Research Article |
Corresponding author: Ioana Cristina Constantinescu ( cristinactinescu@yahoo.com ) Academic editor: Andre Bochkov
© 2016 Ioana Cristina Constantinescu, Ioana Cobzaru, D. Khlur B. Mukhim, Costică Adam.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Constantinescu IC, Cobzaru I, Mukhim DKB, Adam C (2016) Two new species of the genus Trouessartia (Acari, Trouessartiidae) from laughingthrushes (Passeriformes, Leiothrichidae). ZooKeys 571: 59-79. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.571.7724
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Two new feather mite species of the genus Trouessartia Canestrini are described from laughingthrushes (Passeriformes: Leiothrichidae) captured in Meghalaya (India): Trouessartia cyanouropterae sp. n. from Actinodura cyanouroptera (Hodgson) and Trouessartia alcippeae sp. n. from Alcippe nipalensis (Hodgson). It is the first time when species of the genus Trouessartia are described from leiothrichids.
Acari , Trouessartiidae , new species, systematics
The feather mite genus Trouessartia Canestrini, 1899 comprises 110 species associated predominantly with birds from the order Passeriformes. A revision of this genus including 71 species was performed by
In this paper two Trouessartia species are described from passerine birds of family Leiothrichidae, from the hosts Actinodura cyanouroptera (Hodgson) and Alcippe nipalensis (Hodgson). Atyeo (in
The material used in the present paper was collected in Meghalaya (India) in February 2013. The birds were captured using mist-nets, identified, visually checked for the presence of mites and after collecting them were released back to the wild. Mite specimens were taken from birds manually with a needle and placed in vials with ethanol 96%. Later, in the laboratory, the mite specimens were cleared in lactic acid and mounted on microscope slides in Hoyer’s medium. Drawings were made using an Olympus CX21 microscope, with a camera lucida drawing device. The bird specimens were identified according to
Male holotype (ANA623), 2 male (ANA624, ANA625) and 3 female (ANA626, ANA627, ANA628) paratypes 20.02.2013, from Blue-winged Minla Actinodura cyanouroptera (Hodgson) (Passeriformes, Leiothrichidae); INDIA: Meghalaya, Jaintia Hills, Khahnar village, (25°21'57.30"N, 92°36'51.72"E); 954 m; subtropical forest; collector D. Khlur B. Mukhim.
MALE (Figs
FEMALE (Figs
The name of the new species derives from the specific name of the type host and is a noun in the genitive case.
The new species Trouessartia cyanouropterae Constantinescu, sp. n. is most similar to T. creatophorae Mironov & Kopij, 1996, described from Creatophora cinerea (Meuschen) (Passeriformes, Sturnidae) in South Africa, (
Male holotype (ANA639), 2 male (ANA641, ANA642) and 2 female (ANA640, ANA643) paratypes 10.02.2013, from Nepal Fulvetta Alcippe nipalensis (Hodgson) (Passeriformes, Leiothrichidae); INDIA: Meghalaya, Jaintia Hills, Khahnar village, (25°21'57.30"N, 92°36'51.72"E); 954 m; subtropical forest; collector D. Khlur B. Mukhim.
MALE (Figs
FEMALE (Figs
The specific epithet derives from the generic name of the type host and is a noun in the genitive case.
The new species, Trouessartia alcippeae Constantinescu, sp. n., is very similar in appearance to Trouessartia cyanouropterae described above in having, in both sexes, the dorsal shields similar in shape, the hysteronotal (prohysteronotal in males) shield with the lateral margins deeply incised at the level of trochanters III, DHA absent, and setae c3 and sRIII narrow lanceolate. Males of the both species have a similar shape of epimerites (except epimerites IV), the lamellae ovate with rounded denticles, the setae g are close to each other, and the setae d and e are barrel-shaped, with a discoid cap, and situated apically. Females of the both species have a similar ornamentation of hysteronotal shield (ovoid lacunae), and the spermatheca is similar in shape. Both sexes of T. alcippeae differ from T. cyanouropterae, by the following characters: the setae d1 are absent and setae se are situated on the lateral margins of prodorsal shield. In T. cyanouropterae, setae d1 are present and setae se are situated on the prodorsal shield. Males of T. alcippeae have a small unsclerotized median area of trapezoidal form between the prohysteronotal shield and the lobar shield, epimerites IV are shorter and reach the level of setae 4b, and the anterior and posterior genital papillae are at the same distance from midline. Males of T. cyanouropterae have a small rectangular unsclerotized area between the prohysteronotal shield and the lobar shield, epimerites IV are longer and exceeding the level of setae 4b, and the anterior genital papillae are more distant from the midline than the posterior ones. Females of T. alcippeae have the setae h1 filiform, the setae ps1 are located closer to bases of setae h3 and the the external copulatory tube is absent. Females of T. cyanouropterae have the setae h1 lanceolate, the setae ps1 are located closer to the base of h2 setae and the external copulatory tube is present.
We are grateful to the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife & Chief Wildlife Warden from Shillong (Meghalaya, India) for the permission to catch birds (permission No. FWC.G/173/Pt.). We would like to thank anonymous reviewers for their patience in analyzing the manuscript and their valuable suggestions that have greatly improved the paper, and to our proofreader, PhD. Ana Wetzl (Assistant Professor of English, Kent State University at Trumbull, USA). This study was partially supported by Romanian Academy, Project RO1567-IBB04/2015.