Taxonomy Of Cunaxidae In China

The mite family Cunaxidae belongs to Arthropoda,Arachnida,Acari,Trombidiformes,Prostigmata,Bdelloidea.Currently,there are 451 species,28 genera,six subfamilies reported in Cunaxidae around the world,of which 56 species,17 genera,six subfamilies have been reported in China(contains taxa published in this study).In this dissertation,the taxonomics of cunaxid mites were systematically studied with comparative morphological investigation,faunal analysis,and phylogenetic exploration.The main results are as follows:1 The new taxon and new Chinese records found in the study70 species,20 genera and seven subfamilies of Cunaxidae in China are identified and described,including one new subfamily,two new genera,32 new species,one genus and 22 species newly recorded from China and first description of some known species of males and other development of states.A unique long cauda structure was found firstly,defined and described in Cunaxidae,and based on which a new taxon Cunaxicaudinae subfam.nov.is erected.The keys to subfamilies,genera and species known from China,and A total of 386 detailed characteristic drawings and 38 photos are provided.The taxa new to science and new to China found are listed as below.1.1 The taxa new to scienceOne new subfamily: Cunaxicaudinae subfam.nov.Two new genera: Cunaxicaudus gen.nov.and Breucaudus gen.nov.32 new species: Bonzia sangzhiensis sp.nov.;Parabonzia bioxys sp.nov.;Coleoscirus muscus sp.nov.;Neobonzia cellula sp.nov.;Neoscirula alloaliciae sp.nov.;Neoscirula bambus sp.nov.;Neoscirula linzhiensis sp.nov.;Neoscirula pananensis sp.nov.;Scutascirus longilatera sp.nov.;Armascirus apophysis sp.nov.;Armascirus bluntus sp.nov.;Armascirus kuandianensis sp.nov.;Armascirus pseudofendai sp.nov.;Armascirus stellatus sp.nov.;Armascirus trapizeum sp.nov.;Armascirus yulongensis sp.nov.;Cunaxa papilla sp.nov.;Cunaxa striatus sp.nov.;Cunaxa truncata sp.nov.;Rubroscirus nudus sp.nov.;Lepidocunaxoides bisetosus sp.nov.;Lupaeus allominutus sp.nov.;Lupaeus neomartini sp.nov.;Neocunaxoides huangshanensis sp.nov.;Neocunaxoides linzhiensis sp.nov.;Neocunaxoides yaanensis sp.nov.;Scutopalus dinghuensis sp.nov.;Orangescirula gutianshanensis sp.nov.;Scirula monosolenidius sp.nov.;Cunaxicaudus mohanensis sp.nov.;Cunaxicaudus neomohanensis sp.nov.;Breucaudus trapezoides sp.nov..1.2 The taxa new to ChinaOne genus newly recorded from China: Bonzia Oudemans,192722 species newly recorded from China: Bonzia halacaroides Oudemans,1927;Parabonzia mindanensis Corpuz-Raros,1996;Coleoscirus tuberculatus Den Heyer,1978;Neobonzia kuznetzovi(Sergeyenko,2005);Neobonzia nona(Den Heyer,1977);Neobonzia shamshadi(Bashir & Afzal,2009);Neoscirula taclobanensis Corpuz-Raros,2007;Armascirus campbelli(Smiley,1992);Armascirus harrisoni Smiley,1992;Armascirus.hastus Shiba,1986;Cunaxa hermanni Den Heyer,1979;Cunaxa heterostriata Khaustov & Kuznetzov,1998;Cunaxa potchensis Den Heyer,1979;Dactyloscirus mansoni Smiley,1992;Dactyloscirus mesonotus Shiba,1986;Dactyloscirus philippinensis Corpuz-Raros,1995;Lupaeus valentinae Sergeyenko,2011;Lupaeus villacarlosae(Corpuz-Raros,1996);Neocunaxoides kalamiensis Inayatullah & Shahid,1989;Neocunaxoides ornatus Corpuz-Raros & Gruèzo,2007;Scutopalus philippinensis(Corpuz-Raros,1996);Scirula impressa Berlese,1887?2 Comparative morphological characteristics with evaluation on taxonomic implicationPalp segments and the proportion between length of the palp and subcapitulum,and T present or absent on tibia IV are generally the diagnostic features for grouping of subfamilies.However the result of research shows that anterior subcapitulum morphology to hg1,cauda structure,and relative position of lps are also of the diagnostic characteristics for subfamilies.The taxonomic basis for genera are different in each subfamily: for the subfamily with just one single genus,the diagnostic basis of the genus is the same to that of subfamily.Classification basis of species is not the same in all subfamilies or genera,the diagnostic basis for the family and genus with just one single species are the same as that of the genus and even the family.Characteristic differences between male and female are mainly present on leg chaetotaxy,especially number and form of solenidia on genu I,tibia I,tarsus I and genu III,tarsus III,and sometimes on telofemora I–II and genua III–IV.In general the solenidia in the male are longer in length and larger in tip than the female(except for genus Parabonzia),and the variation of the traits among the male and female within the species in the genus.The characteristic differences among different development stages are mainly occur in genital setae,genital suckers,hysterogastral