Laelaspis persicus Joharchi and Halliday, 2012

Joharchi, Omid, Halliday, Bruce & Saboori, Alireza, 2012, Three new species of Laelaspis Berlese from Iran (Acari: Laelapidae), with a review of the species occurring in the Western Palaearctic Region, Journal of Natural History 46 (31 - 32), pp. 1999-2018 : 2009-2012

Laelaspis persicus Joharchi and Halliday sp. nov.

( Figure 3 )

Specimens examined

Holotype, female, Iran, Alborz province, Taleghan city, 36 ◦ 71 ′ N, 50 ◦ 32 ′ E, altitude 1595 m, 13 May 2010, O. Joharchi coll., in nest of Pheidole pallidula ( Insecta: Formicidae : Myrmicinae) (in JAZM). Paratype, one female, same data as holotype (in ANIC).

Description

Female. Dorsal idiosoma. Dorsal shield length 436–475 µm, width 376–400 µm (n = 2) ( Figure 3A ). Shield oval shaped without distinct striations. Podonotal shield with 21 pairs of setae, z3 and r6 absent; with three pairs of distinct oval-shaped pores, and a pair of lyrifissures near the base of seta z1. Opisthonotal shield with 16 pairs of setae including three pairs of Zx setae between J and Z setae, S4 and S5 on lateral soft skin; with 10 pairs distinct circular pores, other pores inconspicuous. Most marginal setae long, radiating prominently from the shield, curved forward, slightly serrated, three or four times as long as setae in central area of the shield, J1 20–25 µm ( Figure 3B ). Setae in central area slightly swollen at base, with pointed tip, short, smooth ( Figure 3C ). Lengths of longest setae: z1 62–66 µm, j2 124–130 µm, Z4, Z5 89–107 µm, Z5 four or five times as long as J5 (15–23 µm).

Ventral idiosoma ( Figure 3D ). Tritosternum with paired lightly pilose laciniae (50–55 µm) columnar base 15–17 µm long; pre-sternal shields absent. Sternal shield length 84–89 µm, narrowest between coxae II (77–82 µm), widest between coxae II and III (138–141 µm), surface smooth, with slightly concave posterior margin and undulating anterior margin, with three long pairs of smooth sternal setae (st 1 35–41 µm, st 2 42–44 µm, st 3 42–47 µm), long enough to reach past base of next posterior seta, one pair of very small lyrifissures adjacent to st 1, and a pair of very large curved lyrifissures between st 2 and st 3. Metasternal platelets absent, metasternal setae st 4 (37–40 µm) and metasternal pores located in soft skin; endopodal plates II/III fused to sternal shield, endopodal plates III/IV elongate, narrow, curved. Genital shield length 230–268 µm, maximum width 191–200 µm, posterior edge slightly tapering, abutting anal shield, surface with characteristic ornamentation including two distinct Λ- shaped lines enclosing longitudinal polygonal cells, with genital setae st 5 (50–53 µm) and three pairs of setae on its lateral edges. Paragenital pores located on soft skin close to st 5. Anal shield sub-triangular (69–75 × 74–80 µm wide), with concave anterior margin, without distinct markings, with a pair of lateral pores; post-anal seta (50–52 µm) more than double length of para-anal setae (17–20 µm). Opisthogatsric skin with one pair of wide oval metapodal plates (length 45–50 µm) and 11 pairs of thick pilose setae (Jv1 52–59 µm, Jv2 55–62 µm, Jv3 52–59 µm, Jv5 87–81 µm, Zv1 42–44 µm, Zv2 58–65 µm). Exopodal plates behind coxae IV triangular, exopodal plates II/III absent. Peritreme extending from coxa IV to mid-level of coxa I, peritrematal shield very narrow anterior to stigmata, post-stigmatal section wide and conspicuous, with a pair of small pores, and one pair of large pores anterior to the stigmata.

Gnathosoma . Epistome triangular, smooth ( Figure 3E ). Hypostomal groove with six rows of denticles each bearing six to eight small teeth, and smooth anterior and posterior transverse lines ( Figure 3F ). Hypostomal seta h1 25 µm, h2 25 µm, h3 35 µm, palp coxal seta 25 µm. Corniculi robust and horn-like, reaching mid-level of palp femur. Palp chaetotaxy: trochanter 2, femur 5, genu 6, tibia 12, tarsus 15; genu with a distinct dorso-distal triangular condyle; all setae smooth and needle-like, palp tarsal claw twotined. Fixed digit of chelicera with two small median triangular teeth ( Figure 3G ); pilus dentilis small and slender; dorsal seta short, thick, prostrate; movable digit without teeth; arthrodial membrane with a rounded flap and a few short filaments.

Legs. Legs very short (leg I: 225–240 µm, leg II: 205–212 µm, leg III: 210–218 µm, Leg IV: 248–256 µm). Chaetotaxy: Leg I: coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0, trochanter 1 0/1 1/2 1, femur 2 3/2 2/2 2, 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 1/1 0/1 1, femur 2 3/2 1/1 1 (al 2 and ad 1 thick), genu 2 3/1 2/1 2 (ventral setae all thick), tibia 2 2/1 2/1 2 (ventral setae all thick). Leg III: coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0, trochanter 1 0/1 0/1 1 (al thick), femur 1 2/1 1/0 1 (ad 1 very long and thick), genu 2 2/1 2/1 1, tibia: 2 1/1 2/1 1. Leg IV: coxa 0 0/1 0/0 0, trochanter 1 0/1 0/2 1 (al very thick), femur 2 1/1 1/0 1 (ad 1 very long and thick), genu 2 2/1 3/0 1, tibia 2 1/1 3/1 2 (ventral setae long and thick); all setae fine and needle-like unless otherwise noted. Tarsi I–IV with 18 setae 3 3/2 3/2 3 + mv, md. All pre-tarsi with a pair of claws and a long thin membranous ambulacrum.

Insemination structures not seen, apparently unsclerotized.

Etymology

The name of this species refers to type locality, Iran (old Persia) .

Notes

Laelaspis persicus differs from all other species in the genus by the presence of 21 pairs of setae on the podonotal shield, with z3 and r6 absent. The opisthonotal shield is distinctive, with 16 pairs of setae on the shield including three pairs of Zx setae between J and Z setae, S4 and S5 on lateral soft skin. The marginal setae on the dorsal shield are very long, including z1, j2, Z4 and Z5. All the setae on the central area of the shield are much shorter, with small swelling at the base, and the movable digit of the chelicera is almost completely edentate.

Figures

Figure 3. Laelaspis persicus Joharchi and Halliday sp. nov., female. (A) Dorsal shield; (B) dorsal shield seta r3; (C) dorsal shield seta j5; (D) ventral idiosoma; (E) epistome; (F) hypostome; (G) chelicera. (Note: B, C are not to scale).