Lasioseius terrestris Menon & Ghai

De Moraes, Gilberto J., Abo-Shnaf, Reham I. A., Pérez-Madruga, Yanebis, Sánchez, Leocadia, Karmakar, Krishna & Ho, Chyi-Chen, 2015, The Lasioseius phytoseioides species group (Acari: Blattisociidae): new characterisation, description of a new species, complementary notes on seven described species and a taxonomic key for the group, Zootaxa 3980 (1), pp. 1-41 : 27

Lasioseius terrestris Menon & Ghai

( Figs 66–68 )

Lasioseius terrestris Menon & Ghai, 1968: 77 .

Lasioseius terrestris .— Bhattacharyya et al., 2000: 93; Gupta, 2003: 6.

Specimens examined. paratype male from wheat, collected by S. Ghai, at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, March 1967.

Male (paratype). Dorsum of idiosoma ( Fig. 66 ): dorsal shield apparently lightly sclerotised and lightly reticulate, 300 long and 220 wide at widest level; podonotal region with 12 pairs of setae (j2–j6, z2, z4, z5, s4, s5, r2, r3); opisthonotal region with ten pairs of setae (J2, J4, J5, Z1, Z3–Z5, S3–S5). Setae j2, j3, z4, Z1, Z3–Z5, s4, s5 relatively stout, about as long as distance to respective subsequent setae; setae S3–S5 intermediate length, setiform; other setae shorter; all setae seemingly smooth. Lateral cuticle with two pairs of setae (r5, R1). Setal lengths: j2 29, j3 35, j4 22, j5 15, j6 22, J2–J5 and z2 (broken), z4 27, z5 25, Z1 40, Z3 50, Z4 44, Z5 60, s4 38, s5 36, S3 22, S4 22, S5 29, r2 12, r3 45, r5 6, R1 6.

Venter of idiosoma ( Fig. 67 ): all setae aciculate and smooth. Sternogenital shield seemingly smooth, fused with endopodal shield, 130 long, 95 wide at level between coxae II–III, bearing five pairs of setae (st1–st5). Ventrianal shield subtriangular, 110 long and 190 wide at anterior corners, reticulate, bearing five pairs of opisthogastric setae (JV1–JV3, JV5, ZV3) in addition to the circum-anal setae; post-anal seta longer than para-anal setae; anal opening small, ca. 18 long including frame. Unsclerotised cuticle around ventrianal shield without setae. Length of ventral setae: st1–st 5 16–18, JV1 14, JV2 16, JV3 19, JV5 32, ZV3 13.

Peritrematic plate and peritreme ( Fig. 67 ): peritrematic plate fused with dorsal shield at the level of the seta r3; with broad lateral expansion between coxae II–III bearing a pore (gp2); lyrifissure ip1 not distinct; peritreme extending forward to region between j2 setae.

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 68 ): fixed digit multidentate; spermatodactyl distally wavy, ca. 22 long.

Remarks. In the text of the original description of this species, while the authors report the presence of 22 pairs of setae on the dorsal shield of females and mention that the marginal setae are not on the unsclerotised cuticle along the dorsal shield, their illustration show a total of 26 setae on the dorsal view of the idiosoma, including the marginal setae. Only a total of 24 pairs, including two pairs of marginals on the dorsal shield and two on the unsclerotised cuticle, could be seen in the paratype male examined. Unfortunately, it was not possible to examine the type females of this species. Thus, from the available information, it could be concluded either that males of this species have fewer idiosomal setae, or that the illustration of the dorsum of the female given in the original description was incorrect, or that the specimen examined, indicated as a paratype, actually belongs to a different species.

Figures

FIGURES 66 – 68. Lasioseius terrestris. Paratype male: 66. Dorsal shield; 67. Ventral shields; 68. Spermadactyl.