Reticulolaelaps faini Costa, 1968

Nemati, Alireza, Khalili-Moghadam, Arsalan & Gwiazdowicz, Dariusz J., 2019, A review of the genus Reticulolaelaps Costa and redescription of R. elsae (Joharchi, Babaeian & Jalalizand) comb. nov., Persian Journal of Acarology 8 (2), pp. 77-99 : 88-91

Notes on Reticulolaelaps faini Costa, 1968 ( Fig. 25–29 )

Material examined

Iran, 3 females, 1 male, Khuzestan province, Ghaletol (31° 37´55" N 49° 53´20" E, alt. 885 m), in soil, coll., A. Nemati, 2011 ; 2 females, 1 male, Izeh (31° 49´52" N 49° 52´9" E, alt 845 m) in soil, coll., A. Nemati, 2012 ; 3 females, Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province (32° 19´39" N 50° 51´35" E, alt 2206 m), Lordegan (31˚ 30´30" N, 50˚49´39" E, H: 1594 m) in soil, coll. A. Nemati , 2012.

Female dorsal shield length 544–554 width 373–383 (n = 5). Shield oval shaped with convex dorsum and flat venter; shield well sclerotized and with strong reticulation ( Fig. 26 ); with about 122– 125 long, simple, delicate setae (the difference in the number of counted setae may be due to a counting mistake), with unpaired and asymmetrical setae, setae on shield uniform in length (podonotal 50 and opisthonotal 72–75) and thickness. Some caudal setae like J5 and Z5 curved and directed downward 10–20, shorter than the other dorsal setae 27–41. Shield with ca. 18 pairs of lyrifissures and pore-like structures. Tritosternum similar to that of R. elsae ( Figs. 5–7 ); pre-sternal plates fused with anterior margin of sternal shield ( Fig. 25 ). Sternal shield (length 49–59 midline) narrowest between coxae II at st2-st2 105–120, widest between coxae II and III (173–188), with convex anterior margin and concave posterior margin; shield bearing three pairs of smooth pointed setae: st1 36–44, st2 37–46, st3 50–58 and three pairs of lyrifissures, one pair of lyrifissures (iv1) outside setae st1, the next one (iv2) between st2 and st3 and the third one (iv3) located at the posterior corners of lateral extensions of sternal shield; surface with distinct reticulate ornamentation at anterior and lateral margins extending to the level of setae st2, median and posterior surface smooth. Metasternal setae st4 absent; endopodal plates II/III fused to sternal shield, endopodal plates III/IV elongate and angulate connected to the large triangular podal plates with elongate sharp posterior tip extending near posterior level of post-stigmatal extension of peritrematal plate and separated from it and genitoventral shield ( Fig. 27 ). Genitoventral shield broad, length 281–295, width at st5 level 173– 188, maximum width 298–312, posterior edge straight, abutting anal shield, surface with polygonal ornamentation, bearing the genital setae (st5) 48–55 and five additional pairs of setae (JV1–3 and ZV1–2) with 47–56 long on its surface, paragenital pores not seen. Anal shield subtriangular and large, nearly twice as wide as long (88–97 long × 171–180 wide), posterior margin slightly rounded, anterior margin almost straight, surface with polygonal ornamentation, with a pair of slit-shaped lateral pores (gv3), para-anal setae 17–20, longer than unpaired post-anal setae 10–13. Opisthogastric integument with six pairs of smooth setae and four pairs of pores; metapodal plates fused with genitoventral shield. Stigmata located at a level near anterior part of coxa IV, peritremes extending anterior to coxae I. Peritrematal shields wide and reticulate, fused with dorsal shield at level of s1 setae, extending behind stigmata to well behind coxa IV; with three small pore-like structures behind stigma and two on peritrematal shield, at level of coxae II-III.

Hypostomal groove with four rows of denticles each bearing 2–4 small teeth. Corniculi horn-like and sclerotized. Internal malae complex, with two pairs of lobes, inner lobes narrow, with smooth edges, outer lobes long, narrow, pointed ( Fig. 28 ). Two large membranous flaps at the anterior part of hypostome, attached to the base of the palp trochanter (see related note under genus definition), rostral seta h1 (38–41), h2 (18–21), h3 (48–51), palp-coxal seta (19–23). Palp chaetotaxy: trochanter 2, femur 5, genu 6, tibia 14, tarsus 15, all setae smooth and needle-like except seta al on palp femur long and slightly sword-like, al1 on palp genu short and spine-like, al2 longer and pointed; palp tarsal claw with two pointed tines of unequal length. Epistome sub-triangular, anterior part membranous, posterior half well sclerotized, with lineate ornamentation ( Fig. 29 ). Fixed digit of chelicera with a terminal hook and three discernable teeth posteriorly, pilus dentilis moderately robust, dorsal seta short, thick, prostrate, movable digit with two large teeth, arthrodial membrane with a rounded flap and a row of short filaments. The leg chaetotaxy follows that of Nemati et al. (2013).

Notes on R. costai Joharchi & Babaeian, 2015

The information presented here is based on pictures of the holotype provided by Dr. Alireza Saboori, after his contact with the first author of this species (Dr. Omid Joharchi), because we did not find the type materials in JAZM and YIAU, and have not had the opportunity to look at the type specimens of R. costai Joharchi & Babaeian, 2015 .

In accordance with the information obtained from the study of different species of Reticulolaelaps , and their comparison with the original description of R. costai , despite the full and detailed description, the following discrepancies in the following statements should be noted:

1. “tritosternum with paired pilose laciniae and columnar base”. Based on the following picture of ventral idiosoma, it is obvious that the tritosternum characters are completely similar to those of other Reticulolaelaps species and not only the drawing but also measurements presented in the original description are incorrect.

2. The chaetotaxy of genu II in all other species (which have been checked in this study) is 2 3/1 2/1 2; while it was described as 2 3/1 2/1 1 in original description of R. costai . Precise checking will be needed to confirm this result.

3. The membranous flaps originated from inside surface of palp trochanter; while it was cited as the ventral hypostome in the original description of R. costai .

4. In some species now studied we observed at least 18 pairs of pore-like structures on the dorsal shield. By contrast, Joharchi and Babaeian (2015) stated that dorsal shield had six pairs of pore-like structures, apparently including three pairs of gland pores and three pairs of poroids; lyrifissures near the base of z1 large and slit-like, others smaller and ovoid. Most likely, the number of these components in the dorsal shield is more than this number.

5. Based on the original description: genitoventral shield bearing genital setae st5 and five additional pairs of setae on its surface (Jv1–2, Zv1–3). We believe that the setae located on genitoventral shield are JV1–3 and ZV1–2.

Accessing and checking the type materials are needed to better understand and studying the others characters.

Figures

Figures 25–26. Reticulolaelaps faini Costa, 1968 – 25. Ventral idiosoma; 26. Detail of dorsal shield reticulation.

Figures 27–29. Reticulolaelaps faini Costa, 1968 – 27. Situation of posterior part of poststigmatal extension of peritrematal shield, Podal and genitoventral shields; 28. Hypostome; 29. Epistome.

Figures 5–8. Reticulolaelaps elsae (Joharchi, Babaeian & Jalalizand, 2016) – 5, 6. Tritosternum; 7. Basal part of tritosternum; 8. Anal shield and gv3.