Зоологический журнал, 2023, T. 102, № 2, стр. 153-162

METHODS

Observation and documentation. Specimens were mounted in lactic acid on temporary cavity slides for measurement and illustration. Body length was measured in dorsal view, from the tip of the rostrum to the posterior edge of the notogaster. Notogastral width refers to the maximum width of the notogaster in dorsal view. Lengths of body setae were measured in lateral aspect. All body measurements are presented in micrometers. Formulas for leg setation are given in parentheses according to the sequence trochanter-femur-genu-tibia-tarsus (famulus included). Formulas for leg solenidia are given in square brackets according to the sequence genu-tibia-tarsus. Drawings were made with a camera lucida using a Leica transmission light microscope “Leica DM 2500”. For SEM microscopy alcohol preserved mites were dusted with gold and scanned with the aid of a TESCAN Mira3 LMU SEM microscope.

Terminology and conventions. General morphological terminology used in this paper mostly follows that of Grandjean (see Travé and Vachon (1975) for references), Norton (1977), and Norton and Behan-Pelletier (2009).

Abbreviations. Prodorsum: ro, le, in, bs, ex = = rostral, lamellar, interlamellar, bothridial, and exobothridial seta, respectively. Notogaster: h, p = notogastral setae; ia, im, ip, ih, ips = notogastral lyrifissures; gla = opisthonotal gland opening. Gnathosoma: a, m, h = subcapitular setae; or = adoral seta; d, l, sup, inf, cm, ul, sul, vt, lt = palp setae; ω = palp solenidion; cha, chb = cheliceral setae; Tg = Trägårdh’s organ. Epimeral and lateral podosomal regions: 1a–c, 2a, 3a–c, 4a–c = epimeral setae; PdI, PdII = pedotectum I, II, respectively. Anogenital region: g, ag, an, ad = genital, aggenital, anal, and adanal seta, respectively; iad = adanal lyrifissure; p.o. = preanal organ. Legs: Tr, Fe, Ge, Ti, Ta = trochanter, femur, genu, tibia, and tarsus, respectively; ω, φ, σ = solenidia; ɛ = famulus; d, l, v, bv, ev, ft, tc, it, p, u, a, s, pv, pl = leg setae; p.a. = porose area.

TAXONOMY

Aleurodamaeus aethiopicus Ermilov, Hugo-Coetzee et Rybalov sp. n. (Figs 1–6)

Fig. 1.

Aleurodamaeus aethiopicus sp. n., adult: a – dorsal view (not shown: legs); b – dorsal view (not shown: legs, prodorsal and notogastral cerotegument); c – right lateral view (not shown: gnathosoma, legs, prodorsal and notogastral cerotegument). Scale bar 100 μm.

Fig. 2.

Aleurodamaeus aethiopicus sp. n., adult: a – ventral view (not shown: gnathosoma, legs); b – posterior view; c – subcapitulum, ventral view; d – palp, left, paraxial view; e – chelicera, left, paraxial view. Scale bar (μm): a, b – 100; c, e – 50; d – 20.

Fig. 3.

Aleurodamaeus aethiopicus sp. n., adult: a – leg I, right, antiaxial view; b – leg II, without tarsus, right, antiaxial view; c – leg III, without tarsus, right, ventral view; d – leg IV, left, antiaxial view. Scale bar 50 μm.

Fig. 4.

Aleurodamaeus aethiopicus sp. n., adult, SEM micrographs: a, b – dorsal view; c – anterodorsal view; d – posterior view.

Fig. 5.

Aleurodamaeus aethiopicus sp. n., adult, SEM micrographs: a – right lateral view; b – ventral view; c – bothridium and bothridial seta; d – notogastral cerotegument.

Fig. 6.

Collecting place of Aleurodamaeus aethiopicus sp. n.

Material. Holotype and 20 paratypes: Ethiopia, Oromia Region, Arsi Zone, Arsi Mountains National Park, Mount Chilalo, 07°56′09.5″ N, 039°11′54.7″ E, 3177 m a.s.l., point № 8, sifting litter under Hypericum sp., Thymus sp. and green mosses in heather bushes (Erica arborea), Berlese’s funnels, 27.11.2021 (leg. L.B. Rybalov) (Fig. 6).

