Protogamasellus Karg

De Moraes, Gilberto J., Britto, Erika P. J., Mineiro, Jefferson L. De C. & Halliday, Bruce, 2016, Catalogue of the mite families Ascidae Voigts & Oudemans, Blattisociidae Garman and Melicharidae Hirschmann (Acari: Mesostigmata), Zootaxa 4112 (1), pp. 1-299 : 28-29

Protogamasellus Karg

FEMALE

Gnathosoma. Anterior margin of epistome denticulate, usually convex or acuminate, rarely as a truncate lobe; sometimes with denticles distributed in 2–3 groups. Hypostomal and pc setae usually subequal in lengths; in some species, h1 longer and h2 shorter than other setae; insertion of h2 about in transverse line with insertion of h3. Inner palp trochanter seta not elongate; usually similar to outer seta; in some species longer and in others shorter than outer seta. Deutosternum varying from narrow to moderately wide, with delimiting lateral lines and 6–7 rows of (usually) 1–10 denticles each. Corniculi varying from short (subtriangular, slightly longer than their basal widths) to elongate (up to seven times as long as their basal widths) and arched, with pointed tips (sometimes distally divided), subparallel to slightly convergent distally. Palp tarsal apotele two-tined. Cheliceral digits of similar lengths; fixed digit with variable number and placement of teeth (some species with 5–14 teeth about evenly distributed along inner margin; others with 3–9 relatively large teeth along distal half of the inner margin and with 5–10 small teeth near base of the digit); movable digit with two teeth (four teeth in P. sternalis Nasr, Afifi & Hassan ) in addition to apical tooth.

Idiosoma. Elongate. Dorsum: podonotal and opisthonotal shields not fused, both usually smooth (few species with slight ornamentation on opisthonotal shield); podonotal shield with a transverse line at the level of z6, delimiting a posterior unsclerotised band; occasionally with transverse lines at levels of j2 and j4 and an anterolateral line uniting those and continuing backward for a variable distance, to form a lateral strip; with 0–3 scleronoduli immediately behind j5; opisthonotal shield with a transverse line at the level of J1 (either continuous or indistinct between setae J1), delimiting an anterior unsclerotised band; with a distinct sigillum between J1 and J 2 in P. sigillophorus Mineiro, Lindquist & Moraes and in an undescribed species from Peru; with a pair of accessory anterolateral plates often present and occupying region between levels of z1 and s2 (probably separate anterior section of peritrematic shield; see Mineiro et al., 2009). No supernumerary setae on dorsal shields or on unsclerotised lateral cuticle. Anterior end of dorsal shield not strongly deflexed. Podonotal shield usually with 17 pairs of setae (some species with 15 or 16 setae); z1 close to j1 or displaced laterally; j2 inserted behind j1 or displaced anteriorly to form a transverse row with j1 and z1. Opisthonotal shield with 15 pairs of setae, without posterior tubercles. Unsclerotised lateral cuticle with 9–15 pairs of setae, including r3, which is often slightly longer or more perpendicular to surface of idiosoma than neighbouring setae (r -R, UR). With dorsal idiosomal setae of similar lengths, at most slightly longer than distance to subsequent setae; setae on lateral cuticle also not distinctly different from each other, but commonly shorter than dorsal idiosomal setae; all of those setae usually acicular and smooth (some species with some of the posterior setae of opisthonotal shield lightly barbed). Venter: presternal platelets usually indistinct (distinct in an undescribed Peruvian species). Sternal shield often weakly sclerotised anteriorly to insertion of st1 or even slightly posterior to it, specially behind tritosternum; with three pairs of setae of similar lengths (st1–st3; st1 inserted on presternal shields in an undescribed Peruvian species) and three pairs of lyrifissures (iv1–iv3; quite often difficult to discern); iv3 on posterior shield margin (on unsclerotised cuticle in P. mica (Athias-Henriot)) , that may be truncate, slightly concave, undulate or have a median lobe; st2 about equidistant to st1 and st3 or slightly closer to st3. Seta st4 inserted on lightly sclerotised metasternal platelet or on unsclerotised cuticle. Genital shield narrow, not including iv5, but including st5 (often one or both st5 off the shield in P. mica ); posteriorly truncate to convex. None to two pairs (most often a pair) of metapodal plates, which in the more elongate species may be well behind coxa IV; metapodal plates usually elongate. When ventrianal shield reduced, 1–2 pairs of platelets commonly found between genital and ventrianal shields. Opisthogaster with six pairs of setae (five pairs in P. scuticalis Genis, Loots & Ryke ) in addition to circumanal setae, of which three or five pairs (rarely none, one, four or six pairs) on broad and roundish ventrianal shield of variable sizes; para-anal setae inserted between levels of anterior margin and mid-length of anal opening (anterior to anterior margin of anal opening in an undescribed Peruvian species), ranging from longer to shorter than post-anal seta. Anal opening not enlarged, 1/5 to 1/6 of shield length, behind shield centre, in several species close to posterior margin. Anterior section of endopodal shield fused with sternal shield; section behind sternal shield usually indistinct; when distinct, reduced to an elongate platelet between coxae III–IV. Exopodal shield usually indistinct; when distinct, reduced to triangular platelets between coxae II–III and III–IV, which may be connected by very narrow band of sclerotised cuticle.

Peritreme. Extending from stigma to region between levels of posterior margin and middle of coxa II, about as wide as or narrower than diameter of stigma. Peritrematic shield indistinct or very narrow, often corresponding only to a narrow elongation behind stigma; not fused with other shields.

Legs. All legs with pretarsi. Setation of legs I–IV, genu: 13, 11, 8, 8; tibia: 13, 10, 8, 9. Leg II not distinctly thickened. Legs without macrosetae.

Spermathecal apparatus. Often indistinct.

MALE

Gnathosoma as in female; movable digit with a single tooth in addition to apical tooth (with two small additional teeth at base in P. keralaensis ); spermatodactyl shorter to about as long as movable digit, s-shaped, tapering slightly toward apex, turned downward. Dorsal shield ornamentation similar to female. With fewer setae on unsclerotised lateral cuticle. Lengths of dorsal setae of idiosoma similar to female. Sternogenital shield usually with five pairs of setae (st1–st5; st1 on heavily sclerotised presternal region in P. keralaensis ); posterior margin slightly convex (tapering in P. elongatus Shcherbak & Petrova ). Endopodal shield fused with sternogenital shield, but combined shield with distinct tapering extensions only between coxae II–III. Metapodal shields absent. Ventrianal shield slightly wider than in female, with 5–6 pairs of opisthogastric setae (Jv 5 may be off the shield) in addition to circumanal setae; not fused with sternogenital or peritrematic shields. With 0–3 pairs of opisthogastric setae on unsclerotised cuticle (including Jv 1 in some species). Legs without spine-shaped setae. Trochanter of leg IV with a conical protuberance bearing a seta.