Systematic revision of the genera Geckobiella Hirst, 1917 and Hirstiella Berlese, 1920 (Acari: Prostigmata: Pterygosomatidae) with description of a new genus for American species parasites on geckos formerly placed in Hirstiella
Author
Paredes-León, Ricardo
Author
Klompen, Hans
Author
Pérez, Tila M.
text
Zootaxa
2012
3510
1
40
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.282509
fa676e46-f615-4a54-91bf-d097ea18f64c
1175-5326
282509
Geckobiella javieri
(Cruz)
new combination
Cyclurobia javieri
Cruz, 1984
: 5
.
Hirstiella javieri
Bochkov, 2008: 338
.
Diagnosis. Female.
Prodorsal shield pyriform with 2 pairs of setae (
vi
and
sci
) (
Fig. 2
F). Dorsal setae spatulate spinose (subclavate to clavate) (except barbed
f2
);
ps1
sparsely pectinate,
ps2
sparsely barbed and
ps3
peripectinate. Solenidion ω
2
on tarsus I as long as companion seta
ft
.
Type
.
Male
HOLOTYPE
, male, deutonymphal, protonymphal and larval
PARATYPES
(
IESCA
), probably lost.
Type
locality.
Cabo Cruz, Niquero, Granma,
Cuba
.
Type
host.
Cyclura nubila
Gray.
Material examined.
3 females
ex
Cyclura nubila
(IES12729),
CUBA
, Pinar del Río, Guanahacabibes,
21 February 1985
(
CNAC
007043–45).
1 female
, 1 deutonymph,
2 larvae
ex
Cyclura nubila
,
CUBA
, Pinar del Río, Mpio. Sandino, María La Gorda,
1 km
SE from Hotel María La Gorda,
21° 41’ 55.34” N
, -
84° 29’ 32.57” W
,
10 m
asl, 0
2 November 2011
, coll. L. Márquez (
CNAC
007046–49).
Remarks.
This species appears to be a specific ectoparasite of
Iguanidae
lizards (see
Table 2
).
Geckobiella javieri
was described originally based on male and immature specimens. One of us (RP-L) visited the Acarological Collection of IES but unfortunately the
type
series could not be located. However, three females were recovered from a specimen of
Cyclura nubila
collected from
Cuba
and deposited in the Herpetological Collection of IES (12729). The general morphology of these specimens is consistent with that of females of
Hirstiella
parasitic on
Iguanidae
(=
Geckobiella
sensu nov. in this study).
Based on the character matrix (Appendix 2),
G. javieri
and
G. diolii
share all character states (except the setal form of dorsal idiosomal setae
h1
). Additional differences between these species are found in the smaller size of
G. javieri
, in particular in the size of some structures such as the prodorsal shield length and width 181 x 189 (versus 198 x
226 in
G. diolii
) (
Fig. 2
F–G), width between setal pair
sci
on prodorsal shield (WSCI) 112 (versus
125 in
G. diolii
), leg lengths (excluding ambulacrum) from leg I to IV respectively 373, 292, 310 and 362 (versus 463, 360, 369 and
383 in
G. diolii
), and solenidion ω
1
and ω
2
of tarsus I length 27 and 45 respectively (39 and
53 in
G. diolii
).
In one specimen (CNAC007046) one seta
vi
was positioned outside the prodorsal shield.