Gaeolaelaps

Vatankhah, Farzaneh, Nemati, Alireza, Esfandiari, Mehdi & Shishehbor, Parviz, 2016, Description of a new species of Gaeolaelaps (Acari: Laelapidae) from Iran, with a key to world species of the genus with short peritremes, Zootaxa 4121 (5), pp. 566-574 : 571-572

Key to the Gaeolaelaps species with short peritremes

1. Peritreme very short, reaching to anterior level of coxa III.................................................... 2

- Peritreme longer, reaching to middle or anterior margin of coxa II.............................................. 7

2. Peritreme extending to the anterior margin of coxa III....................................................... 3

- Peritreme extending to the mid-level of coxa III............................................................ 4

3. Anal shield with straight posterior margin; post-anal seta twice as long as para-anal setae; peritrematal plate extending anteriorly to anterior level of coxa II; dorsal shield with 38 pairs of acicular setae................. G. rhizotrogi ( Mašán, 1998)

- Anal shield suboval with nearly acute posterior angle; post-anal seta nearly as long as para-anal setae; peritrematal plate extending anteriorly to mid-level of coxa I; dorsal shield with 37 pairs of setae.............. G. dubininae ( Sklyar, 2012)

4. Peritreme extending to the mid-level of coxa III; dorsal shield with 39 pairs of setae............................... 5

- Peritreme very short and reaching to anterior level of coxa IV; dorsal shield with 37 pairs of setae.................... 6

5. Peritrematal shield extending to posterior level of coxa II, free from dorsal shield; sternal shield bearing only two pairs of lyrifissures; fixed digit of chelicera with two teeth; dorsal soft cuticle not hypertrichous (6–8 pairs of setae)................................................................................................. G. heteroceri Trach, 2016

- Peritrematal shield extending to anterior level of coxa I, fused with dorsal shield near setae z1; sternal shield bearing three pairs of lyrifissures; fixed digit of chelicera with four to six teeth; dorsal soft cuticle hypertrichous (32–37 pairs)........................................................................................... G. carabidophilus Trach, 2012

6. Dorsal soft cuticle not hypertrichous (with three pairs of setae); sternal shield with two pairs of lyrifissures; with abnormal leg chaetotaxy, e.g.: trochanter I with five, genu III-IV with eight and tibia IV with nine setae; dorsal shield oval shape (273–27 7 long)......................................................................... G. sevastianovi Trach, 2016

- Dorsal soft cuticle hypertrichous (with 32–33 pairs of setae); sternal shield with three pairs of lyrifissures; with normal leg chaetotaxy; dorsal shield greatly elongate (416–441 long)................................. G. khaustovi Trach, 2016

7. Dorsal shield with 41 pairs of setae; epigynal shield much longer than wide, length/width= 3:1; anal shield subtriangular and longer than wide; dorsal setae nearly equal in length (28–33); idiosoma 400–480 long, 180–220 wide..................................................................................................... G. macra ( Karg, 1978)

- Dorsal shield with less than 41 pairs of setae; epigynal shield not as above....................................... 8

8. Anal shield nearly rounded and wider than long (as in G. orbiculatus Nemati & Mohseni, 2013 ) or with semi-circular anterior margin, straight postero-lateral margins, and a pair of minute angular lateral projections (as in G. farajii Nemati & Mohseni, 2013 ).............................................................................................. 9

- Anal shield subtriangular and without a pair of minute angular lateral projections................................ 10

9. Anal shield nearly rounded and wider than long; epistome denticulate with a two tined medioventral process projecting beyond the anterior margin; idiosoma 489–491 long, 270–276 wide.................... G. orbiculatus Nemati & Mohseni, 2013

- Anal shield with semi-circular anterior margin, straight postero-lateral margins, and a pair of minute angular lateral projec- tions; epistome denticulate without such appendage; idiosoma 408–439 long, 205–218 wide................................................................................................... G. farajii Nemati & Mohseni, 2013

10. Apart from dorsal setae j1 and Z5, all dorsal setae extremely reduced (5–7 long); Z5 three times the length of J5; dorsal shield with 38 pairs of setae, 21 pairs on podonotal part of dorsal shield (lacks s1) and 17 pairs on opisthonotal region of dorsal shield; idiosoma 430–450.............................................................. G. gleba ( Karg, 1979)

- Dorsal setae not extremely reduced; Z5 not as above....................................................... 1 1

11. Dorsal shield with 37 pairs of setae..................................................................... 12

- Dorsal shield with 38–39 pairs of setae.................................................................. 14

