Rafapicobia brachypteraci, Skoracki & Hromada & Sikora, 2020

Skoracki, Maciej, Hromada, Martin & Sikora, Bozena, 2020, Quill mites of the family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) parasitizing coraciiform birds (Aves: Coraciiformes), Zootaxa 4802 (1), pp. 169-181 : 171-175

Rafapicobia brachypteraci sp. nov.

( Figures 2 A–C and 3A–B)

Description. FEMALE (holotype and 2 paratypes). Total body length 570 (525). Gnathosoma . Infracapitulum apunctate. Stylophore 145 (140–155) long, apunctate. Each medial branch of peritremes with 7–8 chambers, lateral branch with weakly visible borders between chambers. Idiosoma . Propodonotal shield entire, densely punctate, bears all propodonotal setae, except c2. Length ratio of setae vi: ve: si 1:1.8–2.6:2.8–3. Setae c1 and se situated at same transverse level. Setae c1 1.7 times longer than setae se. Two small hysteronotal shields surround bases of setae d1. Setae d2 and e2 1.3 –1.6 times longer than setae d1. Pygidial shield well sclerotised, densely punctate on whole surface, except for three pairs of narrow apunctate patches. Setae f2 3.5 times longer than f1. Bases of setae 1a separated, but in very close proximity. Genital plate absent. Two longitudinal and apunctate agenital plates situated around setal bases ag1. Setae ag1 and ag3 subequal in length, both pairs about 8 times longer than setae ag2. Genital setae and pseudanal setae very short and subequal in length. Coxal fields I–IV well sclerotised, all apunctate. Dorsal idiosomal setae vi, ve, si, se, c1, c2, d1, d2, e2 and ventral setae 3b, 3c, 4b, 4c ornamented with small tubercles, other idiosomal setae smooth. Legs. Most of dorsal setae of legs I and II ornamented with small tubercles. Claws of tarsi III and IV subequal in size and shape. Setae 3c and 4c 2.4–3.2 times longer than 3b and 4b. Lengths of setae: vi 25 (25–30), ve 50 (55–65), si 70 (75–80), se (115), c1 (200), c2 (155–165), d1 (110–130), d2 (170–175), e2 125, h1 10 (8–10), f1 15 (15–20), f2 45 (50), ag1 150, ag2 18 (20), ag3 150 (145), 3b 25 (30), 4b 35 (35), 3c 80, 4c 85 (80), l’RIII and l’RIV 20 (20), ps1, ps2, and g1 5 (5), tc’III–IV (35), tc”III–IV (55).

MALE (1 paratype). Total body length 380. Gnathosoma . Infracapitulum apunctate. Stylophore apunctate, 105 long. Each medial branch of peritremes with 6 chambers, lateral branch with weakly visible borders between chambers. Idiosoma . Propodonotal shield entire, densely punctate, bears all propodonotal setae, except c1 and c2. Length ratio of setae vi: ve: si 1:3:8. Setae c1 1.2 times longer than setae se. Setae c1 and se situated at same transverse level. Hysteronotal shield densely punctate, rectangular in shape, bearing bases of setae d1 and e2. Setae d2 about 17 times longer than d1 and e2. Pygidial shield well sclerotised, apunctate. Bases of setae 1a separated. Two longitudinal and apunctate agenital plates present, bearing bases of setae ag1 on posterior margin. Agenital setae ag1 7 times longer than setae ag2. Coxal fields I–IV well developed, all apunctate. Dorsal idiosomal setae ve, si, se, c1, c2, d2, and ventral setae 3b, 3c, 4b, 4c ornamented with small tubercles, setae h2 and ag1 smooth, setae vi, d1, e2, f2, ag2 very short and tubercles invisible. Setae 3c and 4c 2.7 times longer than 3b and 4b. Lengths of setae: vi 5, ve 15, si 40, se 80, c1 95, c2 90, d1 5, d2 85, e2 5, ag1 35, ag2 5, f2 5, h2 200, l’RIII 10, l’RIV 10, 3b and 4b 15, 3c and 4c 40.

Type material. Female holotype and paratypes: two females and one male from Rufous-headed Ground-Roll- er Atelornis crossleyi Sharpe ( Coraciiformes : Brachypteraciidae ); MADAGASCAR, Toamasina Prov., near lake Alaotra, October 1925, coll. unknown [host in the ZSM, uncatalogued].

Type material deposition. All type specimens are deposited in the AMU (reg. no. AMU–SYR.609), except one female paratype in the ZSM (reg. no. ZSM 20112065) .

Differential diagnosis. Rafapicobia brachypteraci sp. nov. is morphologically most similar to R. lepidocolaptesi Skoracki and Solarczyk, 2012 known from two woodcreeper species of the genus Lepidocolaptes ( Passeriformes : Furnariidae ) from South America ( Skoracki & Solarczyk 2012). In females of both species, the propodonotal shield is entire; setae vi and ve are situated in close proximity to each other; agenital setae ag2 are short (less than 30 µm); and two longitudinal and apunctate agenital plates are present. These two species are distinguishable by the following features: in females of R. brachypteraci , the length of the stylophore is 140–155; each medial branch of the peritremes has seven or eight chambers; and two hysteronotal shields are present. In females of R. lepidocolaptesi , the length of the stylophore is 120–130; each medial branch of the peritremes has four chambers; and the hysteronotal shields are absent.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Rafapicobia brachypteraci sp. nov., female. A, dorsal view; B, ventral view; C, peritreme. Scale bars: A, B = 50µm, C = 20µm.