A new species group, ligare, is established within the subgenus Pterygosoma (Acariformes: Pterygosomatidae: Pterygosoma) based on an analysis of female morphology. This group includes 6 newly described species-all from Liolaemus spp. (Squamata: Liolaemidae) from Chile: P. ligare sp. nov., P. formosus sp. nov., P. ovata sp. nov., and P. levissima sp. nov. from Liolaemus pictus; P. chilensis sp. nov. from L. chilensis, and P. cyanogasteri sp. nov. from L. cyanogaster. The ligare species group differs from other mites of the subgenus Pterygosoma by the presence of the movable cheliceral digit without a basal spur, solenidion ω of the palp tarsus, anterior mid-dorsal setae, large number of setae (about 200-300 pairs) on the lateral and the posterior parts of the idiosomal dorsum and the lateral parts of the idiosomal venter, by the idiosomal hypertrichy of ventro-median setae vm, setae 3a located outside of coxal fields II, the absence of setae 4b, the presence of paired setae tc and vs on tarsi III-IV, 5 setae on tibiae II-IV, 4 or 5 setae on genua I, II, 3 setae on genua III-IV, 5 setae on femur I, 5 or 4 setae on femur II and 3 setae on femur III. A key to females of the new species group is provided. Pterygosoma patagonica Dittmar de la Cruz, Morando and Avila, 2004 insufficiently described but showing most characterisitcs of ligare group is considered as nomen dubium.
The phylogeny of the mite genus Pterygosoma Peters, 1849 (Acariformes: Pterygosomatidae), permanent parasites of lizards of the families Agamidae, Gerrhosauridae and Liolaemidae (Reptilia: Squamata), was inferred with maximum parsimony, successive weighting and implied weighting approaches based on 182 characters of 48 ingroup and 12 outgroup species. All undertaken analyses questioned the monophyly of the genus. Based on this research, Pterygosoma includes 56 mite species associated with agamas from Africa and Asia (Sauria: Agamidae). Within the genus seven natural species groups were found: mutabilis, inermis, melanum, caucasica, fimbriata, singularis and foliosetis; 13 species of the genus were not assigned to any of the groups due to their unique morphological characters. For the ligare group of the subgenus Pterygosoma s. str. (7 species) associated with the South American tree lizards from the family Liolaemidae, a new genus, Neopterygosoma gen. nov., is established. The subgenus Gerrhosaurobia Lawrence, 1959 (3 species) associated with the African plated lizards of the family Gerrhosauridae is elevated to the genus rank. Diagnoses for the three genera are presented. Historical associations are reconstructed by fitting the obtained mite tree into the host topology on the family level. Results of coevolutionary analysis highlight the coincidence of both trees. The studies suggest that the ancestor of the genus Pterygosoma switched from the hosts of Gerrhosaurobia i.e. from the plated lizards (Gerrhosauridae) to the agamas (Agamidae), and the genus Pterygosoma has its biogeographic origin in North Africa, and colonized Asia via the Arabian Peninsula, which is congruent with the historical biogeography of its hosts.
A new species group nitidus is established within the genus Geckobia Mégnin, 1878 (Acariformes: Pterygosomatidae) based on an analysis of morphological characters of two newly described species from Chile: Geckobia nitidus n. sp. from Liolaemus nitidus (Wiegmann) and Geckobia zapallarensis n. sp. from Liolaemus zapallarensis Müller and Hellmich (Sauria: Liolaemidae). Mites of this new species group differ from species in the ovambica group in the presence of a movable cheliceral digit without basal spur, the absence of propodonotal shield and eyes, and in having shorter legs of the second pair, five setae on genua and femora I, four setae on genua and femora II, three setae on genua and femora III and two or three setae on genua and femora IV. Additionally, the third pterygosomatid species from Chile, Geckobia gerrhopygus n. sp. from Phyllodactylus gerrhopygus (Wiegmann) (Sauria: Phyllodactylidae) belonging to indica species group is described. This species is morphologically closely related to G. indica Hirst, 1917 but differs in the presence of 14 setae on the transversely elongated propodonotal shield and spur-like palp femoral setae dF and in the presence of leg setae vFIV and vTIV. Species of the genus Geckobia are recorded on hosts of the infraorder Iguania for the first time.
Three new species of pterygosomatid mites Pterygosoma engai sp. nov. P. indare sp. nov. and P. olape sp. nov. (Acari: Pterygosomatidae) are described from the agamid lizard Agama sankaranica (Sauria: Agamidae) from Kenya. P. engai sp. nov. is similar to P. annectans circularis Jack, 1962 but in the new species, the anterior paddle-shaped setae with spicules on the apical margin of the idiosomal dorsum and three pairs of the postero-lateral setae are present, setae dm1 are paddle-shaped, peripheral setae and setae dGIV are absent, the pseudoanal setal series is represented by three pairs of setae ps. P. indare sp. nov. is most closely related to P. agamae agamae Peters, 1849 but differs by the absence of eyes and setae dGI, the presence of the flattened hypostomal apex and 12-14 pairs of the peripheral setae and some of them are tapered. P. olape sp. nov. is similar to P. engai sp. nov. but differs by the presence of the hypostome with a smooth rounded apex and 16 pairs of the peripheral setae inserted ventrally, the genital series is represented by one pair of setae g situated ventrally and four pairs of setae ps situated ventrally and terminally.
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