Platyseius persicus, Kazemi, Shahrooz, Payandeh, Majid & Saberi, Sepideh, 2016

Kazemi, Shahrooz, Payandeh, Majid & Saberi, Sepideh, 2016, A new species of Platyseius Berlese (Acari: Mesostigmata: Blattisociidae) from Iran, and a key to the world species of the genus, Zootaxa 4139 (4), pp. 566-574 : 568-572

Platyseius persicus sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Dorsal shield with 32 pairs of heterogeneous setae, 20 pairs on podonotal (r5 off shield, z6 absent) and 12 pairs on opisthonotal regions of shield, including only J 4–5 in J -series; setae j3 conspicuously longer than other J -j -series setae, not reaching to j5 level; length of setae j3> j2> Z5> j6> J4> j4> j5; some of dorsal shield setae elongated, but shorter than half width of dorsal shield. Sternal setae st2–3 longer than distance between st2–3 insertions. Ventrianal shield bearing five pairs of setae plus circumanals; setae JV4 thickened, JV3 longest, postanal seta shorter and narrower than para-anals; anal opening almost on anterior third of ventrianal shield. Distance between fifth and sixth rows of deutosternum 1.45–1.5 that between fourth and fifth rows. Leg setae mostly short, most setae especially on femora, genua and tibiae I–IV, except tibiae I, thickened; setae av on femora I–II short, those on femora III–IV and seta pv on femora II slender, relatively elongated; setae ad3 on tarsi II–IV, pl2 on tarsus II, pd3 on tarsus III and mv on tarsi II and IV elongated, strip-like (setae mv on tarsi II and IV narrower), tapering and usually curved near ¼ apex; setae ad1 and pd1 on tarsi II–IV elongated, strip-like especially near base.

Description ( Figs 1–14 )

Female (n=4). Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 1 ). Dorsal idiosoma mostly covered by dorsal shield, only narrow band of soft cuticle exposed posteriorly, 584–616 long. Dorsal shield 556–590 long, 460–482 wide, mostly smooth, with 32 pairs of heterogeneous setae, mostly smooth, except J4, Z5 and J5 ( Figs 2–3 ); j1 (19–24), z1 (16–31), j4 (31– 36), j5 (19–28), z5 (20–25) slender, short; j6 (62–71) moderately slender, longer, j2 (79–88); s1 (68–79), s2 (72– 86), r2–4 (72–89), Z4 (60–79) slightly thickened, moderate in length; J4 (48–58), Z5 (71–84) thickened, with dense minute barbs, Z5 bent apically; J5 (6–9) very short, divided or pectinate; other setae elongated, up to 215 long, relatively thickened, gradually tapered and apically bent. Dorsal shield with 23 pairs of pore-like structures including 16 pairs of poroids (oval-shaped symbols) and seven pairs of gland pores (circular symbols). Dorsal shield sigillae and punctate area as in Figure 1 .

Ventral idiosoma ( Figs 5–6 ). Tritosternum with narrow, short, columnar base, 34–36 long, 25–27 wide at base, 12–13 apically, and prominent laciniae fused proximally, free for 95–106, fused 75–79 ( Fig. 6 ). Tritosternum basally flanked by four, rarely three, pairs of small platelets. Presternal region unornamented. Sternal shield 103– 107 long, 114–122 wide, anterior margin of shield widely slightly notched, posterior margin concave, shield surface laterally lineate and medially faintly punctate, bearing three pairs of smooth setae, st1 fine, needle-like, very short (8–11), st2 (38–45) and st3 (46–59) slender, whip-like; with two pairs of slit-like poroids iv1–2. Smooth metasternal setae (18–21) and slit-like poroids iv3 on metasternal platelets flanked by narrow endopodals between coxae III–IV. Epigynal shield 183–195 long, 92–100 wide, reticulated, anterior hyaline margin of shield triangular, apically tapered, posterior margin nearly straight; with pair of smooth slender setae st5 (27–34). Ventrianal shield broad, wider than long, 219–225 long, 340–347 wide, reticulated anteriorly; bearing five pairs of ventral setae in addition to circumanal setae, JV2 (33–38), ZV2 (37–43) slender, whip-like, JV3 (84–98) longest, JV4 (58–65) thickened, ZV3 (58–71); anal opening on nearly anterior third of shield; para-anal setae slightly thickened, 31–36 long, inserted on posterior level of anal opening, postanal seta slender (23–25); gland pores gv3 inserted on anterolateral margins of shield. Soft integument including three pairs of subrectangular platelets, including two pairs of postgenital platelets, six pairs of smooth setae: JV1 (29–33), r5 (76–87), R1 (70–77) and R4 (68–80) narrow, R5 (104–112) and JV5 (79–91) thickened, and five pairs of poroids (including iv5). Peritrematal shields broad, anteriorly fused to dorsal shield at mid-level of coxae II, posteriorly fused with sub-oval metapodal platelets and exopodals between coxae III–IV, bearing six pairs of pore-like structures: three pairs of poroids and three pairs of gland pores (including gv2). Peritremes wide, anterior extremities mutually continuous, posteriorly widely reaching to hind of peritrematal shields, bearing pair of bright spots at posterior level of coxae III (probably gland pores). Sperm-reception structures as in Figure 7 .

