Gymnolaelaps

Joharchi, Omid & Halliday, Bruce, 2013, A new species and new records of Gymnolaelaps Berlese from Iran (Acari: Laelapidae), with a review of the species occurring in the Western Palaearctic Region, Zootaxa 3646 (1), pp. 39-50 : 48

Key to species of Gymnolaelaps occurring in the Western Palaearctic

1 Genu IV with ten setae, including two postero-laterals........................................................ 2

- Genu IV with nine setae, including one postero-lateral........................................................ 3

2. Dorsal shield with 41 pairs of short smooth setae, including 23 pairs of setae on the podonotal region, three pairs of Zx setae between J and Z setae on the opisthonotal region................................ Gymnolaelaps laevis (Michael, 1891)

- Dorsal shield with 59 pairs of moderate smooth simple setae, including 24 pairs of setae on the podonotal region, more than three pairs of Zx setae between J and Z setae on the opisthonotal region... Gymnolaelaps zaheri Afifi & Abdel-Halim, 1988

3. Genitoventral shield with only one pair of setae (st5); palp tarsal claw 2-tined...... Gymnolaelaps obscuroides (Costa, 1968)

- Genitoventral shield with at least three pairs of setae, all inserted on edges of shield; palp tarsal claw 3-tined............. 4

4. Posterior dorsal shield setae J3-J4 short, not reaching base of next seta in J series................................... 5

- Posterior dorsal shield setae J3-J4 long enough to reach or exceed base of next seta in J series......................... 6

5. Genito-ventral shield narrow, with two pairs of setae; sternal setae st2 long enough to reach bases of st3.................................................................................. Gymnolaelaps myrmecophilus (Berlese, 1892)

- Genito-ventral shield wide, with three pairs of setae; sternal setae st2 not long enough to reach bases of st3................................................................................. Gymnolaelaps myrmophila (Michael, 1891)

6. All dorsal shield setae smooth; j5 short, not reaching the base of z5; z5 short, not reaching the base of z6................ 7

- All dorsal shield setae except z1 slightly serrated; j5 long enough to reach past the base of z5; z5 long enough to reach past the base of z6................................................................. Gymnolaelaps artavilensis sp. nov.

7. Posterior dorsal shield setae J1-J2 short, not reaching base of next seta in J series; two pairs of Zx setae on the dorsal shield between J and Z setae................................................ Gymnolaelaps prestoni Joharchi et al., 2011

- Posterior dorsal shield setae J1-J2 long enough to reach or exceed base of next seta in J series; three pairs of Zx setae on the dorsal shield between J and Z setae..................................... Gymnolaelaps messor Joharchi et al., 2011