Neomolgus iraniensis Eghbalian, Khanjani, Safaralizadeh and Ueckermann

Eghbalian, Amir Hossein, Khanjani, Mohammad, Safaralizadeh, Mohammad Hassan & Ueckermann, Edward A., 2016, New species of Hexabdella and Neomolgus (Acari: Prostigmata: Bdellidae) from Iran, Zootaxa 4072 (2), pp. 291-300 : 296-298

Neomolgus iraniensis Eghbalian, Khanjani, Safaralizadeh and Ueckermann sp. nov.

( Figs. 11–19 )

Diagnosis. Each chelicera with 21 setae, palp basifemur with seven setae, palp tibiotarsus with 14 setae, genital plate with ten pairs of setae, and aggenital region with three pairs of setae.

Female (n= 3). Total body length (including gnathosoma from apex of hypostome to posterior margin of idiosoma) 2025 (1750–1813), body length (excluding gnathosoma) 1500 (1275–1350); width 1000 (862–950).

Dorsum ( Fig. 11 ). Dorsum with irregularly broken striae; prodorsum with two pairs of eyes, diameters of anterior eye 50 (40–45) and posterolateral eye 40 (33–38). Striae between setae vi transverse; dorsal setae (c1-h2) smooth, prodorsal setae vi, sci and sce broken on three collected specimens, eyes separated by distance ~ 2 (2–2.4) times diameter of anterior pair eyes, interval between eyes with oblique and longitudinal striae; hysterosomal setae not extending to bases of setae next behind. Between hysterosomal setae (c1, d1, e1) fine, longitudinal and transversal broken striae; between setae f1 longitudinal and setae h1-2 transverse striae; between setae c1–2 with oblique striae; hysterosomal region with three cupules (ia, im and ip) at level of setae d1, e1 and f1 ( Fig. 11 ). Measurements of dorsal setae: vi, sce and sci broken, c1 70 (70–90), c2 65 (65–88), d1 55 (55–88), e1 63 (63–88), f1 58 (75), f2 53 (53–75), h1 63 (63–80), h2 63 (63–88). Distance between dorsal setae: vi– vi 84 (63–69); vi–sce 200 (200–240); sci–sci 185 (185–200); sce–sci 35 (38–48); sce–sce 200 (200); sci–c1 270 (277–288); sci–c2 338 (200–350); c1–c1 375 (180–375); c1–c2 136 (120–140); c1–d1 195 (175); d1–d1 312 (185); d1–e1 200 (185); e1– e1 195 (175); e1–f1 140 (120); f1–f1 64 (80); f1–f2 80 (88); f2–f2 176 (170); f1–h1 176 (170); h1–h1 65 (63); h1–h2 100 (123); h2–h2 128 (138).

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 12 ). Subcapitulum 425 (462–500) long, width at base 225 (200–250); base of subcapitulum with broken and transverse striae, hypostome smooth; palp five–segmented, palp tibiotarsus with 14 setae [DES and VES 203 (215) and 173 (200) respectively]; genu with four setae; telofemur with one seta; basifemur with seven setae; trochanter lacking setae; measurements of palp segments: trochanter 15 (13), basifemur 290 (355), telofemur 45 (55), genu 55 (53), tibiotarsus 305 (310). Subcapitulum with six pairs of setae (vh1–6), distal pair (vh6) 75(88) more than twice length of proximal pair (vh1) 33 (35); two pairs of short adoral setae near tip of hypostome, avs 28 (30) and ad 19 (21). Cheliceral length 443 (425–433), width 95 (100–105), with 21 smooth setae (ch1–21), distal setae [ch1] 98 (75) and proximal setae [ch21] 38 (50), and; movable digit longer than fixed digit, movable chelae with two teeth and fixed digit smooth; distal seta (ch1) long extending to base of chela ( Fig. 12 ).

