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Four New Species of Steatonyssus from Africa (Acarina: Dermanyssidae)

1963; American Society of Parasitologists; Volume: 49; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/3276009

1937-2345

Frank J. Radovsky, Conrad E. Yunker,

Bat Biology and Ecology Studies

Four African species of Steatonyssus (Acarina: Dermanyssidae) are described from bats: S. longipes, S. calcaratus, S. aelleni, and S. afer, bringing to 12 the known total of African species. All species are represented by females; protonymphal instars are described for the first three; the male is described for the last one. Pellonyssus biscutatus (Hirst, 1922) from an African woodpecker is returned to Steatonyssus. The Ethiopian species of the cosmopolitan genus Steatonyssus (Type: Dermanyssus murinus Lucas, 1840) were reviewed by Zumpt and Till (1954, 1961). Keegan (1956) recorded some Steatonyssus spp. in North Africa. Clark and Yunker (1956) transferred the birdinfesting species to a new genus, Pellonyssus, and with few exceptions the remaining forms are bat parasites. One of the species removed to Pellonyssus by Clark and Yunker was P. biscutatus (Hirst, 1922) from South African woodpeckers (Picidae). We have examined a female specimen of P. biscutatus and, on the basis of a relatively large sternal plate, presence of metasternal setae, and other characters typical of Steatonyssus, restore it to the older combination, Steatonyssus biscutatus. Four new species of African Steatonyssus are described here, bringing the total known from this continent to 12. These are: S. biscutatus (Hirst, 1922); S. brucei Lavoipierre, 1956; S. eos Zumpt and Till, 1954; S. hipposideros Till, 1958; S. murinus (Lucas, 1840); S. natalensis Zumpt and Patterson, 1951; S. nyassae (Hirst, 1922); S. sudanensis (Hirst, 1926); S. longipes sp. n.; S. calcaratus sp. n.; S. afer sp. n.; S. aelleni sp. n. All measurements that follow are in microns and are based on five specimens unless otherwise stated. Steatonyssus longipes, sp. n.