—male in lateral view; B—male opisthosoma in lateral view; C—female in ventral view; D—posterior end of opisthosoma in ventral view.