Multidentorhodacarus saboorii, Castilho, Raphael C., Jalaeian, Mahdi & De, Gilberto J., 2012

Castilho, Raphael C., Jalaeian, Mahdi & De, Gilberto J., 2012, Two new species of Rhodacaridae (Mesostigmata: Rhodacaroidea) from Iran, Zootaxa 3248, pp. 35-42 : 36-38

Multidentorhodacarus saboorii sp. n.

Material examined. Holotype female and one paratype female from soil of an orchard at Khomani Shahr (32°41’N, 51°32’E, alt. 1602 m), Isfahan Province, Iran, 7 July 2002; one paratype female from soil of an orchard at Najafabad (32°38’N, 51°23’E, alt. 1754 m), Isfahan Province, Iran, 11 September 2003; one paratype female from soil of an orchard at Dorcheh (32°38’N, 51°39’E, alt. 1570 m), Isfahan, Isfahan Province, Iran, 20 August 2003; one paratype female from soil of an orchard at Jiroft (28°40’N, 57°44’E, alt. 690 m), Kerman Province, Iran, 30 July 1998. All types collected by M. Jalaeian. The holotype and two paratype females are deposited in the Acarological Collection, Zoological Museum, College of Agriculture, Tehran University, Karaj, Iran; two paratype females deposited at Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz” ( ESALQ), Universidade de São Paulo ( USP), Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, Brazil.

Adult female ( Fig. 1–6 ) (five specimens measured). All setae smooth.

Gnathosoma. Fixed cheliceral digit 55 (54–56) long, with ten teeth in addition to apical tooth and a setiform pilus dentilis; dorsal cheliceral seta absent ( Fig. 1 ); movable cheliceral digit 54 (53–55) long, with 4–5 teeth in addition to apical tooth, the proximal considerably larger than others. Numbers of setae on palp trochanter – tarsus: 2-5-6-14 -15. Epistome with anterior margin serrate and provided with three extensions; pair of anterolateral extensions about a third the length of anterocentral extension, all serrate ( Fig. 2 ). Deutosternal denticles in eight roughly transverse rows of about uniform lengths, each with 8–13 denticles ( Fig. 3 ). Internal malae totally separated from each other, each bifurcate; outer branch of each internal mala with two fimbriae. Corniculi diverging in mounted specimens. Seta h3 directly posterior to h2. Measurements of setae: h 1 14 (14–15), h 2 12 (12–13), h 3 13 (12–13), sc 13 (13–14).

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 4 ). Podonotal shield smooth, except for a narrow punctate band along the straight posterior margin; 144 (142–145) long and 135 (134–136) wide at widest level; with 22 pairs of setae (r1 absent) and seven pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures. Unsclerotised integument along lateral margins of podonotal shield with a pair of setae (r4). Opisthonotal shield smooth, except for a narrow punctate band along convex anterior margin; 139 (138–140) long and 90 (89–91) wide at widest level; with 18 pairs of setae and eight pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures. Unsclerotised integument along lateral margins of opisthonotal shield with two pairs of setae (R2 and R5). Measurements of setae: j1 13 (13–14), j2 16 (15–17), j3 17 (16–17), j4 18 (17–19), j5 16 (15–16), j6 16 (15– 17), z1 8 (8–9), z2 15 (15–16), z3 17 (16–17), z4 18 (17–19), z5 17 (16–18), z6 20 (19–20), s1 8 (8–9), s2 19 (18– 20), s3 15 (14–15), s4 21 (20–21), s5 20 (19–21), s6 18 (18–19), r2 19 (18–19), r3 30 (28–31), r4 16 (14–18), r5 22 (20–24), r6 20 (19–22), J1 18 (17–19), J2 17 (17–18), J3 18 (17–20), J4 19 (18–19), J5 15 (15–16), Z1 19 (18–19), Z2 18 (17–19), Z3 20 (20–21), Z4 13 (10–15), Z5 37 (36–38), S1 17 (16–17), S2 18 (17–18), S3 17 (17–18), S4 18 (17–19), S5 19 (17–21), R1 11 (10–12), R2 11 (10–11), R3 10 (9–10), R4 12 (11–12), R5 19 (19–20).

