Pseudoalliphis sculpturatus (Karg)

Mašán, Peter & Halliday, Bruce, 2010, Review of the European genera of Eviphididae (Acari: Mesostigmata) and the species occurring in Slovakia 2585, Zootaxa 2585, pp. 1-122 : 72-73

Pseudoalliphis sculpturatus (Karg)

( Figs 85, 86, 105, 133, 134)

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

Pseudoalliphis sculpturatus .— Mašán & Halliday, 2009a: 46 .

Amendments to diagnosis (female). Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 133). Dorsal shield 405–435 µm long, 270–290 µm wide, with coarse punctate-reticulate ornamentation consisting of flat nodules forming a distinct network. Posterior margin of dorsal shield moderately undulating. Dorsal setae smooth, needle-like, subequal in length and shape, 29–36 µm long, only dorsocentral setae slightly shorter, 23–29 µm long. Pore-like structures small, barely visible, not hypertrophied. Setae j1 and z1 ventrally placed, j1 short, 7–9 µm long, thick, apically pointed; z1 short, fine and needle-like.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 134). Sternal shield narrow, 81–86 µm long, longer than wide, with very fine reticulate sculptural pattern anteriorly, smooth posteriorly; sternal setae st1–st5 short, needle-like, 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, with rounded posterolateral corners. Endopodal platelets II–III narrow, almost free, only their anteriormost tips closely abutting to lateral corners of the sternal shield. Endopodal platelets III–IV narrow, fused with endopodals II–III. Epigynal shield 35–40 µm long, 13–16 µm wide at the narrowest point, rounded posteriorly, without conspicuous ornamentation, with only a longitudinal line close to lateral margins. Anal shield relatively large, 78–84 µm long, 81–91 µm wide, subtriangular, with reticulated surface, with three circum-anal setae and a pair of pores; anus located in anterior half of shield. Peritremes long, anterior ends projecting beyond coxae I. Peritrematal shields with longitudinal reticulation pattern, almost truncate posteriorly. Metapodal platelets small, curved. Lateral and opisthogastric soft integument lightly striated, with ten pairs of setae.

Gnathosoma . Chelicera with bidentate movable digit, tridentate fixed digit ( Fig. 85) and short proximal segment ( Fig. 86). Epistome as in Fig. 105.

Remarks. Karg (1963) described this species from soil samples from field habitats in Germany. It appears to be a calciphilous and non-phoretic edaphic species. We have found it in leaf litter (Quercetum, park with Platanus orientalis ) and the soil detritus of an ant-hill ( Formica pratensis ).

Occurrence in Slovakia. Published data. Podunajská Rovina Flatland: Bratislava, Rusovce [7968]. Považský Inovec Mts.: Lúka, Srnia Dolina [7373]. Zemplínske Vrchy Hills: Ladmovce [7596] (all Mašán & Halliday 2009a).