Hylomysobia gen. n. (Acari: Myobiidae), a new genus of mites parasitic on gymnures of the genus Hylomys (Eulipotyphla: Erinaceidae)

Abstract

A new genus of Myobiidae, Hylomysobia gen. n. with two new species, H. mikhailzaitzevi sp. n. (type species) and H. chinensis sp. n., is described from gymnures of the genus Hylomys Müller (Eulipotyphla: Erinaceidae). The two species parasitize Hylomys suillus Müller from Cambodia and Vietnam, and Hylomys sinensis (Trouessart) from China, respectively. These species represent the first records of myobiid mites from species in the family Erinaceidae. The new genus differs from the closely related Eutalpacarus Jameson, 1949 by the following features: in both sexes, coxae I have a triangular process, setae ve are about three times wider than sce and c2, and coxae II bear two pairs of setae; in females, setae sci are lanceolate, setae ag1 and ag3 are absent, and the vulvar lobes are weakly developed; in males, setae e2 are absent, and setae c1, d1, d2 and e1 are situated on the genital shield. The life cycle of Hylomysobia spp. includes egg, larva, protonymph, deutonymph, and adults, male and female. In contrast to the most other myobiid genera possessing the tritonymphal stage, the deutonymphs of Hylomysobia moult directly to adults, and the tritonymphs are absent. Based on the restricted distribution of Hylomysobia species on hosts of this family (only on species of the genus Hylomys) and close morphological similarities to myobiids from Soricidae and Talpidae, it is suggested that the ancestor of this genus secondarily colonized the ancestor of Hylomys from moles or shrews.