The holotype is deposited in the collection of the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History, Görlitz, Germany; 20 paratypes are deposited in the collection of the Tyumen State University Museum of Zoology, Tyumen, Russia. All specimens are preserved in 70% solution of ethanol with a drop of glycerol.

Diagnosis. Body length: 713–830. Notogaster with thick, gel-like, densely cellular cerotegument, with a longitudinally elongate central part with interrupted or very thin cerotegument. Rostral and lamellar setae setiform, barbed; interlamellar seta spiniform, roughened; bothridial seta long, rod-like, roughened. Exuvial scalps always absent. Four pairs of notogastral setae barbed (h₁, p₁ very long, flagellate; p₂ long, flagellate; p₃ medium-sized, setiform). Epimeral and anogenital setae setiform, barbed. Nine pairs of genital setae. Two pairs of adanal setae. Discidium and parastigmatic enantiophysis absent. Leg famulus sunken in cylindrical apophysis.

Description. Measurements. Large species. Body length: 796 (holotype), 713–830 (20 paratypes); body width: 498 (holotype), 448–514 (20 paratypes). Sex not identified.

Integument. Body color brown. Surface with dense microtuberculate sculpturing (visible under high magnification in dissected specimens). Notogaster, dorsal part of prodorsum and marginal zone of ventral plate covered by thick (large masses), gel-like, densely cellular layer of cerotegument; central part of notogastral with longitudinally elongated region with interrupted or very thin cerotegument. Body, legs and setae partially covered by dense microgranules and filaments; microgranule is hollow and multicellular (Fig. 5c, 5d).

Prodorsum. Rostrum broadly rounded. Rostral (123–143), lamellar (143–154) and exobothridial (53–61) setae setiform, flexible, slightly barbed. Interlamellar seta (24–32) spiniform, roughened. Bothridial seta (164–172) rod-like, roughened.

Notogaster. Exuvial scalps always absent. Dorsosejugal furrow deep, narrow. Four pairs of flexible, slightly barbed setae; h₁, p₁ (205–287) and p₂ (90–98) flagellate, p₃ (53–61) setiform. Opisthonotal gland opening and all lyrifissures distinct.

Gnathosoma. Subcapitulum size: 164–184 × 123–143. Subcapitular setae (a: 32–41; m, h: 45–49) and adoral (20–24) setae setiform, flexible, slightly barbed. Palp (length: 94–102) setation: 0-2-1-3-9(+ω). Postpalpal seta (6) spiniform, smooth. Chelicera (length: 164–184) with two setiform, barbed setae (cha: 45–53; chb: 36–41).

Epimeral and lateral podosomal regions. Epimeral setal formula: 3-1-3-3; setae (1a, 2a, 3a: 32–41; 1b, 3b, 4a, 4b: 53–61; 1c, 3c, 4c: 86–98) setiform, flexible, slightly barbed. Discidium and tubercles of parastigmatic enantiophysis S absent.

Anogenital region. Genital (32–41), aggenital (49–61), anal (24–32), and adanal (49–61) setae setiform, flexible, slightly barbed. Nine pairs of genital setae and two pairs of adanal setae present. Adanal lyrifissure poorly observed.

Legs. Tridactylous; median claw slightly thicker than lateral claws, all roughened on dorsal side. Porose area on leg femora I-IV and trochanters III, IV well observed. Formulas of leg setation and solenidia: I (1-5-4-5-20) [1-2-2], II (1-5-4-5-16) [1-1-2], III (2-3-3-4-15) [1-1-0], IV (1-2-3-4-13) [0-1-0]; homology of setae and solenidia indicated in Table 1. Famulus on tarsus I minute, sunken in cylindrical apophysis. Seta s on tarsus I setiform, barbed (not eupathidial), located between setae a and pv.

Table 1.  

Leg setation and solenidia of adult Aleurodamaeus aethiopicus sp. n.

