Imparipes (Imparipes) hajiqanbari Rahiminejad, 2022

Rahiminejad, Vahid, Nadimi, Ahmad & Seyedein, Sarina, 2022, Contribution to the knowledge of the genus Imparipes Berlese (Acari: Heterostigmata: Scutacaridae) associated with ants in Iran, Zootaxa 5133 (4), pp. 585-593 : 586-590

Imparipes (Imparipes) hajiqanbari Rahiminejad sp. nov.

( Figs 1–10 )

Description

Phoretic female. Body ( Figs 1–2 ) poorly sclerotized, spherical. Length of idiosoma 243 (232), width 209 (202) on the widest part of tergite C.

Gnathosoma ( Figs 4–5 ). Gnathosomal capsule oval, with indiscernible dorsal median apodeme, dorsally with two pairs of subequal setae cha 7 (7) and chb 6 (6), and one pair of very short postpalpal setae (pp). Palpi dorsolaterally with two subequal setae dFe 4 (4) and dGe 5 (5). A large mushroom-like accessory setigenous structure (ass) and one pair of well-developed solenidia situated on ventral surface of palpi. Gnathosoma ventrally with one pair of pointed subcapitular setae m 6 (5) and pair of round pits placed posteriorly to bases of setae m. Gnathosomal capsule not stippled. All gnathosomal setae (cha, chb, m, dGe and dFe) pointed and smooth. Pharyngeal system ( Fig. 6 ) tripartite, all pumps with transverse striations and grouped together; pump 1 bow-shaped, smallest and situated near posterior margins of trochanters II, pump 2 quadrangular and largest, pump 3 vase-like.

Idiosomal dorsum ( Fig. 1 ). All dorsal shields with numerous very fine round dimples. All dorsal setae pointed and barbed, except for setae c 1 and c 2, smooth. Prodorsum with a pair of club-shaped trichobothria and two pairs of smooth and slightly curved setae v 2 and sc 2 ( Fig. 3 ), and one pair of round stigmata associated with tracheal trunks, completely covered by tergite C. Free margin of tergite C separated by a curved line from other parts. Seta c 1 very short and thin. Lateral propodosomal spine well developed. Cupules ia on tergite D and ih on tergite H spherical and oval, respectively. Bases of setae c 2 associated with long alveolar canals. Posterior margin of tergite H with short tongue-like projection. Lengths of dorsal setae: c 1 9 (8), c 2 36 (34), d 88 (83), e 136 (131), f 105 (99), h 1 100 (95), h 2 128 (118). Distances between setae: c 1 – c 1 57 (56), c 1 – c 2 52 (52), d–d 88 (88), e–f 64 (62), f–f 33 (30), h 1 – h 1 40 (39), h 1 – h 2 48 (46).

Idiosomal venter ( Fig. 2 ). All ventral plates with very small dimples; ap1 v-shaped and ap2 straight, both well developed and joined with appr; apsej well developed, bow-shaped and joined with appr and secondary transverse apodeme present. Ap3 indiscernible; ap4 long, joined with appo, not reaching to trochanters III and bases of setae 4 c. Ap5 strong, well developed and clearly sclerotized, continued from trochanter IV to appo. All ventral setae pointed and distinctly barbed except for setae 2 b, distinctly thickened, smooth and blunt-ended. Anterior genital sclerite (a gs) small, triangular and weakly sclerotized, posterior genital sclerite (pgs) large, triangular and slightly wider than long. Posterior margin of aggenital plate is evenly rounded. Lengths of ventral setae: 1 a 59 (57), 1 b 48 (48), 2 a 69 (66), 2 b 50 (49), 3 a 95 (92), 3 b 64 (60), 3 c 71 (68), 4 a 109 (104), 4 b 64 (64), 4 c 83 (80), ps 1 69 (66), ps 2 36 (35), ps 3 100 (96).