12. Podonotal part of dorsal shield with 20 or 22 pairs of setae.................................................. 13

- Podonotal part of dorsal shield with 19 (lacks z3, s1 and r3) and opisthonotal region of dorsal shield with 18 pairs of setae (R5 located on dorsal shield between S4–5); without R series on lateral cuticle; idiosoma 420–460.. G. vertisimilis ( Karg, 1994)

13. Podonotal part of dorsal shield with 20 (lacks s1–2, and has r2–5) and opisthonotal region of dorsal shield with 17 pairs of setae (with Px1–2); opisthonotal region wider than podonotal part; with R1–2 and R4 on lateral cuticle; idiosoma 350–360................................................................................... G. verticis ( Karg, 1979)

- Podonotal part of dorsal shield with 22 pairs of setae, with complete s -series; opisthonotal region of dorsal shield with 15 pairs of setae (without Px1–2); podonotal part of dorsal shield wider than opisthonotal region; idiosoma 483–540........................................................................................... G. zhoumanshuae ( Ma, 1997)

14. Dorsal shield with 38 pairs of setae..................................................................... 15

- Dorsal shield with 39 pairs of setae..................................................................... 16

15. Dorsal seta z3 present, dorsal shield surface smooth; with very thin peritrematal plate, post-stigmatic plate narrow and expanded posteriorly to surround coxa IV........................................ G. orientalis ( Hafez et al., 1982)

- Dorsal seta z3 absent; dorsal shield surface with reticulated pattern posterior to J1; post-stigmatic plate small and extended to mid-level of coxa IV.................................................... G. lenis Vatankhah & Nemati sp. nov.

16. Epigynal shield extending close to anal shield, length/width nearly 3:1; iv2 slit-like; J2 located well laterad J1 ......... 17

- Epigynal shield not extending close to anal shield, length/width nearly 2:1; iv2 pore-like; J2 located behind of J1 ....... 18

17. Epigynal shield as wide as anal shield; z3 absent; with r2–5; margin of epistome like a pointed roof and serrate, Z5 = 45–52; idiosoma 650–670.................................................................. G. cerata ( Karg, 1982)

- Epigynal shield distinctly wider than anal shield; z3 present; with r2–4; margin of epistome arcuated and fine serrate, Z5 = 50– 56; idiosoma 660–720................................................................ G. loksai ( Karg, 2000)

18. Dorsal shield with one pair of zx setae, between z4 and z5 ................................. G. latopuga ( Karg, 2006)

- Dorsal shield without zx setae between z4 and z5 .......................................................... 19

19. Dorsal shield setae long enough to reach well past the base of next posterior seta, the length of j5 is longer than distance between j5 and j6, exterior margin of post-stigmatal plate with deep incision, sternal setae long enough to reach to the base of the next................................................................... G. dailingensis ( Ma & Yin, 1998)

- Dorsal shield setae shorter, central opisthonotal setae short, sometimes reaching base of next posterior seta but never past it, the length of j5 is shorter than distance between j5 and j6; sternal setae shorter and not reach to the base of the next..... 20

20. Palp tarsal claw 3-tined.................................................. G. bregetovae ( Shereef & Afifi, 1980)

- Palp tarsal claw 2-tined.............................................................................. 21

21. Dorsal shield clearly broadest at level of setae r3 (ratio of widths at r3/S3 level≈1.5), progressively tapering until s6, subparal- lel from s6 to level of S4........................................... G . khajooii Kazemi, Rajaei & Beaulieu, 2014

- Dorsal shield not as above............................................................................ 22

22. Lateral margins of epigynal shield parallel or nearly so..................................................... 23

- Lateral margins of epigynal shield not parallel, widest area of epigynal shield located behind epigynal setae........... 24

23. Surface of dorsal shield smooth; sternal shield with no defined anterior margin; without podal plate posterior to coxa IV, endo- podal plate III-IV small and triangular................................... G. arabicus ( Hafez, Elbadry & Nasr, 1982)

- Surface of dorsal shield reticulated; sternal shield with defined anterior margin; with podal plate posterior to coxa IV, endopo- dal plate III-IV elongate and angular.................................................................... 25

24. Surface of epigynal shield with polygonal reticulation; tarsus IV with two elongate pd2–3 setae....... G. nolli ( Karg, 1962)

- Surface of epigynal shield smooth; tarsus IV without such elongate setae...... G. mossadeghi Kavianpour & Nemati, 2014

25. Epigynal shield with scale-like reticulation, the distance between j5–j6 1.5 the length of j5; Z5 as long as other dorsal setae....................................................................... G. koseii ( Hafez, Elbadry & Nasr, 1982)

- Epigynal shield with polygonal reticulation, the distance between j5–j6 is thrice the length of j5; Z5 longer than other dorsal setae.......................................................................... G. similisetae ( Karg, 1965)