Cosmolaelaps pinnatus, Ramroodi, Sara, Hajizadeh, Jalil & Joharchi, Omid, 2014

Ramroodi, Sara, Hajizadeh, Jalil & Joharchi, Omid, 2014, Two new species of Cosmolaelaps Berlese (Acari: Laelapidae) from Iran, Zootaxa 3847 (4), pp. 533-544 : 538-541

Cosmolaelaps pinnatus sp. nov.

Figures 13 –28

Specimens examined: Holotype, female, Iran, Guilan Province, Shaft Town, Chobar Village, 37°10′N, 49°23′E, 29 October 2012, S. Ramroodi coll., in soil and leaf litter under box trees. Paratypes: five females, Iran, Guilan Province, Rostamabad Town, 36°53′ N, 49°29′ E, 18 September 2013, S. Ramroodi,coll., in soil and leaf litter under olive trees (one deposited in ANIC and four in UGMC), three females, 24 August 2010, J. Hajizadeh coll., in soil and leaf litter under olive trees (one deposited in JAZM and two in UGMC) and one female, 6 October 2013, M. Mahjoori coll., in soil and leaf litter under olive trees (deposited in UGMC).

Description. Female. Light brown in colour.

Dorsal idiosoma. Length 530 (520–540) ( Fig. 13 ). Dorsal shield not totally covering idiosoma, length 490 (470–500), width 295 (290–300) at level of r2, reticulated, with 39 pairs of feather-like setae ( Figs 14 & 15 ), including two pairs of Zx, and two unpaired Jx setae [z1–z6, s1–s6, r2–r5 on podonotal region, and J1–J5, Z1–Z5, S1–S5, two pairs Zx (between J and Z series) and two unpaired Jx setae on opisthonotal region]; most dorsal setae length 32 (30–37), except j1 33 (32–37), j2 40 (38–44), z1 25 (23–27), r2 40 (36–44). Dorsal shield with ten pairs of lyrifissures and four pairs of pores. Soft cuticle surrounding dorsal shield with 11 pairs of feather-like setae [r6 40 (38–44); (R1–R7), R1–R6 subequal 39 (37–44), R7 35 (33–38); three UR setae, subequal 35 (33–38)].

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 16 ). Tritosternum with elongate columnar base [33 (30–38) long and 16 (14–18) wide] and coarsely serrate laciniae fused basally, length 95 (90–110). Presternal area membranous and not sclerotised, with three or four transverse lines. Anterior margin of sternal shield medially indistinct. Sternal shield lightly sclerotised with interrupted striation; distance between st1 and the posterior margin of sternal shield 105 (100–110), widest between coxae II and III 135 (130–140), wide at level st2 95 (90–100); with slightly concave posterior margin, and extends posteriorly to middle of coxae III; with three pairs of simple sternal setae st1 37 (35–40), st2 and st3 35 (30–37), and two pairs of lyrifissures (iv1, iv2). One pair of simple metasternal setae st4 37 (35–40) located on unsclerotised cuticle, posterolaterad of iv3, also on cuticle. Genital shield flask-shaped, lightly sclerotised, with longitudinal striation, length 180 (170–190), width at the widest point 100 (90–110), and with one pair of genital setae st5 35 (30–37). Genital lyrifissure (iv5) located on soft skin, adjacent to genital shield, in some species both or one of them totally fused to genital shield. With a pair of rod-shaped platelets next to edge of genital shield. Distance between genital shield and anal shield 25 (20–30). Endopodal platelets II/III fused to sternal shield, endopodal platelets III/IV elongate, narrow and curved. Exopodal platelets represented by a triangular platelet between coxa III/IV and an arched platelet partially surrounding posterior of coxa IV. Anal shield length 125 (120–130), width at the widest point 75 (70–80), triangular, its anterior half with lineate ornamentation, with a pair of marginal pores, simple para-anal setae 30 (28–32) equal to feather-like post-anal seta 30 (28–32) ( Figs 17 & 18 ), cribrum well developed, extending to anterior level of post-anal seta, and forward as two narrow lateral strips to level of pores. Peritreme extending to the middle of coxa I, peritrematal shield fused to dorsal shield at middle of coxa II, with a lyrifissure at posterior level of coxa II and a pore at anterior level of coxa III. Post-stigmatal section conspicuous, with a lyrifissure and a pore behind each stigma. Opisthogastric skin with curved and longitudinal striation; three pairs of metapodal plates, the two anterior, oval, subequal and much smaller than the posterior subtriangular; seven pairs of setae (Jv1–Jv4, Zv1–Zv3) [Jv1 = Jv2 = Zv2 37 (35–40), Jv3 38 (36–42), Jv4 = Zv3 32 (30–37), Zv1 35 (32–37)] that Jv1–3, Zv1–2 slightly swollen at base, with pointed tip ( Fig. 19 ) and Jv4, Zv3 are feather-like; three pairs of distinguishable pores; gv2 distinct.

