Protoallopygmephorus, Khaustov, Alexander A. & Sazhnev, Alexey S., 2016

Khaustov, Alexander A. & Sazhnev, Alexey S., 2016, Mites of the families Neopygmephoridae and Scutacaridae associated with variegated mud-loving beetles (Coleoptera: Heteroceridae) from Russia and Kazakhstan, Zootaxa 4175 (3), pp. 261-273 : 262

Genus Protoallopygmephorus gen. nov.

Type species: Protoallopygmephorus heteroceri sp. nov.

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Body oval. Only the posterior part of the prodorsum covered by tergite C. Gnathosomal capsule oval, its length about equal to its width, dorsally with two pairs of cheliceral setae (cha, chb) and postpalpal setae situated anteriorly to setae cha; palps prominent, with two pairs of dorsolateral setae (dFe, dGe) and distinct tibial claw distally. Subcapitulum with one pair of setae m and one pair of oval pits in the posterior half. Palps ventrally with mushroom-like accessory setigenous structure and small solenidion. Prodorsum with two pair of simple setae (v 2, sc 2), one pair of clavate trichobothria (sc 1), and circular stigmata. Dorsal hysterosomal setae not modified. Tergite C with two pairs of setae (c 1, c 2); tergite D with one pair of setae (d) and one pair of round cupules ia; tergite EF with two pairs of setae (e, f); tergite H with two pairs of setae (h 1, h 2) and one pair of round cupules ih. Coxal fields I with two pairs of setae (1 a, 1 b); coxal fields II with two pairs of setae (2 a, 2 b); coxal fields III with three pairs of setae (3 a, 3 b, 3 c); coxal fields IV with three pairs of setae (4 a, 4 b, 4 c). Pseudanal segment with three pairs of setae (ps 1-3). Apodemes 1 (ap1) well-developed, apodemes 2 (ap2) well-developed and fused with welldeveloped prosternal apodeme (appr); appr joined with sejugal apodeme (apsej); apodemes 3 (ap3) straight, diffuse, apodemes 4 (ap4) long, reaching to bases of legs III. Apodemes 5 absent. Secondary transverse apodeme absent. Posterior margin of posterior sternal plate entire. Anterior genital sclerite (ags) small, triangular, posterior genital sclerite (pgs) large, triangular, median genital sclerite (mgs) present, oval. Ventral idiosomal setae long, sparsely barbed. Legs I subequal to leg II. Tibiotarsus I slightly enlarged, with well-developed claw; unguinal setae (u) spiniform, separated, solenidion ω 1 fused with tibiotarsus. Seta d of femur hook-like. Legs II–III with one pair of basally thickened, slightly asymmetrical claws and pointed distally empodium; claws on tarsus IV simple, as large as those on tarsi II and III, empodium pointed, but smaller than on tarsi II-III. Tarsus and pretarsus IV short. Femora III–IV divided into basi- and telofemur. Leg setation: leg I; tr 1 (v’), fe 3 (d, l’, v”), ge 4 (l’, l”, v’, v”), tita 18(4) (d, l’, l”, v’, v”, k, tc’, tc”, p”, ft’, ft”, pl’, pl”, pv’, pv”, s, u’, u”, ω 1, ω 2, φ 1, φ 2); leg II: tr 1 (v’), fe 3 (d, l’, v”), ge 3 (l’, l”, v ’), ti 4(1) (d, l’, v’, v”, φ), ta 6(1) (tc’, tc”, pl”, pv’, pv”, u’, ω); leg III: tr 1 (v’), fe 2 (d, v’), ge 2 (l’, v’), ti 4(1) (d, l’, v’, v”, φ), ta 6 (tc’, tc”, pl”, pv’, pv”, u’); leg IV: tr 1 (v’), fe 2 (d, v’), ge 1 (v’), ti 4(1) (d, l’, v’, v”, φ), ta 6 (pl”, tc’, tc”, u’, pv’, pv”).

Differential diagnosis. The new genus is most similar to Allopygmephorus Cross, 1965 . Both genera have characteristic pointed empodia on tarsi II-IV, separated spiniform unguinal setae on tibiotarsus I, the same leg setation, and similarly shaped claws on the legs. The new genus differs from Allopygmephorus by the presence of setae v 2 (absent in Allopygmephorus ), the presence of the median genital sclerite (absent in Allopygmephorus ), and by solenidion ω 1 fused with tibiotarsus I (prominent in Allopygmephorus ). Among neopygmephorid genera with median genital sclerite, the new genus is most similar to Pseudopygmephorus Cross, 1965 , by having solenidion ω 1fused with tibiotarsus I. The new genus differs from Pseudopygmephorus by the characteristic distally-pointed empodia on tarsi II–IV (flipper-like in Pseudopygmephorus ), and non-bifurcate setae 1 b (bifurcate in Pseudopygmephorus ).

Species included. The genus Protoallopygmephorus gen. nov. includes only type species, P. heteroceri sp. nov.

Distribution and habitat. Protoallopygmephorus heteroceri sp. nov. is phoretic on Heterocerus fenestratus (Thunberg) ( Coleoptera : Heteroceridae ) in the European part of Russia.

Etymology. The name of the new genus is combined from Greek πρωτΟ meaning first, and the name of closely related genus Allopygmephorus . It refers to its similarity to the genus Allopygmephorus .