Description of postembrionic immature stages of Protomyobia onoi Jameson & Dusbabek, 1971 (Acariformes: Myobiidae) and comparative analysis of the juvenile external morphology in the tribe Protomyobiini

Abstract

The external morphology of all immature postembrionic stages of Protomyobia onoi Jameson & Dusbabek, 1971 was described for the first time. The comparative analysis of the juvenile external morphology (tritonymphs or deutonymphs) belonging to the tribe Protomyobiini based on both original and literature data is provided. A total of 24 species belonging to 10 genera representing all three subtribes of Protomyobiini were analysed. Tritonymphs of the genus Protromyobia (Protomyobiina) are characterized by the losses of setae dTa, l′′1 and FG of legs I, l′ of femur-genu II and l′′ of femora-genua III and IV. Tritonymphs of the subtribe Afromyobiina are characterized by the absence of claws on legs I and seta l′1 on tibiae I and by the apically split eupathidia l′, l′′ of tarsi I. No synapomorphies of immature stages that characterized the whole subtribe Amorphacarina were found.

Keywords:

• Acari
• external morphology
• juvenile stages
• Myobiidae
• parasites
• Protomyobiini

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr Kirill Tretyakov (ZISP) who trapped shrews for this study. Dr Anna Namayatova (Australia) improved the English. We also thank both anonymous referees and the editor for valuable improvements.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (RSF 14-14-00621).