Pseudoalliphis sculpturatus ( Karg, 1963 ) Karg, 1963

Mašán, Peter & Halliday, Bruce, 2009, Three new genera of the mite family Eviphididae (Acari: Mesostigmata), Zootaxa 2013, pp. 43-57 : 46-47

Pseudoalliphis sculpturatus ( Karg, 1963) comb. nov.

( Figs 1, 2 , 13, 14, 18, 23 )

Alliphis sculpturatus Karg, 1963: 274 ; Shoemake, 1970: 98; Karg, 1971: 123; Karg, 1993: 96; Mašán, 1994b: 19.

Material examined. One female, southwest Slovakia, Podunajská rovina flatland, Rusovce settlement, under plane trees ( Platanus orientalis ), 8 June 2006, leaf litter and soil, 135 m a.s.l.; 8 females, southwest Slovakia, Považský Inovec Mts., Lúka village, Srnia dolina valley, xero-thermophilous edge of oak forest (Quercetum) on limestone, 22 April 2006, detritus from ant-hills ( Formica pratensis ), 250 m a.s.l.; 1 female, southeast Slovakia, Zemplínske vrchy hills, Ladmovce village, oak forest (Quercetum), leaf litter and soil detritus, 10 November 2006, 180 m a.s.l.

Redescription (female). Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 1 ). Idiosoma dorso-ventrally flattened, oval, length 405–435 µm, width 270–290 µm (n = 10). Dorsal shield entire, covering whole dorsal surface, ornamented throughout in a coarse punctate-reticulate pattern, consisting of flat nodules forming a distinct network, postero-lateral margin of the shield overlapping slightly around onto ventral surface in a narrow strip with wavy ornamentation. Dorsal shield with 28 pairs of dorsally-placed setae, plus j1 and z1 situated ventrally close to vertex. Dorsal setae smooth, needle-like, subequal in length and shape, 29–36 µm long, only dorsocentral setae slightly shorter and 23–29 µm long. Pore-like structures small, barely visible, not hypertrophied.

Ve n t r a l idiosoma ( Fig. 2 ). Vertical setae j1 short, 7–9 µm long, thickened and apically pointed; setae z1 also short, fine and needle-like. Presternal platelets absent. Sternal shield narrow (81–86 µm long), longer than wide, ornamented with very fine reticulate sculptural pattern anteriorly, smooth posteriorly, bearing three pairs of short needle-like setae and two pairs of pores; sternal setae st1–st 5 12–15 µm long. Anterior margin of sternal shield undulating, with two flat lobes close to setae st1, anterior corners directed anterolaterally; posterior margin slightly concave and with rounded posterolateral corners. Endopodal platelets II narrow, almost free, only their anteriormost tips closely abutting to lateral corners of the sternal shield. Endopodal platelets III narrow, connected with endopodals II. Metasternal platelets absent, metasternal setae st4 inserted on soft cuticle, adjacent metasternal pores placed on microplatelets between sternal and genital shields. Genital shield 35–40 µm long, markedly narrow and constricted medially, only 13–16 µm wide at the narrowest point, posterior margin rounded, without conspicuous ornamentation on surface, only some longitudinal marginal lines, with a pair of genital setae situated close to its posterior margin; adjacent genital pores situated on soft cuticle beside genital setae. Postgenital sclerites absent. Anal shield relatively large (78–84 µm long and 81–91 µm wide), subtriangular, with reticulated surface, bearing three circum-anal setae and a pair of pore-like structures; anus located in anterior half of shield, without euanal setae and pore-like structures on anal valves. Peritremes long, anterior ends projecting beyond coxae I. Peritrematal shields well developed, wide, with longitudinal reticulation pattern, almost truncate posteriorly. Exopodal plates absent. Metapodal platelets present, small, crescent-shaped. Opisthogastric and lateral cuticle lightly striated, with ten pairs of setae.

Gnathosoma . Hypostomal groove with five transverse rows of microdenticles ( Fig. 23 ). Chelicera with bidentate movable digit, tridentate fixed digit ( Fig. 13 ) and shortened proximal segment ( Fig. 14 ); dorsal cheliceral seta fine, prostrate; pilus dentilis fine, short, arthrodial membrane represented by a low rounded flap. Tectum with simple lateral prongs ( Fig. 18 ).

Legs. Legs I–IV with well-developed pretarsi and claws, with following complement of setae on femora I–IV: 2-5/4-2, 2-5/3-1, 1-3/1-1, 1-3/1-1; that on genua I–IV: 1-5/3-2, 2-5/2-2, 1-4/2-1, 1-4/1-1; and that on tibiae I–IV: 1-5/3-2, 2-4/2-2, 1-3/2-1, 1-3/2-1. Tarsi II–IV with 18 setae.

Notes. Karg (1963) described the species A. sculpturatus originally from soil samples of field habitats in Germany (females and deutonymphs are known). Alliphis sculpturatus as illustrated and understood here is in good agreement with the original illustrations and description of Karg (1963) in the following distinctive characters: (1) surface of dorsal shield coarsely punctate-reticulate; (2) anterior margin of dorsal shield expanded and fused to anterior sections of peritrematal shields, forming an arched ventral structure carrying two pairs of dorsal shield setae; (3) endopodal platelets II not fused to sternal shield; (4) metasternal seta st4 inserted on soft cuticle, and associated pore on separate microplatelet; (5) shape and proportions of dorsal and ventral shields; (6) dorsal and ventral idiosomal chaetotaxy; (7) form of tectum and chelicera. The specimens examined here differ very slightly from Karg's description and illustrations in the following characters: (1) metapodal platelets single, not bipartite; (2) the anteriormost tips of endopodal platelets II closely abut the lateral corners of the sternal shield; they are not completely separate from the sternal shield, but not completely fused with it; (3) anal shield with reticulation on surface; (4) posterior dorsal shield slightly expanded ventrally.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Pseudoalliphis sculpturatus comb. nov., female. 1. Dorsal idiosoma; 2. Ventral idiosoma. Scale: 100 µm.

FIGURES 11 – 24. Morphological structures in Eviphididae, females. 11. Halolaspis hypedon, sternal shield; 12. H. hypedon, sternal shield, different specimen; 13. Pseudoalliphis sculpturatus, chelicera, lateral view of distal segment; 14. P. sculpturatus, chelicera, ventral view; 15. H. hypedon, chelicera; 16. H. hypedon, peritrematal shield; 17. Alliphis halleri, tectum; 18. P. sculpturatus, tectum; 19. Alloseius pratensis, cheliceral digits, lateral view (after Karg, 1965); 20. H. hypedon, tectum; 21. A. pratensis, hypostome (after Karg, 1965); 22. A. halleri, hypostome; 23. P. sculpturatus, hypostome (after Karg, 1963); 24. H. hypedon, hypostome. Scale bars: 50 µm (Figs 11, 12, 15, 16 and 24) and 25 µm (Figs 13, 14, 17, 18 and 20). Figs 19 and 21 – 23 not to scale.