Acarologia 52(4): 353–366 (2012) DOI: 10.1051/acarologia/20122073 DOES THE AFRICAN NATIVE HOST EXPLAIN THE AFRICAN ORIGIN OF THE PARASITE? THE MALTESE GECKOBIA ESTHERAE N. SP. PARASITIC ON TARENTOLA MAURITANICA (ACARI: RAPHIGNATHOIDEA: PTERYGOSOMATIDAE) Michel BERTRAND1, Walter P. PFLIEGLER2 and Arnold SCIBERRAS3 (Received 04 May 2012; accepted 20 August 2012; published online 21 December 2012) 1 UMR5175 CEFE, Université Montpellier 3, Route de Mende, 34199 Montpellier cedex5, France. [email protected] (corresponding author) 2 Department of Genetics and Applied Microbiology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1., H-4010 Debrecen, Hungary. walterpfl[email protected] 3 Nature Trust (Malta) 133 ‘Arnest‘, Arcade Str, Paola, Malta. [email protected] ABSTRACT — As in other geographic situations, Maltese populations of the common Mediterranean wall gecko, Tarentola mauritanica, were found to be simultaneously infested by two species of geckobians, Geckobia loricata and Geckobia estherae n.sp.. The latter species exhibits modified scale-like setae. The geckobians, protected ventrally by such scale-like setae, are widely distributed: in and around the Mediterranean Basin, these species were described notably on Phyllodactylidae (Tarentola). Most of them belong to the group I defined by Jack (1964) considering the leg chaetotaxy. The distribution of geckobians allied to the new species is discussed and correlated to the most recent knowledge on the genus Tarentola. The host being primarily African, the possible African origin and the dispersion by wall geckoes of these geckobians is discussed. As far as we know, such scaly species are not present in South or North America. The acquisition of this adaptation should therefore date from the early Cenozoic. The authors conclude that new investigations are necessary to examine this hypothesis on the Mediterranean gekkotans. Three identification keys are provided, a general key for the genera, one improved key for the identification of the groups of species of the geckobians, and the third for the described species with scale like setae. KEYWORDS — Geckobia; Pteygosomatidae; Tarentola; Gekkonidae; parasites; host-parasite relationship; adaptation; bio- geography INTRODUCTION With few exceptions, the Pterygosomatidae (of- ten called as "scale mites") are specialist parasites of "Delineating species boundaries is crucial because it reptiles. These blood suckers spend more than 90% is the first step toward discussing broader questions of their lifetime fixed deeply by their chelicerae on on biogeography, ecology, conservation, or evolu- the host’s teguments. If the most primitive genera tion. The gap in communication between differ- are not greatly modified by the parasitic way of life ent disciplines currently related to species recogni- (Pimeliaphilus, Hirstiella and Geckobiella), the others tion is an important but often overlooked problem" have integrated the constraints of life on a type of (Carranza et al. 2002). host and are highly specialized: the diverse Geck- http://www1.montpellier.inra.fr/CBGP/acarologia/ 353 ISSN 0044-586-X (print). ISSN 2107-7207 (electronic) Bertand M. et al. oes are targeted by the genus Geckobia, the Agami- i) Why is it possible that, repeatedly, two so sim- dae by Pterygosoma spp. ilar parasites share the same host? May be In this article, the new Maltese species Gecko- because the parameters of infestation by two bia estherae n. sp. found on the common wall species respectively with normal and scale gecko is described. It was the opportunity to com- like ventral setae differ? This problem was al- plement (and to interrogate on) the larger ques- ready investigated by Girot (1969). tion of the links between the genus Tarentola L., ii) Can we reckon that the presence of highly 1758 and the geckobians in the Mediterranean Re- modified ventral setae reveals a possible com- gion. Recently, the phylogenetic classification of mon origin of the Geckobians exhibiting this Gekkotans integrated new analysis and discrimi- character, at least among the species parasitiz- nates now the Phyllodactylidae (i.e. genera Taren- ing the host Tarentola spp.? tola, Phyllodactylus) from the Gekkonidae (Gamble et al. 2008a, 2010). These two families diverged during the Mesozoic (Vidal and Hedges 2009). The genus MATERIAL AND METHODS Tarentola (around 20 species) belongs to the Phyllo- dactylids. All species are robust, without divided Mites were collected on one male and two females subdigital lamellae, and well-developed claws on (altogether 3 specimens) of the hosts, on the back of the third and fourth digits and, with a unique ex- their heads, with spraying a small amount of sur- ception, have a conservative morphology (Carranza gical spirit onto the geckos body and then remov- et al. 2002). The genus Tarentola sensu stricto is ing mites with a pincer. Some mites were cleared distributed in North Africa, southern Europe, and in lactic acid, and dissection of mouthparts and legs the eastern Canary Islands. The Linnaean species were done. Microscopic observation was helped by "Tarentola mauritanica" can