| abstract | This paper reports a new species of hair follicle mites, Demodex iigris sp. nov., collected from the body skin and eyelash follicle of the South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) in the Shanghai Zoological Garden, Shanghai, China in 1983.
Demodex tigris sp. nov.
Male (Holotype) (figs. 1-2). Body length 234µ. Subgnathosomal setae minute, situated laterally at the middle of pharyngeal bulb. Pharyngeal bulb horseshoe-shaped, broad, 3.4×2.3µ, open posteriorly. Supracoxal spines near two sides, spindle spine-like, tip pointing medially. Genital orifice dorsal, opening in between legs I and II along the transverse medium line. Genital orifice long slit-like with crescent-shaped thick chitinized covers on both sides. Aedeagus brush pen-like. Opisthosoma tapering posteriorly to a pointed end. Proctodeum absent.
Female (Allotype) (figs. 3-7). Body length 259.9µ, mean body length of 13 paratypes 228.7µ. Posterior end of opisthosoma long, narrow, and pointed. Vulva long slit-like, 8µ, situated behind the fusion of epimeral plates IV. Proctodeum distinct, 12.6µ.
Holotype ♂, allotype ♀, and paratypes 1♂ 13♀♀ are deposited in the Department of Parasitology, Shanghai First Medical College, Shanghai, China.
Egg (fig, 8), larva (fig. 9), and nymph (fig. 10) are measured, described, and figured.
Five diagnostic characteristics of the new species are compared with those of Demodex cati: 1. Size much larger (♂ 234µ, ♀ 260µ; cati ♂ 199µ, ♀ 246µ), 2. subgnathosomal setae situated more posteriorly, 3. pharyngeal bulb larger (3.4×2.3µ, in cati 3.1×2.0µ), 4. without stomodaeum, 5. egg distinctly different in shape. |