Aboriginesia obuchi, Kováčik & Kalúz, 2010

Kováčik, Ján & Kalúz, Stanislav, 2010, Two new chigger mites of the genus Aboriginesia (Acari: Trombiculidae), Zootaxa 2554 (1), pp. 23-36 : 30-33

Aboriginesia obuchi , new species

Description: Larva. SIF = 7B-S-N-3-2 -1-1-1-1-0-0-0; fsp=7-7-7; fPp = B-B-N.N.B; Ga = N; fCx = 1-1-1; fSt = 2-2; Number of dorsal setae (holotype-minimal-mean-maximal-standard deviation)(n = 3): DS = 69-51-60- 69-9; VS = 44-44-47-49-2,65; NDV = 113-100-107-113-6,56; fDS = 4H-14(15)-9(13)-11(7)-4(6)-9(4)-6(2)- 6(0)-4(0)-2(0) = 69(51);

Dorsum ( Fig. 6 ). Scutum anteriorly and laterally subquadrate, posteriorly semirounded, slightly wider than long, with AL, AM, PL, PPL and two sensillae. Small scutal puncta cover prevailing part of scutum. Sensilla ciliated, with 3–4 longer lateral cilia situated in second half of sensilla. Sensilla 65–69 long. Oval eyes (2 + 2) in ocular plates, eyes laterally at the level of PL. Humeral setae 77–86 µm long, dorsal anterior 62–69 and posterior setae 62–74 µm long, thickly ciliated, dorsal setae arranged in irregular rows, rows varying in number and also in position of setae.

Scutum. ( Tab. 3). PL>AM=AL; SB<ASB>PSB; SD<AW<PW; SB situated anteriorly to the level of PL and PPL.

Venter ( Fig. 7 ). Two pairs of sternal setae, each coxa with 1 seta. Ventral side generally with 44–49 irregularly arranged thickly ciliated setae, 24 of them situated anteriorly from anal opening. Anterior setae shorter to caudal. Lengths of ventral setae vary and increase from anterior (36–42) to median (34–45) and posterior setae (55–62) µm long.

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 8 ). Galeala nude. Palps 72–83 µm long, 3-pronged palpotibial claw slender, 20–26 µm long, with deeply indented prongs. Chelicera of normal contour, anteriorly with usual tricuspid cup.

Legs ( Figs. 9–10 ). With pretarsus, claws and normal empodia. All setae on legs ciliated, slender, relatively short. Specialized setae on leg segments: Leg I - S 1, f 1, (PT´, ST, pST) = N, 2 tibialae, 1 microtibiala, 2 genualae, 1 microgenuala; Leg II - S 2, f 2, PT´´= N, 2 tibialae, 1 genuala; Leg III -1 tibiala, 1 genuala, 1 MTa. Number of ciliated setae on leg segments (leg formula): Leg I: Cx (1) - Tr (1) - Bf (1) - Tf (5) - G (4) - Ti (6) - Ta (19); Leg II: Cx (1) - Tr (1) - Bf (2) - Tf (4) - G (4) - Ti (6) - Ta (14); Leg III: Cx (1) - Tr (1) - Bf (1) - Tf (2) - G (3) - Ti (6) - Ta (14). Leg measurements are presented in Table 4.

Differential diagnosis: Aboriginesia obuchi sp. n. belongs to the group of Aboriginesia species with two genualae I, fSt = 2-2, two pairs of humeral setae (4H) and nude galeala. The related species Aboriginesia iberica (Schluger) , widely distributed in Caucasus, differs from A. obuchi sp. n. having three genualae I, barbed galeala and the position of SB anteriorly to the level of PL and PPL. A. obuchi sp. n. differs from the similar A. tschatkalica (Hushcha & Kharadov) in having fPp = B-B-N.N.B and two pairs of humeral setae (4H), while A. tschatkalica has fPp = B-B-B.B.B and one pair of humeral setae (2H). Two other very close species A. tarda (Schluger) and A. monticola (Kolebinova) differ from A. obuchi sp. n. having three genualae I, two humerals only (2H) and other numbers of dorsal and ventral setae. A. monticola has also a different shape of scutum. The remaining Aboriginesia species show other combinations of features.

Etymology: The species is named in honour of Dipl. Ing. Jan Obuch from Povazske muzeum Zilina - Krasnany, Slovakia, who provided the authors with the mite material from Caucasus.

Material studied. Holotype: 1 larva, Caucasus Mts. , Elbrus Mt. North-East, Baksan walley, Azau village, N 43°26´, E 42°58´, 10.– 16. 8. 1982 on adult female of Chionomys gud ; collected by J. Obuch. Paratypes: 2 larvae on adult female of Chionomys gud , with same collecting data. Holotype (accession number SZ 6942) is deposited in Slovak National Museum, Bratislava, Slovakia; the paratypes in the collections of authors .

Figures

FIGURE 6. Aboriginesia obuchi sp. n. –– idiosoma dorsal.

FIGURE 7. Aboriginesia obuchi sp. n. –– idiosoma ventral.

FIGURE 8. Aboriginesia obuchi sp. n. –– chelicera, palps (A— ventral, B—dorsal).

FIGURE 9. Aboriginesia obuchi sp. n. –– legs I – III (dorsal).

FIGURE 10. Aboriginesia obuchi sp. n. –– legs I – III (ventral).