A revision of the genus Pulaeus Den Heyer, with descriptions of a new genus and four new Brazilian species (Acari: Prostigmata: Cunaxidae)
Author
Castro, Tatiane Marie Martins Gomes De
Author
Heyer, Jacob Den
text
Zootaxa
2009
2141
20
36
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.188565
a1165815-2e9e-4bd0-b388-075cba718b1e
1175-5326
188565
AC749959-8379-4E7C-9A99-27152BDAEB9D
Genus
Pulaeus
Den Heyer, 1980
a
Eupalus
—
Ewing, 1909
: 402
;
Berlese, 1916
: 293
;
Thor & Willmann, 1941
: 183
Cunaxoides—
Baker
& Hoffmann, 1948
: 245–246
Pulaeus—
Den Heyer, 1980a
: 19;
El-Bishlawy & Rakha, 1983
: 373–375;
Bu & Li, 1991
: 70–72;
Barilo, 1991
: 132–134; Corpus-Raros, 1996: 119–138;
Lin
et al,
2001
: 145–153
Neocunaxoides—
Chaudhri, 1977
: 50;
Chaudhri
et al,
1979
: 176–177;
Tseng, 1980
: 267–272
Type
species:
Eupalus pectinatus
Ewing, 1909
.
Historical-taxonomic review.
Species belonging to this genus are (re-) described and/or figured by the following:
Ewing (1909)
describes a new species from Illinois,
USA
, viz.
Eupalus pectinatus
.
Berlese (1916)
describes
E. sternalis
as a new species from Palermo (Panormitano),
Italy
but also states that this form differs from
E. pectinatus
, which he received from Ewing, only in palp length. The co-author in 1975 studied specimens of these species in the Berlese Collection in Florence and concluded that they are conspecific. Berlese describes in the same paper a new species, viz.
E. subterraneus
, from a nest of field mice at Terrara,
Italy
.
Thor & Willmann (1941)
provide redescriptions of all above species. In their work on the
Cunaxidae
Baker
& Hoffmann (1948)
provide redescriptions of all above-mentioned species.
Muma (1960)
gives a short description and drawings of a new species from Florida,
USA
, viz.
C. pectinellus
.
We regard this species to be conspecific with
P. pectinatus
mentioned in this paper.
Chaudhri
et al
(1979)
redescribed
Neocunaxoides krama
Chaudhri, 1977
; this species very strongly resembles
P. longignathus
Bu & Li, 1987
and is regarded by us as a new combination. We are also of opinion that the following species remain in this genus:
Cunaxoides americanus
Baker
& Hoffmann, 1948
;
P. ardeola
,
Barilo, 1991
;
P. cebuensis
Corpuz-Raros, 2007
;
P. chongqingensis
Bu & Li, 1987
;
P. longignathus
Bu & Li, 1987
;
P. m u s c i
Liang, 1985
;
P. rimandoi
Corpuz-
Raros, 1996
;
P. s a m a re n s i s
Corpuz-Raros, 2007
and
P. w h a r t o n i
(
Baker
& Hoffmann, 1948
).
Redescription.
Mites of this genus are rather well sclerotized and characterised by the presence of fairly well-demarcated idiosomal shields, of a depression for peg organ on tarsus I proximally positioned; genital setae (
g1—g4
) in approximately straigth row; palp tibiotarsus with a single pointed process. In his redescription of one of the species, viz.
Pulaeus glebulentus
Den Heyer,
Smiley (1992)
mentioned the following numbers of setae on basifemora I—IV: 4 sts—5 sts—4 sts—2 sts; he informed that the redescription presented by him corresponds to the original description of the species. Although, the numbers of the setae he mentioned for the basifemora I—IV do not correspond to those presented in the original description of that species (4 sts—6 sts—3 sts—2 sts) being characteristic of the genus, the taxonomical position of
P. glebulentus
remains unchanged.
Etymology:
The co-author, when he erected the genus
Pulaeus
Den Heyer, 1980
a, did not explain the name of this genus. The name is an anagram of the name
Eupalus
, as given by
Koch (1838)
, a name restricted to the subfamily Cunaxoidinae, as is the genus name
Lupaeus
, as applied in the paper.