The life‐cycle of Hemigalichus chrotogale sp. nov. (Acari: Listrophoridae), with comparative observations on listrophorid morphology

A new fur‐mite species, Hemigalichus chrotogale (Acari: Listrophoridae), is described from Chrotogale owstoni (Carnivora: Viverridae) from Vietnam. The external morphology of all instars is described in detail. The precopulatory mate‐guarding behaviour exhibited by H. chrotogale is the first report of this phenomenon in the Listrophoridae. A morphological comparison of all currently recognized listrophorid genera and some early derivative representatives of the family Atopomelidae, which are closely allied to the Listrophoridae, is conducted. The results obtained support the monophyly of Listrophoridae. The family Listrophoridae includes two subfamilies, Listrophorinae, with more than 150 species in 20 genera, and the monobasic Aplodontochirinae, and is characterized by the following synapomorphies: the palps are enveloped by distinct membranes, the prescapular shield covers the gnathosoma, or most of it, dorsally, the clasping organs of coxal fields I are larger than those of coxal fields II, and setae scx, baI–II, pRII, and sIII are absent.