Gnathosoma. Hypostome with three pairs of hypostomal setae [h1 36 (35–38), h2 20 (18–22), h3 33 (32–35)] and palpcoxal setae 40 (38–42). Deutosternal groove with a smooth, transverse line followed by six transverse lines of denticles (from anterior to posterior) 9-8-7-6-5-6 denticles in each row; in some of paratypes anterior transverse line with 11 denticles. Corniculi horn-like; internal malae adjacent to each other, smooth and pointed, laterad by a pair of smooth and pointed structures, labrum with pilose surface ( Fig. 20 ). Epistome rounded, anterior margin finely denticulate, with two teeth longer than the others ( Fig. 21 ). Palp 135 (130–140) long, palp chaetotaxy normal for Gamasina (2-5-6-14 -15), setae uniform in shape; apotele two-tined, basal tine smaller ( Fig. 22 ). Fixed digit of chelicera 54 (50–56), equal to movable digit, with two teeth and a setaceous pilus dentilis; movable digit 52 (50–55) with two teeth in addition to terminal hook; arthrodial process a coronet-like fringe; dorsal seta stout; dorsal and antiaxial lyrifissures distinguishable (Fig. 23).

Legs ( Figs 24 –28). All legs with a pair of claws and a rounded membranous pulvillus, lengths of legs I–IV, excluding pretarsus, I 650 (590–670), II 535 (490–560), III 490 (450–510), IV 680 (620–710). Chaetotaxy: Leg I: coxa 0 0/2 0/0 0, trochanter 1 0/2 1/1 1, femur 2 3/1 2/3 2 [pd2 leaf like ( Fig. 24 )], genu 2 3/2 3/1 2, tibia 2 3/2 3/1 2. Leg II: coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0, trochanter 1 0/1 1/1 1 [pd slightly longer than the others ( Fig. 25 )], femur 2 3/1 2/2 1, genu 2 3/1 2/1 2, tibia 2 2/ 1 2/12 ( Fig. 25 ). Leg III: coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0, trochanter 1 1/1 0/1 1, femur 1 2/1 1/0 1, genu 2 2/1 2/1 1, tibia 2 1/1 2/1 1 ( Fig. 26 ). Leg IV: coxa 0 0/1 0/0 0, trochanter 2 1/1 0/1 0, femur 1 2/1 1/0 1 [ad1 and ad2 leaf like ( Fig. 27 )], genu 2 2/1 3/0 1, tibia 2 1/1 3/1 2. Tarsi I–IV with 18 setae 3 3/2 3/2 3 + mv, md (Fig. 28). All setae simple, and uniform in shape unless otherwise noted.

Insemination structures: Not seen, apparently unsclerotised.

Male: Unknown.

Etymology.The name of this species refers to the feather-like appearance of all of the dorsal shield setae.

Notes. Cosmolaelaps pinnatus is distinctive in the shape of dorsal shield setae, and in having two pairs of plumose opisthogastric setae. It differs from C. ornatus ( Berlese, 1903) , by its feather-like j1 and post anal seta, with two unpaired setae (Jx) and indistinct anterior margin of sternal shield (j1 and post anal seta simple, missing unpaired setae and sternal shield sclerotised in C. ornatus ); from C. guoi Bai & Ma, 2012 by feather-like post anal seta (post anal seta is simple in C. guoi ) and ad1 and ad2 on femur IV and pd3 on femur I leaf like (simple in C. guoi ).

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 22. Cosmolaelaps pinnatus sp. nov., female. 13. Dorsal idiosoma; 14. Dorsal feather-like setae enlarged (not to scale); 15. Dorsal seta (r 2); 16. Ventral idiosoma; 17 Postanal seta (not to scale), 18 Postanal seta; 19. Opisthogastric setae (not to scale); 20. Ventral gnathosoma; 21. Epistome; 22. Palp tibia and tarsus & apotel; 23. Chelicera.

FIGURES 24 – 27. Cosmolaelaps pinnatus sp. nov., female. 24. Leg I; 25. Leg II; 26. Leg III; 27. Leg IV; 28. Tarsus IV.