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 5 ). Base of tritosternum 12 (12–13) long and 9 (8–9) wide proximally ( Fig. 6 ); laciniae 46 (43–50), separated for about 95% of their total length, slightly pilose. Sternal shield smooth and with anterior margin indistinct; region anterior to the first pair of sternal setae (st1) lightly sclerotised and punctate; posterior margin with short central spine-like projection; approximately 92 (91–93) long, from anterior margin of lightly sclerotised punctate region to tip of medial projection of posterior margin, 63 (61–64) wide at widest level; with four pairs of setae and three pairs of lyrifissures. Genital shield smooth, except for a punctate ellipsoidal region near convex posterior margin; longer than wide; extending posteriorly well behind coxae IV; distance between st 5- st 5 31 (30–33). Unsclerotised integument posterolaterad of st5 with a pair of lyrifissures. Ventrianal shield smooth, except for a narrow punctate band along central region of convex anterior margin; 100 (98–103) long and 64 (63– 66) wide at widest level, not fused to dorsal shield; with four pairs of setae (Jv1-Jv3 and Zv2) in addition to circumanal setae and four pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures; post-anal seta about 1.6 times as long as para-anal setae. Unsclerotised integument along margins of ventrianal shield with three pairs of setae (Jv4, Zv1 and Zv3). With a pair of elongate metapodal plates well behind insertion of coxa IV. Peritreme extending anteriorly to level of median region of coxa III. Peritrematal shield narrow, restricted to region along peritreme, sharp-tipped anteriorly. Measurements of setae: st1 18, st2 18 (18–19), st3 17 (16–17), st4 16 (15–16), st5 13 (12–14), Jv1 16 (15–16), Jv2 18 (17–19), Jv3 18, Jv4 11 (10–12), Zv1 13 (13–14), Zv2 14, Zv3 11 (9–12), para-anal 24 (23–25), post-anal 41 (40–42).

Spermathecal apparatus. Not distinguishable.

Legs. Lengths: I: 245 (243–248); II: 183 (181–185); III: 173 (171–174); IV: 227 (226–229). Numbers of setae on legs I–IV: coxa: 2, 2, 2, 1; trochanter: 6, 5, 5, 5; femur: 13, 11, 6, 6; genu: 13, 11, 9, 10; tibia: 14, 10, 8, 10; tarsi II–IV: 18, 18, 17. For all segments, chaetotaxy follows what was reported by Evans (1963) for “ Rhodacarus - group” of the Rhodacaridae . Seta ad -1 of tibia IV (25) distinctly longer than other dorsal setae of the same segment (12–15); all dorsal setae of femur and genu of leg IV and of femur, genu and tibia of other legs, similar to each other in lengths. Seta pd -2 of tarsus IV (33) erect, slightly longer than other dorsal setae of the same segment (16– 25). Pretarsus I absent; pretarsi II–IV similar in shape and length, each consisting of an elongate ambulacral stalk, a pair of strongly sclerotised claws and three rounded pulvillar lobes.

Adult male. Unknown.

Etymology. The name saboorii is in honor of Professor Alireza Saboori, President of the Acarological Society of Iran and Director of the Zoological Museum, Karaj, Iran.

Remarks. Multidentorhodacarus saboorii is most similar to Multidentorhodacarus sogdianus (Shcherbak) , but the latter has fixed and movable cheliceral digits with 13 and six teeth in addition to apical tooth, respectively; the punctate band of the podonotal shield separated from the posterior margin of the shield; no punctate bands along the anterior margin of the opisthonotal shield, posterior margin of genital shield and anterior margin of ventrianal shield; R5 inserted on opisthonotal shield; peritrematal shield indistinct. The following characteristics distinguish other similar Multidentorhodacarus species from the species here described: dorsum of the podosomal region with 21 pairs of setae (r5 and r6 absent) in M. tertius (Karg) ; dorsum of the opisthosomal region with 19 pairs of setae (R5 absent) in M. ananasi (Ryke) , M. minutocorpus (Karg) and M. sublapideus (Ryke) ; seta Zv1 inserted on the ventrianal shield in M. differentis Karg & Schorlemmer , M. paulista Castilho & Moraes and M. ruwenzoriensis (Loots) ; seta Z3 at most 1.2 times as long as Z 4 in M. angustacuminis (Karg) , M. brevicuspidis Karg , M. brevisetosus Karg , M. pennacornutus Karg , M. squamosus Karg , M. thysi (Jordaan, Loots & Theron) and M. triramulus (Karg)

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Multidentorhodacarus saboorii sp. n. Female. 1. Lateral (antiaxial) view of chelicera; 2. Epistome; 3. Hypostome; 4. Dorsal idiosoma; 5. Ventral idiosoma; 6. Tritosternum. Lyrifissures enlarged for improved visibility.