Pterygosoma fragilis Fajfer 2013, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Fajfer, Monika
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Acari
Pterygosomatidae
Pterygosoma
Pterygosoma fragilis

description: Pterygosoma fragilis sp. nov.
(Figs. 3–5)
Description. FEMALE (holotype, Figs. 3–5). Gnatosoma displaced to ventral side of idiosoma. Cheliceral base 60 (55–60 in 2 paratypes) long, cheliceral shaft 125 (125) long. Fixed cheliceral digit 15 long, with spinous process. Movable cheliceral digit with basal spur. Palpal femur and genu with smooth setae, 55 and 60 long, respectively. Palpal tibia with 3 smooth setae and short claw; palpal tarsi with 4 smooth setae (Fig. 5A). Subcapitulum without setae n. Free lateral part of peritremal branch about 40 long. Hypostome 165 long, with several minute denticles at apex. Idiosoma 430 long (415–450) and 1005 wide (1020–1065). Dorsum (Fig. 3) with 3 groups of serrated setae: 57–65 pairs of antero-lateral setae, 25–45 long; 1 pair of longer postero-lateral setae, 120–145 long, and 2 pairs of dorso-median setae dm1–dm2 40 and 35 long, respectively. Peripheral series represented by 6–7 pairs of slightly apically expanded setae, 265–335 long; 3 pairs located medially, 3–4 pairs laterally. Eyes absent. Venter (Fig. 4) with 3 pairs of ventro-median setae: vm1 filiform, vm2–vm3 serrated. Genital slit situated dorsally. Genital series represented by 1 pair of spin-like setae g1 45 long and 1 pair of minute setae g2, 15 long (in paratypes setae g2 absent). Pseudoanal setal series represented by 4 pairs of paddle-shaped setae, 110–140 long, with minute spicules on apical margin. Legs. Coxal setation: 1a, 1b, 2b, 3a, 3b arranged in formula 2–1–2–0, all setae filiform; setae of trochanters I–IV (1–1–1–1), femora I–IV (3–1–1–1), genua I–IV (2–0–0–1), tibiae I–IV(5–3–3–3). All setae on each prodomer filiform, except for slightly serrated setae l’FII–FIV. Setation of tarsi: I 13 setae (ft, tc’, tc”, p’, p”, a’, a”, it’, it”, u’, u”, vs’, vs”) and solenidion ω1; II 8 setae (tc’, p’, p”, it’, it”, u’, u”, vs’) and ω1; III and IV with 8 setae each (tc’, p’, p”, it’, it”, u’, u”, vs’). Setae tc’, tc”, a’, a” of leg I represented by euphatidia, p’ and p” fanlike. Setae tc’ of legs II–IV, setae it’, it”, u’, u” of legs I–IV and setae vs’ of legs I–II smooth, setae vs’ of legs III– IV slightly serrated.
Type material. Female holotype and 1 female paratype from Agama agama (Linnaeus) (ZMUC R3669) [lateral surface], KENYA: Garissa County, Bura Tana, 20–24 October 1947, coll. Ahlefeldt and Jacobsen; 1 female paratype from same host (ZMUC –3667) [ventral surface] and location. Mites were removed by M. Fajfer.
Type deposition. Holotype in ZMUC, 1 female paratype in AMU, 1 female paratype in ZISP.
Etymology. The specific epithet “fragilis” refers to the Latin word “ fragilis ” which means “frail, delicate”.
Differential diagnosis. P. fragilis sp. nov. is similar to P. garissi sp. nov. In females of both species, the setation pattern of the idiosoma is very similar, the anterior mid-dorsal setae are serrated, setae dG are longer than dF, four pairs of paddle-shaped setae ps are present, setation of tarsi-coxae I–IV is the same. This new species differs from P. garrisi by the following features. In females of P. fragilis the hypostom has several minute denticles at the apex, the fixed cheliceral digit has a spinous tip, subcapitular setae n are absent, the cheliceral shaft is 2.1 times longer than the base, 8–9 pairs of the peripheral setae are present, the genital series is represented by 1–2 pairs of setae g. In females of P. garissi the hypostom is smooth, the fixed cheliceral digit has several tines, subcapitualar setae n are present, the cheliceral shaft is 1.7 times longer than the base, 6–7 pairs of the peripheral setae and three pairs of genital setae g are present.
description: Published as part of Fajfer, Monika, 2013, Two new species of scale mites (Acari: Pterygosomatidae) parasitizing Agama agama (Sauria: Agamidae) from Kenya, pp. 257-262 in Zootaxa 3745 (2) on page 260, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3745.2.5, http://zenodo.org/record/5271214