Gnathosoma ( Figs 4 , 8–9 ). Epistome triramous anteriorly, tines subequal in size and denticulate apically ( Fig. 4 ). Subcapitulum with pair of internal malae, laterally slightly fringed, longer than corniculi; corniculi stout, hornlike, 52–54 long; setae h1 (91–95) and internal palp-trochanter setae (106–115) elongated and strip-like, only tapered near apex, h2 (50–52), h3 (62–64), pc (47–50) simple; deutosternum with eight rows of denticles, including an apical straight row and seven multidentate posterior rows, anterior three rows connected, distance between fifth and sixth rows 1.45–1.5 that between fourth and fifth rows ( Fig. 8 ). Basal segment of chelicera 106–114 long; second segment of chelicera 249–258 long, 45–50 wide; fixed digit of chelicera 7 4–76 long, with relatively large subapical tooth followed by short ridge and ca. 12–15 minute denticles, pilus dentilis setiform, dorsal cheliceral seta slender, finely blunt; movable digit 95–103 long, with two small denticles on anterior third; with small hyaline flap behind movable digit. Palp segments with 2-5-6-14 -15 setae, palp-tarsus apotele two tined.

Legs. All legs with ambulacrum and claws, those on legs I (16–18) smaller than others: II (61–63), III (72–74), IV (72–74); claws on legs II–IV flanked by relatively elongated flagellate paradactyli, shorter than half length of related ad1 and pd1 setae; median lobe of their pulvilli acute. Lengths of legs I–IV 725–748, 601–612, 642–657, 853–881, respectively. Lengths of femora I 159–161, II 131–141, III 149–157, IV 206–216; genua I 128–131, II 71 –75, III 7 4–78, IV 103–106; tibiae I 133–136, II 60 –62, III 71 –74, IV 102–106; tarsi I 183–186, II 195–205, III 209–221, IV 295–300. Complement of setae on segments of legs I-II-III-IV: coxae 2-2-2-1; trochanters 6-5-5-5; femora (2 3/1 2/1 2)- (2 3/1 2/1 1) - (1 2/1 2/0 0) - (1 2/1 2/0 0); genua (2 3/2 3/1 2) - (2 3/1 2/0 2) - (2 2/1 2/0 1) - (2 2/1 3/0 1); tibiae (2 3/2 3/1 2) - (2 2/1 1/1 2) - (2 1/1 2/1 2) - (2 1/1 3/1 2); and those for tarsi II-IV: 18-18-18. Leg setae mostly short and relatively thickened, as in species diagnosis.

Material examined. Holotype: female northeastern Iran, Khorasan Razavi Province, Kashmar County (35˚ 24' 7" N; 58˚ 27' 54" E), altitude 1637 m above sea level, from soil and litter near an aqueduct in a walnut orchard, 13 Oct 2014, deposited in ACISTE. Five paratype females with the same collection data in ACISTE; one paratype female with the same collection data, deposited in MfN ; three females collected in north Iran, Mazandaran Province, Nowshahr County (36˚ 38' 17" N; 51˚ 30' 45" E), from soil and litter, 6 May 2015, deposited in ACISTE.

Etymology. The species name “ persicus ” refers to the ancient name of Iran, the country of origin of the species.

Remarks. The new species can be placed in the subglaber species group by: presence of only two pairs of setae J 4–5 in opisthonotal region of dorsal shield, metapodal platelets united with peritrematal shields, Z5 thicker than adjacent setae, and five pairs of setae on ventrianal shield. Platyseius persicus is distinguished from other members of subglaber species group by: setae j6 only slightly shorter than Z5; setae j3 conspicuously elongated, more than 4.5 times longer than j4; and length of setae j3> j2> Z5> j6> J4> j4> j5.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Platyseius persicus. Female. 1. Dorsal idiosoma; 2 – 3. Details of some dorsal shield setae; 4. Epistome.

FIGURES 5 – 9. Platyseius persicus. Female. 5. Ventral idiosoma; 6. Tritosternum; 7. Sperm-reception structure; 8. Subcapitulum and palp; 9. Chelicera.

FIGURES 10 – 14. Platyseius persicus. Female. 10. Pretarsus I; 11. Leg I, excluding tarsus and pretarsus; 12 – 14. Legs II – IV.