Nycteridocaulus attila Mironov & Literak & Sychra & Capek 2017, sp. n.
Creators: name: Mironov, Sergey V.
name: Literak, Ivan
name: Sychra, Oldrich
name: Capek, Miroslav
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Astigmata
Proctophyllodidae
Nycteridocaulus
Nycteridocaulus attila

description: Nycteridocaulus attila Mironov sp. n.
(Figs. 34–36)
Type material. Male holotype (ZISP 6484), 4 male and 11 female paratypes from Attila spadiceus (Gmelin, JF, 1789) (Tyrannidae), COSTA RICA, Tapantí National Park, Sector Tapantí, Cordillera de Talamaca Mts, 09°46′N, 83°47′W, 7 August 2009, collectors I. Literak, O. Sychra and M. Capek.
Depository. Holotype, 2 male and 9 female paratypes (ZISP 6485–6495)—ZISP; 1 male, 1 female paratype— UMMZ (BMOC-15-1028-005), 1 male, 1 female paratype—IMUCR.
Description. MALE (holotype, range for 4 paratypes in parentheses). Idiosoma, length × width, 290 (290– 300) × 160 (150–160), length of hysterosoma 190 (190–200). Prodorsal shield: anterolateral extensions acute, lateral margins entire, posterior margin slightly concave with small median extension, 85 (82–90) in length and 92 (90–98) in width, surface without ornamentation (Fig. 34 A). Setae ve rudimentary. Scapular setae se separated by 60 (60–65). Setae c2 and cp on humeral shield. Setae c3 lanceolate, 15 (15–16) × 5 (5–6). Distance between prodorsal and hysteronotal shields 25 (20–25). Hysteronotal shield: 185 (180–200) in length and 95 (90–95) in width; anterior margin slightly concave, surface without ornamentation. Opisthosoma attenuated posteriorly. Opisthosomal lobes short, roughly rectangular, with blunt lateral extensions bearing bases of setae h2 and h3. Terminal lamellae narrow leaf-like, 72 (70–75) in length and 28 (20–30) in width, dorsal surface with clear median vein and pennate pattern. Terminal cleft small semi-ovate, with anterior end extending beyond the level of setae h2, 20 (20–25) in length, 15 (12–15) in width at level of setae ps1. Supranal concavity narrowed posteriorly and opening into terminal cleft. Setae ps 1 in posteromedial angles of lobes, at level of setae h3; setae h1 situated equidistant from transverse levels of setae e2 and h2. Distance between dorsal setae: c2:d2 60 (60–65), d2: e2 55 (55–65), e2:h3 75 (60–75), h2:h2 63 (58–64), h3:h3 48 (45–50), ps2:ps2 62 (57–65), h1:h3 40 (40–44), d1:d2 20 (17–20), e1: e2 13 (13–20).
Epimerites I free, close to each other, posterior tips slightly divergent; epimerites I, II with narrow surface fields; epimerites IVa absent (Fig. 34 B). Rudimentary sclerites rEpIIa absent. Trochanters III flanked by sclerotized bands connected with epimerites IIIa. Epimerites IIIa wide, with sclerotized plates around their inner tips almost reaching midline. Trochanters IV flanked by sclerotized bands connected with bases of epimerites III. Genital apparatus situated posterior to midlevel of trochanters IV. Genital arch shaped as recurved bow, 13 (13–15) in length and 30 (28–36) in width. Aedeagus dagger-like, 18 (18–22) in length, reaching level of setae g (Fig. 36 A, B). Both pairs of genital papillae on single bow-shaped transverse sclerite at level of genital arch apex. Distance from genital arch apex to bases of setae ps1 100 (100–105). Pregenital apodemes absent. Setae 4a on soft tegument, setae 4b on sclerotized areas on inner tips of epimerites IIIa. Adanal suckers 13 (13–14) in diameter, corolla with 13–14 denticles. Adanal shields represented by a pair of roughly L-shaped sclerites situated anterior to anal suckers. Setae ps3 situated on transverse branches of adanal shields. Opisthoventral shields narrow, with small triangular extensions at level of anal opening. Setae ps2 and f2 situated submarginally. Distance between ventral setae: 3a:4b 8 (8–10), 4b:4a 27 (27–30), 4a:g 33 (32–35), g:g 13 (13–15), g:ps3 20 (17–20), ps3:ps3 25 (25–28), ps3:h3 65 (58–65).
Femora I, II with narrow ventral crest. Solenidion σ1 of genu I longer than this segment and situated at its midlevel (Fig. 36 C, D). Solenidion σ of genu III situated at midlevel of this segment. Legs III, IV subequal in size, legs IV with ambulacral discs extending to level of setae h3. Tarsus IV 28 (25–28) in length, with apicoventral spine-like process bearing seta w; modified setae d and e button-like, seta d situated at midlength of this segment (Fig. 36 E, F). Seta d of tarsus II longer than corresponding seta f; seta d of tarsus III shorter than corresponding seta f. Length of solenidia: σ 1 I 30 (30–32), σ III 24 (20–25), φ IV 35 (32–35).