be regarded now as a a microscope Wild Leitz 20 EB, measurements (in complex of species and subspecies with an African µm) were made on pictures taken with calibrated origin (Harris et al. 2004, Jirku et al. 2010); the Motic camera and drawings were made using a parasitic geckobians have been described several camera lucida. Nomenclature follows Jack (1964), decades ago, and by tradition, the two species col- and Bertrand et al. (1999). lected on it are identified as Geckobia latastei Mégnin, The Maltese herpetofauna: The only two Mal- 1878 and G. loricata Berlese, 1892 (Haitlinger 2004, tese geckoes (called "Wizgha" in Maltese language) Willmann 1955). However, new endemic gecko- are Hemidactylus turcicus and the Maltese wall gecko bians were described on neighbor and insular host T. mauritanica. The present herpetofauna list of the species, notably in Canary Islands (Zapatero-Ramos Maltese islands consists of only sixteen species, of et al. 1989). which five are marine turtles. Besides the men- The collect of the new species in Malta is an tioned geckoes, the terrestrial reptile species are original data. It permitted to verify: (i) that two four species of Colubridae, one Chamaeleontidae, geckobian species are hosted, by Tarentola mauri- one Scincidae and one endemic Lacertidae, with tanica in different part of its distribution, (ii) that several subspecies. Two Amphibian species occur, a the two species, as in other situations, differ greatly native frog from the Discoglossidae and one intro- each other, (notably by presence or absence of spe- duced species from the family of Ranidae (Sciber- cial shaped ventral hairs), and (iii) to interrogate on ras, 2007). The only possible hosts are the Phyllo- the correspondence of endemic hosts and the con- dactylidae Tarentola and the Geckonidae Hemidacty- sequences for parasites around the Mediterranean lus. Basin. The host belongs to the genus Tarentola, the Two new questions are expecting answers, con- Mediterranean geckos, widely distributed. It is an secutively to the new data on host’s origin and di- African native genus: "Tarentola is generally very versity: uniform and may have been so for over 10 million 354 Acarologia 52(4): 353–366 (2012) years; this is not due to any overwhelming phylo- the scutum. Three paired lateral scutal setae, placed genetic constraint" (Carranza et al. 2002). Around in rows all along the lateral limit of the scutum, four the Mediterranean Sea, Tarentola is represented by pairs of mediolateral setae and four pairs of setae several species and some subspecies have also been along the concavity of the posterior limit of the scu- described: to date, the nominative subgenus com- tum are present. prises several endemic species: Tarentola mauritanica Dorsal setae, (more than 60 excluding peripheral (Linnaeus, 1758); T. deserti Boulenger, 1891; T. angus- and scutal setae) fairly elongated, are arranged in timentalis Steindachner, 1891; T. boehmei Joger, 1984 files symmetrically on each side of the body with and T. fascicularis Daudin, 1802. a four setae file (each 60 – 75 µm long) in the me- dian part of the dorsum. Medially the anogenital DESCRIPTION fields are visible with three short anal setae (30 – 45 µm) and three longer perigenital setae (75 µm in Geckobia estherae n. sp. length)(Fig. 1d). Parasitic on Maltese wall geckos Tarentola mauritan- Ventral view (Fig. 1b) — Epimeral plates: Coxae ica (Linnaeus, 1758). are developed, gathered in two groups with seta- tion from I to IV: 4(=2-2)-5(=3-2). Anterior epimeral Holotype female. Locus typicus: Wied Encita, plate (coxae I & II): one thin and long setae (coxa near Attard, Malta. The habitat was mostly aban- I) (>40 µm), the external seta shorter, two robust doned farmland surrounded with rubble walls and paraxial stout setae (29 – 32). Posterior epimeral with species among others, Ceratonia siliqua, Opun- plate (coxae III & IV) with five long and large tia ficus-indica, Hedysarum coronarium, Ricinus com- epimeral brush-like setae (>30 µm), subequal in munis, Nicotiana glauca, Arundo donax and Olea euro- length. The anterior and posterior epimeral plates pea. are well separated by striated cuticle bearing two or Deposit: in the Muséum National d’Histoire Na- three robust setae (22 µm). turelle de Paris (MNHN) Collection of Arthropoda. Ventral surface is covered by several differently Holotype: female from sample Sciberras 20.X.2010, shaped types of setae (Figs. 2c, 3): Malta. Paratypes. 4 females in MNHN Paris. No male was found. i) in anterior position, at the same level than the Female — Twelve specimens. Body roughly tri- first pair of coxae and between the right and angular in shape, red colored, wider than long, left coxae and near the posterior end of the in- rather small in size, length and width of animals fracapitulum a row of four robust brush-like preserved in ethanol: 260 – 290 long, 480 – 490 wide. setae, Soft cuticle, covered by long and scarcely dense se- ii) a row of 14 – 18 setae, shorter (20 µm) and tae on the dorsum ranging from 25 µm to 75 – 80 µm briefly ended, and at least some longer setae in length.