Venter ( Fig. 13 ). Aggenital region with three pairs of setae (ag1–3), each genital plate with ten pairs of setae (g1–10) ( Fig. 13 ); anal region with three pairs of smooth setae (ps1–3): ps1 65, ps2 63 and ps3 broken.

Ovipositor ( Figs. 14-15 ) Ovipositor with 16 smooth setae and ovipositor gland as depicted in Figs 14-15 .

Legs ( Figs. 16-19 ). Measurements of leg segments: I 1075 (1050), II 1050 (1115), III 1150 (1125), IV 1350 (1235). Setal formulae of leg segments: coxae I–IV: 5–3–4–2; trochanters I–IV: 1–1–1–1; basifemora I–IV: 11–10– 10–6; telofemora I–IV: 7–7–6–6; genua I–IV: 7ts,11 s –6ts,10 s –5ts–7ts,3 s; tibiae I–16 ts,16 f,1 e,1tr–15ts,5 f,1tr– 17ts,1 f –15ts, 1 f,1tr; tarsi I–IV: 40ts, 1dt,9 w, 1 e –41ts,1dt, 3 w –41ts,1tr–45ts,1tr ( Figs. 16-19 ).

Remarks. Neomolgus iraniensis Eghbalian, Khanjani, Safaralizadeh and Ueckermann sp. nov. is closely related to N. pygmaeus Shiba (1969) in having four setae on the papal genu, coxa I with five setae and telofemora II-IV with 7–6–6 setae but differs from the latter in having: 1) Dorsal setae smooth in N. iraniensis opposed to plumose in N. pygmaeus ; 2) each chelicera with 21 setae in new species while eight setae in N. pygmaeus ; 3) papal basifemur with seven setae in the former while four setae in the latter; 4) palp tibiotarsus with 14 setae in the new species opposed to nine setae in the latter; 5) each genital plate with ten setae vs eight setae; 6) Coxae II-IV with 3– 4–2 vs 4–3–3.

Neomolgus iraniensis Eghbalian, Khanjani, Safaralizadeh and Ueckermann sp. nov. is closely related to N. longipalpus Kuznetsov (1984) in having 7–6–6 setae on telofemora II-IV and coxa III-IV with 4–2 setae but differs from the latter in having: 1) each chelicera with 21 setae in the new species instead of 16 (17) setae in N. longipalpus ; 2) palp basifemur with seven setae versus 19 setae; 3) palp genu with four setae versus ten setae; 4) palp tibiotarsus with 14 setae versus 27 setae; 5) coxa I-II with 5–3 setae versus 6–4 setae; 6) basifemura I-IV with 11–10–10–6 setae versus 22–17–15–8 setae; 7) telofemur I with seven setae instead of eight setae.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from Iran, due to the country where the new species was collected.

Type material. The holotype and two paratype females were collected from soil and litter under wild almond trees, Amygdalus scoparia L. ( Rosaceae ), "Sirvan river bank", located in Palangan village, Kamyaran, Kermanshah Province, Iran, (35° 03.7' N, 46° 35.97' E, a.s.l. 864 m), 14 IV 2013, by Amir Hossein Eghbalian. The holotype and one paratype females ( EHBN 15014 and EPBH 15015, respectively) are deposited in the Mites Collection of the Acarology Laboratory, University of Bu–Ali Sina, Hamedan, Iran, and one paratype female slide will be deposited in the National Collection of Arachnida, Plant Protection Research Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 15. Neomolgus iraniensis Eghbalian, Khanjani, Safaralizadeh and Ueckermann sp. nov. (Female): 11. Dorsum of idiosoma; 12. Gnathosoma; 13. Genital plate; 14. Ovipositor; 15. Ovipositor gland.

FIGURES 16 – 19. Neomolgus iraniensis Eghbalian, Khanjani, Safaralizadeh and Ueckermann sp. nov., (Female): 16. Leg I; 17. Leg II; 18. Leg III; 19. Leg IV.