Myrmozercon eidmanni ( Sellnick, 1941 )

Joharchi, Omid, Babaeian, Esmaeil & Seeman, Owen D., 2015, Review of the genus Myrmozercon Berlese (Acari: Laelapidae), with description of a new species from Iran, Zootaxa 3955 (4), pp. 549-560 : 556

Myrmozercon eidmanni ( Sellnick, 1941)

Myrmonyssus eidmanni Sellnick, 1941: 221 .

Diagnosis. Body length 561; dorsal shield truncate posteriorly, with approximately 34 pairs of setae; one pair of anterior setae (j1) and posterior body setae longer than other body setae. Sternal shield an inverted U-shape; setae st4 absent. Anal shield with anterolateral extensions. Peritreme extending to mid-coxa II. Legs very short, leg I less than half length of body. Host: Crematogaster impressa Emery.

Remarks. The short legs and anal shield with anterolateral extensions shows this species is a member of Myrmozercon s. s., therefore we predict it will also have the leg and palp setal absences consistent within the group. The holotrichous dorsal shield, presence of a seta on coxa IV and peritremes extending to mid-coxa II will take this species to couplet 6 in the key. In contrast to M. clarus and M. spinosus , Myrmozercon eidmanni has long setae j1 and a smooth genital shield.