Leg	Tr	Fe	Ge	Ti	Ta
I	v'	d, (l), bv'', v''	d, (l), v', σ	(l), (v), dφ1, φ2	(ft), (tc), (it), (p), (u), (a), s, (pv), l '', v', (pl), ɛ, ω1, ω2
II	v'	d, (l), bv'', v''	d, (l), v', σ	d, (l), (v), φ	(ft), (tc), (it), (p), (u), (a), s, (pv), l '', ω1, ω2
III	l ', v'	d, l ', ev'	d, l ', v', σ	d, l ', (v), φ	(ft), (tc), (it), (p), (u), (a), s, (pv)
IV	v'	d, ev'	d, l ', v'	d, l ', (v), φ	(ft), (tc), (p), (u), (a), s, (pv)

Roman letters refer to normal setae, Greek letters – to solenidia (except ɛ = famulus). Single quotation mark (') designates setae on the anterior and double quotation mark ('') – setae on the posterior side of a given leg segment; parentheses refer to a pair of setae.

Remarks. In having four pairs of notogastral setae (e.g. h₁, p₁ very long, flagellate; p₂ long, flagellate; p₃ medium-sized, setiform), thick and gel-like cerotegument on the notogaster, two pairs of adanal setae, rod-like bothridial seta, and sunken leg famulus, Aleurodamaeus aethiopicus sp. n. is most similar to A. woasi Hugo-Coetzee, 2013 from South Africa. However, the new species can be distinguished from the latter by the larger body length (713–830 versus 318–420), the presence of densely cellular cerotegumental layer on the notogaster (versus cerotegument represented by large polygonal parts), the number of genital setae (nine pairs versus seven pairs), and the absence (versus presence) of parastigmatic tubercle Sp.

Etymology. The species name aethiopicus refers to the country of origin, Ethiopia.

KEY TO KNOWN SPECIES OF ALEURODAMAEUS

Aleurodamaeus hungaricus Paschoal et Johnson 1985 from south-central Europe and A. trichosus (Kulijev 1979) from Caucasus are excluded from this key. The description of A. hungaricus is complicated and confusing, with much information on the ratio of leg segments, but little about the characteristics of the body. It has a body length of 504, cerotegument piled on prodorsum and notogaster, long bothridial seta, four pairs of notogastral setae, all on tubercles, with h₁, p₂ (could be p₁) long, seven pairs of genital setae, two pairs of adanal setae with ad₁ posterolateral to anal plates and ad₂ paraanal (Paschoal, Johnson, 1985). Aleurodamaeus trichosus is also not well described. It has a body length of 775, presumably three pairs of notogastral setae, all subequal in length, long flagellate bothridial seta, cerotegumental granules on the notogaster and cerotegument in a sideways ‘l’ form on both sides on the prodorsum (Kulijev, 1979).

1 Five pairs of notogastral setae, i.e. seta h₂ present …………………………………………......................... 2

– Three¹¹ or four pairs of notogastral setae, i.e. seta h₂ absent ………………………………............................ 3

2 Notogastral seta h₂ setiform, curving laterally; anterior transverse ridge on notogaster absent; cerotegument on prodorsum in the form of a sideways ‘m’ on both sides; body length: 491–555 .….. A. salvadordalii Hugo-Coetzee 2013 (see Hugo-Coetzee, 2013). Distribution: South Africa.

– Notogastral seta h₂ flexible, twisted; anterior transverse ridge on notogaster present; cerotegument on prodorsum in the form of an ‘A’; body length: 455–550 …………………................A. deswardti (Hugo 2010) (see Hugo, 2010). Distribution: South Africa.

3 All notogastral setae distinctly shorter than the bothridial seta ………………………….......................... 4

– All or some notogastral setae similar or longer in length to the bothridial seta …………......................... 7

4 Large masses of notogastral cerotegument forming four longitudinal bands; prodorsum with a large mass of cerotegument; body length: 359–439 ………. A. angelae Hugo-Coetzee 2013 (see Hugo-Coetzee, 2013). Distribution: South Africa.

