Eviphididae Berlese

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 : 19-20

Family Eviphididae Berlese

Eviphidini Berlese, 1913b: 11 .

Family diagnosis (females). Eviphididae are podospermal monogynaspid Mesostigmata with a holodorsal shield. The sternal shield has a maximum of three pairs of setae; the metasternal setae are inserted on soft integument or on separate metasternal platelets; the epigynal shield has one pair of setae or none. The anal shield has one pair of para-anal setae and a post-anal seta, but is occasionally surrounded by sclerotised integument that mimics a ventri-anal shield. Tibia I has four or five dorsal setae (1-5/3-2, 1-5/2-2, 1-4/2-2 or 1-4/2- 1); tibia I and genu I each have one anterolateral seta (1-5/3-2, 1-5/2-2 or 1-4/2-1); and tibia III has seven setae (1-3/2-1).

General taxonomic review. The Eviphididae are small to intermediate-sized Mesostigmata , with an idiosoma that is usually dorsoventrally flattened, but may be highly domed and subglobular, and oblong to subcircular in outline. They vary in colour from milk-white, yellow, or brown to red. They have a single large holodorsal shield that usually completely covers the dorsal surface of the idiosoma. In some genera the dorsal shield is moderately reduced and does not cover the lateral and posterior margins of the dorsum ( Cryptoseius , Halolaspis , Metacryptoseius , Scamaphis , some Pelethiphis , and females of Alloseius , Thinoseius and Uroiphis ). The reduction of the dorsal shield is most advanced in females of the genera Crassicheles and Neocrassicheles , where it may appear to be absent. In a few cases the shield is expanded and its margins are visible ventrally (in the deutonymph and male of Neocrassicheles and in female of Rafaphis ). The dorsal shield usually bears 30 pairs of setae, but this number may be reduced, to 11–17 pairs in females of Thinoseius , 22–23 pairs in Cryptoseius , 26 pairs in Metacryptoseius , and 27 pairs in Scamaphis . More rarely, the number of setae is increased, to 33 pairs in Rafaphis and some Pelethiphis . The setae on the dorsal shield are usually simple, smooth and needle-like, but may be modified in various ways. Some species of Thinoseius and Uroiphis have some thickened setae, and the vertical (j1) and humeral setae (r3) in Scarabaspis are also often thickened. Some marginal setae may be elongate in Copriphis and Pelethiphis , and some other setae may also be elongate in Thinoseius , Cryptoseius and Pelethiphis . Some dorsal shield setae are pilose in Pelethiphis pectinatus ; some are apically rounded and slightly pilose in Uroiphis and Thinoseius fucicola ; and a few marginal setae in some species of Copriphis are smooth and apically spatulate. The pore-like structures on the dorsal shield are usually small and subcircular, or may be modified, hypertrophied and slit-like to sub-oval.

On the ventral idiosoma, the tritosternum has a columnar or squat basal section and a pair of pilose laciniae. The presternal area may or may not have a pair of platelets. The sternal shield is usually well developed and sclerotised, bearing three pairs of setae and two pairs of lyrifissures. In Thinoseius the entire sternal shield may be strongly reduced or fragmented, with usually only one pair of setae and one pair of lyrifissures. The sternal shield may also be partly or wholly unsclerotised, as in Crassicheles , Neocrassicheles and Uroiphis scabratus , and in Cryptoseius the shield carries an additional third pair of metasternal pores. In most genera endopodal platelets II–III are fused to the sternal shield, but they are free in Crassicheles , Halolaspis , Rafaphis , and Thinoseius , and partly free in Pseudoalliphis . Endopodal platelets III–IV are free, or completely fused to the metasternal platelets (in Copriphis , Eviphis and Evimirus ), or rarely connected to the sternal shield (in Scarabaspis ). Endopodal platelets are completely absent in Crassicheles and Neocrassicheles . Metasternal platelets are usually present, each bearing a metasternal seta and the associated pore. In Cryptoseius , Halolaspis , Pseudoalliphis , Rafaphis , Scarabaspis , and Thinoseius the metasternal platelets are absent, and the metasternal setae are inserted in soft integument; metasternal pores are absent in Rafaphis . Exopodal and metapodal platelets may be present or absent. The epigynal shield is well developed, usually bearing a pair of setae, but in Scarabaspis , and some Thinoseius the epigynal setae are inserted outside the epigynal shield; the epigynal pores are outside the shield. The peritremes are generally well-developed and long, rarely shortened (in Cryptoseius , Rafaphis , and Scamaphis ). Peritrematal shields are usually present, sometimes strongly developed and produced behind the posterior margins of coxae IV (in Copriphis , Eviphis and Evimirus ), or rarely strongly reduced (in Cryptoseius , Metacryptoseius , Rafaphis , and Scamaphis ). The anterior ends of the peritrematal shields are usually fused to the anterolateral margins of the dorsal shield, or may also be fused together to form a ventral extension of the vertex of the dorsal shield ( Alloseius , Pseudoalliphis , and Scarabaspis ); in Rafaphis and Scarabacariphis the anterior ends of the peritrematal shields are free. An anal shield is present, usually subtriangular, and bearing three circum-anal setae, a pair of glandular pores, and a cribrum. The area of integument surrounding the anal shield rarely bears an additional sclerotised area of integument, as in some species of Thinoseius . The male has separate sterno-genital and anal shields; the male genital orifice is located medially in the anterior margin of the sternum.

The gnathosoma is well-developed and bears a pair of horn-like to lance-like corniculi. The chelicerae are chelate-dentate, sometimes elongate and slender (in Copriphis , Eviphis and Evimirus ), without an arthrodial corona or brush; a pilus dentilis is present on the fixed digit. The male has a spermatodactyl attached to the distal part of the movable digit; it is shorter than the movable digit, and tube-like to club-like. The palp genu has five setae in Thinoseius and six setae in the other genera; the palp tarsal claw is usually 2-tined, but 3-tined in some species of Evimirus . The palptarsus sometimes has a pair of specialised sensory setae or macroeupathidia, in Copriphis , Eviphis , Evimirus and Scarabaspis . The epistome normally has an elongated central projection and variously formed lateral elements close to its base; the lateral elements may form a wing-like projection with a densely serrated distal margin, or may be absent; or the epistome may have several strong anterior points, as in Thinoseius .

The legs are shorter than the idiosoma. Tarsi I–IV have claws, tibia I has four or five dorsal setae, tibia I and genu I each have one anterolateral seta, tibia III has seven setae, and trochanter I has five or six setae. In Eviphis , Scarabaspis , and some species of Alliphis and Pelethiphis , femur II of the male carries spurs.

The family currently includes 19 genera and about 120 species found over all climatic zones of the world. There are 16 genera and 29 well defined and recognisable species in Europe , 14 genera and 19 species in Slovakia. Another five species from Europe were insufficiently described and cannot be recognised because type material is lost or in poor condition for study. These five species are temporarily relegated to the status incertae sedis (see the taxonomic summary later in this paper) .

The genus Pelethiphis is problematical, and its placement in the following key should be considered as provisional until the genus is completely revised. The genus Eviphis is here considered to be monotypic and all other species usually presented under this name, except the type species, should be transferred into the genus Copriphis .