1Department of Zoology, University of Zielona Góra
Katedra Zoologii, Uniwersytet Zielonogórski
2Department of Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology, Institute of Biology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences
Zakład Systematyki i Ekologii Bezkręgowców, Instytut Biologii, Uniwersytet Przyrod niczy we Wrocławiu
The anomalies and malformations in mites of the genus Erythraeus Latreille, 1806 are described for the first time. Morphological abnormalities were found on palps, posterior sensillary area of crista metopica, and legs in seven specimens of four species and one specimen determined to the genus.
KEY WORDS: Parasitengona, postlarval Erythraeoidea, anomalies, malformations, teratology
iNTROdUCTiON
The data on the occurrence of morphological abnormalities in mites of terrestrial Para- sitengona were critically reviewed by Southcott (1997) and Mąkol and Łaydanowicz (2006). Hitherto, no anomalies or malformations have been described in any species of the genus Erythraeus Latreille, 1806. In Finland, 21 species of mites of the family Ery-thraeidae have been recorded and five of them represent postlarval stages of the genus
Erythraeus (Gabryś et al. 2009). In the present study, morphological abnormalities in For citation – Do cytowania: Roland E., Gabryś G., 2011. Morphological abnormalities in mites of the genus Erythraeus Latreille, 1806 (Acari: Actinotrichida: Erythraeidae) from Finland. Zesz. Nauk. UP Wroc., Biol. Hod. Zwierz., LXII, 580: 45–53.
46 Elżbieta Roland, Grzegorz Gabryś
eight postlarval individuals of the genus Erythraeus from Finland are described. They belong to four species. One specimen was in a very poor condition, which allowed its determination to the genus level.
mATERiAl ANd mEThOdS
The material used in this study, comes from the collection of the Zoological Museum in Turku, Finland. The mites were collected by K. Heikka, S. Koponen, P.T. Lehtinen and L.J. Tuominen in 1966–1994. Altogether, 1796 specimens were examined and the ones with apparent morphological abnormalities were selected for study. The specimens come from six localities in Finland. Four localities were described in full detail, i.e., the coordi-nates of the locality (according to Grid 27º), name of the region, island or the city, type of habitat, date of collection, and name of the collector are provided. The description of two localities is incomplete, which is indicated with an asterisk in Table 1.
The slides were prepared according to the procedure described by Gabryś (1994). The material, preserved in isopropyl alcohol, was macerated in Nesbitt’s liquid and the specimens were closed in Faure’s liquid prepared according to Krantz (1978) and Walter and Krantz (2009). The specimens were examined with the system microscope Olympus BX51/BX52 with phase contrast and differential interference contrast (DIC). The species were determined using the comparative collection of the junior author and unpublished data (Gabryś 1990, Roland 2008). The photographs were made with digital camera Olym-pus, Camedia C-3030 ZOOM coupled with computer programme Olympus DP-Soft ver-sion 3.1.
The definitions of an anomaly and a malformation (= teratological abnormalities) were accepted after Mąkol and Łaydanowicz (2006) following the works by Buczek (2000) and Dąbrowska (2005). An anomaly is defined as a small change in the number of elements typical of the particular parts of the body (e.g., setae or claws) and a malforma-tion is a more significant abnormality, such as shortened body parts or a split appendage (schistomely).
Abbreviations used in Table 1 and Figures 1–8: PaTi – palp tibia, PaTa – palp tarsus, AD – adult.
RESUlTS
Morphological abnormalities were identified in eight specimens of Erythraeus: one of
E. adpendiculatus, one of E. cinereus, three of E. phalangoides, two of E. regalis, and one
of the unidentified species of the genus Erythraeus. The anomalies were found on palps and in the posterior sensillary area and the malformations – on legs. The deformations are listed in Table 1 and illustrated in Figures 1–8.
Morphological abnormalities in mites of the genus ... 47
Tabela 1 Tabela 1
List of abnormalities found in
Erythraeus
mites in Finland.
All data original
Zestawienie nieprawidłowości morfologicznych u roztoczy z rodzaju
Erythraeus
z Finlandii.
Wszystkie dane oryginalne
No. Nr Description of anomaly/malformation Opis anomalii/deformacji Species Gatunek N Stage/sex Stadium/płeć Locality Stanowisko ANOMAL Y ANOMALIA Gnathosoma Gnatosoma 1.
right palp – three claws (instead of one) on PaT
i (Fig. 1)
prawa pedipalpa – trzy pazury (zamiast jednego) na PaT
i (ryc. 1)
Erythraeus adpendiculatus (Schrank, 1781)
1
♀
Finland * Parainen, Mustfinnö, Ippos; deciduous forest on a lake shore; 26.08–18.10.1969; P.T. Lehtinen
2.
left palp – one claw on PaT
a, two claws (instead of one) on PaT
i (Fig. 2)
lewa pedipalpa – pazur na PaT
a, dwa pazury (zamiast jednego) na PaT
i (ryc. 2)
3.
left palp – one claw on PaT
a
(Fig.