FEMALE (range for 10 paratypes). Idiosoma, length × width, 400–415 × 170–180, length of hysterosoma 280–290. Prodorsal shield: form and ornamentation as in male, 95–100 in length and 120–130 in width. Setae se separated by 75–80. Setae c2 and cp on humeral shields. Setae c3 lanceolate, 19–20 × 6–6.5 in width. Distance between prodorsal and hysteronotal shields 20–25. Anterior hysteronotal shield: 200–210 in length and 105–115 in width, anterior margin straight or slightly concave, posterior margin with short and wide median extension, surface without ornamentation (Fig. 35 A). Lobar region: 80–88 in length and 105–110 in width, lateral margins strongly convex, without noticeable extensions bearing setae h2; lobar shield entire, anterior margin with small median extension and a pair of shallow concavities. Terminal cleft narrow, with lateral margins slightly divergent posteriorly, 57–62 in length, 22–24 in width at level of setae h3. Supranal concavity absent. Setae h2 lanceolate in basal part and with filiform apex, 80–90 in length, 7–8 in width; setae h3 68–75 in length, approximately half the length of terminal appendages. Setae h1 inserted on striated tegument between the anterior hysteronotal and lobar shields. Setae h1 and f 2 in trapezoidal arrangement. Setae ps1 on inner margins of opisthosomal lobes, close to level of setae h3. Distance between dorsal setae: c2:d2 85–90, d2:e2 110–120, e2:h2 40–45, h2:h3 35–40, h1:h2 35–38, d1:d 2 25–28, e1: e2 35–38, h1:h1 32–34, h2:h2 87–92, h2:ps 1 23–28.
Epimerites I, II as in male, with narrow surface sclerotized fields. Epimerites IVa large, roughly triangular, with long and heavily sclerotized posterior extension (Fig. 35 B). Epigynum horseshoe-shaped, thick, with rounded tips extending to level of genital papillae, 47–50 in length, 66–70 in width. Genital papillae of each side on small ovate sclerotized plate. Setae ps2 at midlevel of anal opening. Translobar apodemes not fused to each other anterior to terminal cleft. Copulatory opening situated in anterior end of terminal cleft. Head of spermatheca short; proximal part of primary spermaduct with cone-shaped enlargement 10–15 long; secondary spermaducts 30–35 long (Fig. 36 G). Distance between pseudanal setae, ps2:ps2 45–48, ps3:ps 3 18–22, ps2:ps 3 15–16.
Legs I, II as male. Legs IV with distal margin of ambulacral disc extending to level of setae h2. Solenidion σ1 of genu I longer than this segment and situated slightly closer to its base. Solenidion σ of genu III approximately at midlevel of this segment. Solenidion φ of tibia IV shorter than corresponding tarsus. Seta d of tarsus II longer than corresponding seta f, setae d of tarsi III, IV slightly shorter than corresponding setae f. Length of solenidia: σ 1 I 36– 38, σ III 27–29, φ III 54 –57, φ IV 32 –38.
Differential diagnosis. The new species Nycteridocaulus attila sp. n. is close to N. foliatus Atyeo, 1966 in having foliform terminal lamellae in males. The new species differs from N. foliatus by the following features: in males, the apices of the terminal lamellae are attenuate, the pregenital apodemes are absent, and the opisthoventral shields are narrow, with small triangular extensions at the level of the anal opening. In males of N. foliatus, the apices of the terminal lamellae are widely rounded, the pregenital apodemes are fused into an H-shaped sclerite, and the opisthoventral shields are half as wide as the opisthosomal lobes and have narrow and acute extensions posterior to the level of the adanal suckers. Females of N. foliatus are unknown; among previously described species, females of N. attila are most similar to those of N. bilobatus Atyeo, 1966 in having the lobar region slightly wider than long, with strongly convex lateral margins and a narrow terminal cleft. Females of N. attila are distinguished from those of N. bilobatus in having setae h2 shorter than the terminal appendages, the proximal part of the primary spermaduct with a cone-shaped enlargement, and by the absence of ornamentation on the hysteronotal shield. In females of N. bilobatus, setae h2 are longer than the terminal appendages, the primary spermaduct lacks a cone-shaped enlargement, and the anterior hysteronotal shield bears small circular lacunae.
Etymology. The specific epithet is taken from the generic name of the type host and is a noun in apposition.
description: Published as part of Mironov, Sergey V., Literak, Ivan, Sychra, Oldrich & Capek, Miroslav, 2017, Feather mites of the subfamily Proctophyllodinae (Acari: Proctophyllodidae) from passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) in Costa Rica, pp. 1-105 in Zootaxa 4297 (1) on pages 61-65, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4297.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/840212