Timalinyssus wahlangi, Constantinescu, Ioana Cristina, Chisamera, Gabriel, Mukhim, D. Khlur B. & Adam, Costică, 2016

Constantinescu, Ioana Cristina, Chisamera, Gabriel, Mukhim, D. Khlur B. & Adam, Costică, 2016, A new species of the genus Timalinyssus Mironov, 2001 (Acarina, Psoroptidia) with a key to known species, ZooKeys 557, pp. 45-57 : 47-48

Taxon classification Animalia Astigmata Pteronyssidae

Timalinyssus wahlangi sp. n. Figs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Type material.

Male holotype (ANA450), 3 male (ANA448, ANA449, ANA451) and 1 female (ANA452) paratypes 25.01.2014, 3 female (ANA445, ANA446, ANA447) paratypes 20.01.2014, from the Gray Sibia Heterophasia gracilis (McClelland) ( Passeriformes , Leiothrichidae ); INDIA: Meghalaya, Jaintia Hills, Shnongrim village, (25°21'12.36"N, 92°31'3.06"E); 1151 m; subtropical forest; collector D. Khlur B. Mukhim.

Description.

MALE (Figs 1; 2; 5 A–C; holotype, range for 3 paratypes in parantheses): Idiosoma 370 long (370-380), 250 wide (240-260). Prodorsal shield length 100 (100-110), width 92 (92-98), not fused with scapular shields. Distance between bases of setae se 80 (80-82), distance between bases of setae si 62 (60-63), posterior margin almost straight, lateral margins with small incisions at level of setae se. Setae c2 short, filiform, about 20 (15-20) in length, situated on medial margins of humeral shields. Setae c3 enlarged in basal part and filiform in apical part, 130 (125-140) in length. Hysteronotal shield with slightly concave anterior margin, anterior angles rounded, length 220 (215-230), width at anterior margin 100 (98-105). Distance along midline between prodorsal and hysteronotal shields 44 (44-56). Width of opisthosoma at level of setae f2 58 (58-66). Opisthosomal lobes short, with acute inner and lateral angles and bidentate posterior margin. Terminal cleft U-shaped, length 20 (18-21), supranal concavity opens posteriorly. Position of setae e1 posterior to gland openings gl. Lengths of dorsal setae: c2-d2 94 (94-105), d2-e2 98 (98-110), d2-gl 36 (36-37), e2-h2 46 (36-46), h2-h2 42 (42-54), h3-h3 28 (28-30), ps1-h3 8 (6-8). Transventral sclerite absent, epiandrum horseshoe-shaped with short anterior extension, posterior tips extending considerably beyond base of genital apparatus (Fig. 2). Length of genital apparatus 18 (18-20), width at base 12 (12-14), aedeagus length 12 (9-12). Setae g situated on base of genital arch. Anal suckers ovate, their size excluding surrounding membrane: longer diameter 18 (14-18), shorter diameter 12 (12-14). Adanal shield shaped as an inverted Y, narrow, almost completely encircling anal field. Ventral measurements: 4b-3a 38 (38-40), 4a-g 24 (22-26), 3a-4a 68 (68-76), ps3-ps3 26 (20-26), ps3-h3 44 (42-44). Tarsus III 60 (58-74) in length, with acute apical process and 5 denticles on dorsal longitudinal crest, macrochaeta r with very thick basal part, macrochaeta s about 1/3 of macrochaeta r, other tarsal setae filiform, shorter than segment (Fig. 5 B).

FEMALE (Figs 3; 4; range for 4 paratypes): Idiosoma 345-380 long, 185-200 wide. Prodorsal shield not fused with scapular shields, posterior margin slightly concave, length of shield 98-100, width 100-110, setae se separated by 82-92. Setae c2 hair-like, about 12-14 long, situated on striated tegument. Hysteronotal shield almost rectangular, with anterior margin slightly concave, anterior part of this shield with rounded lateral extensions, lateral margins with deep incisions between bases of setae e2 and f2, length 220-230, width at anterior margin 96-110. Distance along midline between prodorsal and hysteronotal shields 28-36. Posterior end of opisthosoma with 1 pair of widely separated opisthosomal lobes bearing bases of setae h3. Opisthosomal lobes small, with oblique posterior margin, without membrane. Length of terminal cleft 18-24, width at lobar bases 52-68. Position of setae e1 posterior to gland openings gl. Dorsal measurements c2-d2 74-82, d2-e2 80-90, e2-h3 72-74, d2-gl 40-44, e1-gl 30-40, h2-ps1 34-38, h2-h2 110-120, h3-h3 70-88. Epigynium approximately semicircular, 28-30 long, 66-72 wide. Apodemes of egg-laying opening extending to midlevel of trochanters III. Epimerites IVa present, rudimentary. Legs IV extending to level of setae h2.

Etymology.

The new species is named in a memory of Mr. Dran Wahlang, a father of the junior coauthor, D. Khlur B. Mukhim.

Remarks.

Of the six previously known species, Timalinyssus wahlangi sp. n. is closest to Timalinyssus actinodurae Constantinescu, 2014 from Actinodura cyanouroptera (Hodgson) ( Leiothrichidae ) ( Constantinescu et al. 2014a). Males in both species have the prodorsal shield not fused with scapular shields, setae c2 situated on medial margins of the humeral shields, the adanal shield shaped as an inverted Y, a similar shape of tarsus III with an acute apical process and small denticles on the dorsal longitudinal crest, and setae r and s represented by macrochaetae. Males of the new species clearly differ from those of Timalinyssus actinodurae in having the following features: setae se are situated on the striated tegument, setae e1 are situated posterior to the level of gland openings gl, the hysteronotal shield has a concave anterior margin, setae ps1 are situ ated clearly distant from the inner angle of the opisthosomal lobes, the transventral sclerite is absent, the epiandrum is horseshoe-shaped with short anterior extension, and dorsal longitudinal crest of tarsus III has 4-5 denticles. In males of Timalinyssus actinodurae , setae se are situated on the prodorsal shield, setae e1 are situated approximately at the same transverse level with the gland openings gl, the hysteronotal shield has a straight anterior margin, the setae ps1 are situated almost apically, the transventral sclerite is present, epiandrum is shaped as an inverted U and fused with the posterior end of the transventral sclerite, and the dorsal longitudinal crest of tarsus III has 2 denticles. Females in both species have opisthosomal lobes short and separated by wide terminal cleft and the hysteronotal shield with lateral extensions in anterior part. Females of Timalinyssus wahlangi sp. n. differ from those of Timalinyssus actinodurae (and also of the other five known species) by the shape of the hysteronotal shield that has lateral margins with deep incisions between setae e2 and f2. Furthermore, females of the new species differ from those of Timalinyssus actinodurae in having the prodorsal shield not fused with scapular shields, setae se situated on the striated tegument, the opisthosomal lobes without lateral membranes, and legs IV extending to the level of setae h2. Females of Timalinyssus actinodurae have the prodorsal shield fused with the scapular shields, setae se are situated on the prodorsal shield, the opisthosomal lobes have lateral membranes, and legs IV do not extend to the level of setae h2.