3)
lewa pedipalpa – pazur na PaT
a (ryc. 3) Erythraeus ciner eus (Dugès, 1834) 1 ♀ 4.
right palp – five claws (instead of one) on PaT
i (Fig. 4)
prawa pedipalpa – pięć pazurów (zamiast jednego) na PaT
i (ryc. 4) Erythraeus r egalis (C. L. Koch, 1837) 1 AD
Finland 719:62; Suomussalmi , Malahvia; open bog; 13.6–21.7.1994; S.
Koponen
5.
left palp – two claws (instead of one) on PaT
i, two conalae on PaT
a (Fig. 5)
lewa pedipalpa – dwa pazury (zamiast jednego) na PaT
i, dwa conalae na PaT
a (ryc. 5) Erythraeus r egalis (C. L. Koch, 1837) 1 AD
Finland 719:62; Suomussalmi, Malahvia; open bog; 21.7–15.8.1994; S.
Koponen
6.
right palp – three claws (instead of one) on PaT
i (Fig. 6 )
prawa pedipalpa – trzy pazury (zamiast jednego) na PaT
i (ryc. 6) Erythraeus phalangoides (De Geer , 1778) 1 AD
Finland * Utsjoki, Kevo; 24.06.1967, 1
1.00; L. J. T uominen 7.
right palp – two claws (instead of one) on PaT
i (Fig. 7)
prawa pedipalpa – dwa pazury (zamiast jednego) na PaT
i (ryc. 7)
Erythraeus
sp.
1
AD
Finland 664:19; Korppoo, Jurmo; meadow; 17.07–12.10.1968/ P
.T
. Lehtinen
Idiosoma Idiosoma
8.
posterior sensillary area of crista metopica – three sensillae (instead of two) (not illustrated) tylne pole sensoryczne crista metopica – trzy szczeciny sensoryczne (zamiast dwóch) (niezilustrowane)
Erythraeus phalangoides (De Geer , 1778) 1 AD Finland 670:21; R ymättylä, Vähämaisaari; Rocky pine forest, 1.08–27.09.1968; P .T . Lehtinen MALFORMA TION DEFORMACJA Legs Nogi 9.
left leg I – schistomely of
Tarsus (Fig.
8)
lewa noga I – schistomelia stopy (ryc. 8)
Erythraeus phalangoides (De Geer , 1778) 1 ♂
Finland 666:20; Nauvo, Ber
ghamn, Boskär; dry
meadow; 30.5–24.07.1990; K. Heikka, P.T. Lehtinen
Abbreviations: PaT
i – palp tibia, PaT
a – palp tarsus,
AD – adult; descriptions of localities are given in original version; * asterisk denotes incompletely described localities
Skróty: PaT
i – palp tibia (goleń pedipalpy), PaT
a – palp tarsus (stopa pedipalpy),
AD – postać dojrzała; opisy stanowisk w oryginalnym brzmieniu; * gwiazdką oznaczono
48 Elżbieta Roland, Grzegorz Gabryś
Fig. 1. Erythraeus adpendiculatus (Schrank, 1781); anomaly of right palp: three claws (instead of one) on PaTi; not to scale
Ryc. 1. Erythraeus adpendiculatus (Schrank, 1781); anomalia prawej pedipalpy: trzy pazury (zamiast jednego) na PaTi; bez skal
Fig. 2. Erythraeus adpendiculatus (Schrank, 1781); anomalies of left palp: one claw on PaTa, two claws (instead of one) on PaTi; not to scale
Ryc. 2. Erythraeus adpendiculatus (Schrank, 1781); anomalia lewej pedipalpy: pazur na PaTa, dwa pazury (zamiast jednego) na PaTi; bez skali
Morphological abnormalities in mites of the genus ... 49
Fig. 3. Erythraeus cinereus (Dugès, 1834); anomaly of left palp: one claw on PaTa; not to scale Ryc. 3. Erythraeus cinereus (Dugès, 1834); anomalia lewej pedipalpy: pazur na PaTa; bez skali
Fig. 4. Erythraeus regalis (C.L. Koch, 1837); anomaly of right palp: five claws (instead of one) on PaTi; not to scale
Ryc. 4. Erythraeus regalis (C.L. Koch, 1837); anomalia prawej pedipalpy: pięć pazurów (zamiast jednego) na PaTi; bez skali
50 Elżbieta Roland, Grzegorz Gabryś
Fig. 5. Erythraeus regalis (C.L. Koch, 1837); anomaly of left palp: two claws (instead of one) on PaTi, two conalae on PaTa; not to scale
Ryc. 5. Erythraeus regalis (C.L. Koch, 1837); anomalia lewej pedipalpy: dwa pazury (zamiast jed-nego) na PaTi, dwa conalae na PaTa; bez skali
Fig. 6. Erythraeus phalangoides (De Geer, 1778); anomaly of right palp: three claws (instead of one) on PaTi; not to scale
Ryc. 6. Erythraeus phalangoides (De Geer, 1778); anomalia prawej pedipalpy: trzy pazury (zamiast jednego) na PaTi; bez skali