setae and chaetotaxy of legs,especially leg IV,and so on.The unique caudate structure found is named as cauda,which typically consist of caudal base,caudal petiole and caudal xiphoid.3 Faunal composition and characteristicsFaunal analysis on a total of 110 species,21 genera and seven subfamilies of Cunaxidae in China(including one new subfamily,two new genera,32 new species,and one genus and 22 species newly recorded from China),based on the world zoogeographic realms,shows that,at genus level,there are 12 faunal types,and of which the Oriental component is obviously dominant with all 21 genera known in China distributed the Oriental,followed by the Palaearctic with 17 genera(80.95%),the Nearctic with 16 genera(76.19%),the African with 14 genera(66.67%),Neotropical with 13 genera(61.90%),and then the Australian with 8 genera(38.10%).At species level there are 13 faunal types,of which the components of the Oriental region is also absolutely dominant with 88 species(80.00%),followed by the Palaearctic with 43 species(39.09%),the Nearctic with 15 species(13.64%),African with 10 species(9.09%),Neotropical with three species(2.73%),and then Australian region one species(0.91%).On the Chinese zoographical division,there are 13 faunal types at genus level,of which the the components of the Central China region is absolutely dominant with 19 genera(90.48%),followed by that of both the Southern China and the Southwest China with14 genera(66.67%),the Northern China with eight genera(38.10%),and then both of the Qinghai-Tibet and the MongoXinjiang with four genera(19.05%),and the Northeast China with three genera(14.29%).At species level there are 20 faunal types,of which the components of the Central China is also absolutely dominant with 52 species(47.27%),followed by both the Southern China and the Southwest China region each 31 species(each 28.18%),respectively,the Northern China with 17 species(15.45%),the Mongo-Xinjiang with nine species(8.18%),the Qinghai-Tibet with six species(5.45%),and the Northeast China with five species(4.55%).In general,the faunal characteristics of Chinese Cunaxidae are as follows: composition at genus level is similar and has little difference between China and the world,while at species level the faunal composition of the word is greatly different from that of China.In world zoogeographic realms,at both genus and species level,the Oriental components are reigning,the Palaearctic suboptimal,and those of the Nearctic,African,Neotropical,Australian are meagre.This distribution pattern may be due to the territory of China across the Oriental and Palaearctic realms.In China zoogeographic regions,at both genus and species level,the fauna of Central China is dominant,those of both South China and Southwest China are sub-dominant,while those of Mongo-Xinjiang,Qinghai-Tibet and Northeast China are meagre.This distribution pattern may be due to diverse natural resources such as landform,climate and vegetation in Central China,South China and Southwest China.It also implys that the cunaxid mites are of greatly abundant in species,though in-depth studies are different among the regions in China.4 Phylogenetic analysis of high taxa with taxonomic interpretationBased on 155 morphological characteristics selected from females of 84 species and 51 morphological characteristics selected from males in 30 genera,phylogenetic analysis of 28 genera(female),six subfamilies and 30 genera(male),seven subfamilies of Cunaxidae was carried out by using tree analysis software TNTver.1.5(Tree Analysis Using New Technology)and MP method.Two strict consensus trees obtained show taxonomic indications as follows:Though the two trees are not identical,but they both indicate that the genus Parabonzia is the taxon closely related to the outgroup.Strict consensus tree based on female shows that the taxonomic status of four subfamilies,namely,Scirulinae,Cunaxinae,Coleoscirinae and Cunaxoidinae are supported,while that of Orangescirulinae and Bonziinae remains to be confirmed.Meanwhile,Armascirini and Cunaxini are supported as sister tribes.Strict consensus tree of male shows that the taxonomic status of two subfamilies,namely,Cunaxinae and Cunaxicaudinae subfam.nov.are supported,while that of other subfamilies remains to be confirmed.This is mainly due to the limited knowledge on cunaxid males.In conclusion,the results of this study manifestly increased diversity and awareness of Cunaxidae species in China,and have the theoretical significance and the practical value for further study on the diversity and taxonomic revision of cunaxid fauna worldwide and interpretation on phylogenetic relationships among cunaxid higher taxa in the future.