Legs ( Figs 7–10 ). Leg I ( Fig. 7 ): leg setation: 1-3-4-16(4). Tarsus with a medium size claw. Tibiotarsus with four solenidia; lengths of solenidia: ω 1 5 (5) <ω 2 14 (13)> φ 1 7 (7)> φ 2 6 (5); ω 1 baculiform, both ω 2 and φ 2 digitiform, φ 1 clavate,. Seta k sparsely barbed, weakly blunt-ended; eupathidia tc’ and tc ″, situated on top of a long pinnaculum each, seta ft” at the base of the longer pinnaculum bearing tc’. On femur seta l ′ blunt-ended and smooth, seta d spine-like; setae v ′ of trochanter and femur pointed and smooth; setae l” of genu smooth and blunt-ended; other leg setae, excluding eupathidia (tc’, tc”, ft’, ft”, p”), sparsely barbed, pointed and somehow whip-like. Leg II ( Fig. 8 ): leg setation: 1-3-3-4(1)-6(1). Tarsus with two large hook-like claws and well developed empodium; solenidia ω 11 (10) and φ 5 (4), both digitiform; all setae sparsely barbed and pointed; setae u’ and tc” weak and shorter than other setae; seta v” of tibia longer than others; genu with three subequal setae; v” shortest seta of the leg. Leg III ( Fig. 9 ): leg setation: 1-2-2-4(1)-6. Claws same shape as on tarsus II; tarsus with seta u’, shortest on tarsus; solenidion φ 4 (4) digitiform; seta v’ on trochanter reaching the apex of genu; all setae on the leg sparsely barbed and pointed. Leg IV ( Fig. 10 ): leg setation: 1-2-1-3(1)-6. Length of tarsus IV 79 (68), pretarsus IV 37 (39). All setae pointed. Setae pl″ and u′ smooth, u′ not reaching the apex of tarsus; other setae on the leg distinctly barbed; pretarsus long and tapered, with a pair of short claws and a small empodium; tc’ longest seta of the leg; solenidion φ 7 (7) clavate.

Type material. Female holotype (VR-20210611-1), in a vial containing three specimens of alates of Lasius sp. (Hym.: Formicidae ). The hosts were captured by a light trap from Alangdareh Forest park, Gorgan, Golestan Province, Northern Iran, 36.46°N, 54.26°E, altitude, 423 m., coll. V. Rahiminejad, 11 June 2021 ; paratype: one female (VR-20210611-2), same data.

Differential diagnosis. The new species is most similar to I. longisetosus Willmann, 1951 , described from Austria ( Willmann, 1951), by distance between setae 4 a longer than that of setae 4 b, setae ps 3> ps 1> ps 2, apodeme 4 (ap4) middle length and apodeme 5 (ap5) well-sclerotized, setae e> h 2> f ≥ h 1> d> c 2> c 1, seta ps 2 longer than half as long as setae ps 1, and 4 b the longest on the body venter. The new species differs from I. longisetosus in having seta c 1 very short, i.e. more than three times shorter than c 2; all dorsal setae pointed and distances between setae c 1 – c 1 and c 1 – c 2 subequal (seta c 1 and c 2 subequal, all dorsal setae blunt-ended and distance between setae c 1 – c 1 distinctly longer than c 1 – c 2).

Etymology. The new species is named in honor of late Dr. Hamidreza Hajiqanbar (Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran), the M.Sc. and Ph.D. mentor of the first author and a great colleague, for his extensive international contributions in study of heterostigmatic mites.

Figures

FIGURES 1–2. Imparipes (Imparipes) hajiqanbari sp. nov., female: (1) body dorsum; (2) body venter.

FIGURES 3–6. Imparipes (Imparipes) hajiqanbari sp. nov., female: (3) trichobotrium and other prodorsal setae; (4) gnathosoma dorsum; (5) gnathosoma venter; (6) pharyngeal pumps.

FIGURES. 7–9. Dorsal view of the legs I–III of Imparipes (Imparipes) hajiqanbari sp. nov., female: (7) leg I; (8) leg II in dorsal view; (9) leg III in dorsal view.

FIGURE. 10. Dorsal view of the leg IV of Imparipes (Imparipes) hajiqanbari sp. nov., female.