– Large masses of notogastral cerotegument mostly absent, except sometimes anterior and posterior parts of notogaster; prodorsum without a large mass of cerotegument or with narrow cerotegument across the lamellar region …………………………………………….... 5

5 Large masses of cerotegument present in anterior and posterior parts of the notogaster; insertions of notogastral setae p₂ and p₃ very close to each other, almost touching; body length: 491–550 …... A. vicinus Hugo-Coetzee 2013 (see Hugo-Coetzee, 2013). Distribution: Afrotropical region.

– Large masses of cerotegument absent in anterior and posterior parts of the notogaster; insertions of notogastral setae p₂ and p₃ clearly distanced from each other …………………................................................. 6

6 Notogastral setae h₁ and p₁ much longer than p₂ and p₃; all notogastral setae smooth; body length: 319–367 …………………………………………………A. minutus Hugo-Coetzee 2013 (see Hugo-Coetzee, 2013). Distribution: South Africa.

– Notogastral setae h₁, p₁, p₂, and p₃ similar in length; all notogastral setae ciliate; body length: 431–481 ……………………………………A. murombodziensis Ermilov 2021 (see Ermilov, Bąkowski, 2021). Distribution: Mozambique.

7 Exuvial scalps present on the notogaster ………. 8

– Exuvial scalps absent on the notogaster ……… 10

8 Nine to ten pairs of genital setae; body length: 662–739 …………………………………….......A. africanus Mahunka 1984 (see Mahunka, 1984). Distribution: Afrotropical region.

– Seven pairs of genital setae ………………………… 9

9 Notogastral setae h₁ and p₁ long, similar in length, both inserted on strong tubercles; body length: 550–660 …………………………………………………A. setosus (Berlese 1883) (see Berlese, 1883; Pérez-Íñigo, 1970, 1986; Seniczak et al., 2012). Distribution: southern Palaearctic region, Mexico.

– Notogastral seta h₁ long, distinctly longer than medium-sized seta p₁, both not inserted on tubercles; body length: 727–858 ………………………A. ermilovi (Hugo-Coetzee 2014) (see Hugo-Coetzee, 2014). Distribution: South Africa.

10 Discidium well developed, prominent ………. 11

– Discidium weak or absent ………………………… 12

11 Large masses of cerotegument in central part of notogaster forming two longitudinal parallel bands; two pairs of adanal setae; body length: 543–620 …….........................................…A. prominens Hugo-Coetzee 2013 (see Hugo-Coetzee, 2013). Distribution: South Africa.

– Large masses of cerotegument in central part of notogaster forming elongate diamond-shaped structure; three pairs of adanal setae; body length: 770 …….........................................A. cephalotes (Berlese 1916) (see Berlese, 1916; Mahunka, Mahunka-Papp, 1995). Distribution: Afrotropical region.

12 Large masses of cerotegument in central part of notogaster forming three longitudinal parallel bands ………………………………………………………….. 13

– Large masses of cerotegument in central part of notogaster not forming longitudinal parallel bands …………………………………………………………. 14

13 Notogastral setae p₁ and h₁ similar in length; adanal setae ad₁ located posterior to anal aperture; body length: 547–664 …………………………A. recenfesevpi Ermilov et Rybalov 2012 (see Ermilov, Rybalov, 2012). Distribution: Ethiopia.

– Notogastral seta p₁ longer than h₁; adanal setae ad₁ located lateral to anal aperture; body length: 447–532 ……………………………………………… A. niedbalai Hugo-Coetzee 2013 (see Hugo-Coetzee, 2013). Distribution: South Africa.

14 Nine pairs of genital setae; body length: 713–830 ……………………………………… A. aethiopicus sp. n. Distribution: Ethiopia.

– Seven pairs of genital setae ………………………. 15

15 Large masses of notogastral cerotegument forming polygonal structures; cerotegument on prodorsum without alveoli; anterior transverse ridge on notogaster present; body length: 318–420 …………………………

……….. A. woasi Hugo-Coetzee 2013 (see Hugo-Coetzee, 2013). Distribution: South Africa.

– Large masses of notogastral cerotegument with craterlike alveoli and lines; cerotegument on prodorsum with small alveoli; anterior transverse ridge on notogaster absent; body length: 430 ………………………

……….. A. australis Woas 1992 (see Woas, 1992). Distribution: South Africa, Mozambique.