Morphological abnormalities in mites of the genus ... 51
Fig. 7. Erythraeus sp.; anomaly of right palp: two claws (instead of one) on PaTi; not to scale Ryc. 7. Erythraeus sp.; anomalia prawej pedipalpy: dwa pazury (zamiast jednego) na PaTi;
bez skali
Fig. 8. Erythraeus phalangoides (De Geer, 1778); malformation: schistomely of left Tarsus I; not to scale
Ryc. 8. Erythraeus phalangoides (De Geer, 1778); deformacja: schistomelia lewej stopy nogi I; bez skali
52 Elżbieta Roland, Grzegorz Gabryś
diSCUSSiON
There is no possibility to draw clear boundary lines between malformations (= tera-tological abnormalities), anomalies, and changes due to intraspecific variation, which causes many problems in taxonomical analysis. Sometimes, these terms are used as sy-nonyms by different authors. At the same time, there are no clear definitions of abnorma-lities that occur in mites. Mąkol (2000), Mąkol and Gabryś (2002, 2005) and Mąkol and Łaydanowicz (2006) described the difficulties caused by inadequate data on anomalies and malformations in terrestrial Parasitengona. In the majority of studies, the presence of anomalies or malformations is reported when the asymmetrical distribution of some structures is found. It is relatively rare, that an abnormal state is expressed as an absence or same number of altered structures on both sides of the symmetry axis. In such cases, usually new taxa are described and an abnormal state is accepted as typical (Mąkol and Gabryś 2005, Mąkol and Łaydanowicz 2006).
It is difficult to determine the factors that cause developmental abnormalities. How-ever, the recent studies show that unsuitable temperature and/or humidity may be respon-sible for some anomalies and malformations. It has been suggested that anomalies and malformations are more common in individuals from cooler regions than in those from warmer ones within the range of one species (Buczek 2000, Mąkol and Gabryś 2005, Mąkol and Łaydanowicz 2006). Nevertheless, this idea remains to be verified in further methodical studies. The present work is a fractional, pilot, report on this phenomenon in the genus Erythraeus. The material was collected from various localitites at various times, so neither final conclusions on factors that cause abnormalities nor analysis of the frequency of specific anomalies or malformations are possible at the moment.
REfERENCES
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ANOmAliE mORfOlOgiCZNE U ROZTOCZY Z ROdZAJU erythraeus lATREillE, 1806 (ACARi: ACTiNOTRiChidA: pARASiTENgONA)
Z fiNlANdii S t r e s z c z e n i e
Po raz pierwszy stwierdzono występowanie anomalii i deformacji u roztoczy z rodzaju Eryth-raeus Latreille, 1806. Spośród 1 796 przebadanych okazów z rodzaju ErythEryth-raeus z obszaru Finlan-dii wybrano te osobniki, u których zauważono występowanie nieprawidłowości morfologicznych. Okazy pochodzą z sześciu stanowisk. Zniekształcenia morfologiczne zaobserwowano w obrębie pedipalp, tylnego pola sensorycznego crista metopica oraz odnóży u ośmiu okazów: E. adpendi-culatus, E. cinereus, trzech osobników E. phalangoides, dwóch osobników E. regalis oraz jednego osobnika niezidentyfikowanego do gatunku. Zestawienie tych zniekształceń zawierają tabela 1 oraz ryciny 1–8.
Skróty zastosowane w tabeli 1 i rycinach 1–8: PaTi – palp tibia (goleń pedipalpy), PaTa – palp tarsus (stopa pedipalpy), AD – postać dojrzała.
SŁOWA KLUCZOWE: Parasitengona, postlarwalne Erythraeoidea, anomalie, deformacje, tera-tologia
ZESZYTY NAUKOWE
UNIWERSYTETU PRZYRODNICZEGO WE WROCŁAWIU 2011 BIOLOGIA I HODOWLA ZWIERZĄT LXII NR 580