Afrotrombicula (Tauffliebicula) liberia Kolebinova and Vercammen-Grandjean, 1978

Stekolnikov, Alexandr A., 2023, A revision of the chigger genus Afrotrombicula (Acariformes: Trombiculidae), Zootaxa 5323 (1), pp. 27-55 : 48

Afrotrombicula (Tauffliebicula) liberia Kolebinova and Vercammen-Grandjean, 1978

Afrotrombicula (Tauffliebicula) liberia Kolebinova and Vercammen-Grandjean, 1978: 106 , pl. 2.

Afrotrombicula liberia: Stekolnikov 2018: 122 .

Diagnosis. SIF = 7BS-B-3-3111.0000; fPp = B/B/NNB; PL> AM> AL; fD = 2H-6-6-6-6-4-2; DS = 32; V = 52; NDV = 84; scutum nearly pentagonal, posterior scutal margin prominent, rounded; f 1 distal to S 1; f 2 behind S 2; Ip = 838–842. Standard measurements are in Table 5 .

Type deposition. Holotype (original number L: 161070/N1) and nine paratypes in ZMUH; eight paratypes in NMNHS.

Distribution and host. Described from Liberia (Njebele) ex Lophuromys sikapusi ( Rodentia : Muridae ).

Remarks. Kolebinova & Vercammen-Grandjean (1978) definitely placed this species in their new genus and subgenus Afrotrombicula (Tauffliebicula) ; however, they used, by mistake, the combination “ Neotrombicula (Tauffliebicula) liberia ”.

Afrotrombicula liberia is similar to A. machadoi and differs from it in shorter legs (Ip = 838–842 vs. 923–997), the position of f 1 distal to S 1 vs. proximal to S 1, and some measurements of scutum (AW = 59 vs. 49–51 and AP = 28 vs. 30–36). Kolebinova & Vercammen-Grandjean (1978) also noted that A. liberia differs from A. lophuromyia (here synonymized with A. machadoi ) in smaller pores (puncta) of the scutum.