A revision of the chigger genus Afrotrombicula (Acariformes: Trombiculidae)
Author
Stekolnikov, Alexandr A.
text
Zootaxa
2023
2023-07-31
5323
1
27
55
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5323.1.2
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.5323.1.2
1175-5326
69FB16D4-9691-4D4D-9DEC-704BA325E07D
Afrotrombicula
(
Afrotrombicula
)
kenyaensis
(
Goff, 1995
)
,
comb. nov.
Neotrombicula kenyaensis
Goff, 1995: 12
, fig. 1;
Stekolnikov 2018: 180
.
Diagnosis.
SIF = 7BS-B-3-3111.1000; fPp = B/B/NNB; PL> AM> AL; fD = 2H-6-8-6-6-4-4-2; DS = 38; V = 46; NDV = 84; posterior scutal margin rounded; f
1
at level of S
1
; f
2
behind S
2
; Ip = 817–841 (after
Goff 1995
). Standard measurements are in
Table 1
.
Type deposition.
Holotype
in
USNM
;
paratypes
in
USNM
and
BPBM
, according to the original description (
Goff 1995
). However, no material on this species was included in the recently published catalogue of the
USNM
collection, which currently incorporates the chigger collection of
BPBM
(
Bassini-Silva
et al.
2021
).
Distribution and host.
Described from
Kenya
(Sheldrick Falls), ex
Galago senegalensis
É. Geoffroy
(
Primates
:
Galagidae
).
Remarks.
There are no evident differences between this species and the previous one,
A. claviglia
, except for the numbers of dorsal and ventral idiosomal setae (DS = 38 vs.
42 in
A. claviglia
; V = 46 vs. 36), NDV (84 vs.78), and the arrangement of dorsal idiosomal setae (fD = 2H-6-8-6-6-4-4-2 vs. 2H-6-8-8-8-8-2). However,
Goff (1995)
has not provided drawings of idiosoma; in addition, no data on variability of fD are available for both species. Therefore, significance of the latter character is unclear. Possibly, after examination of new materials,
A. kenyaensis
could appear a synonym of
A. claviglia
.