Aegyptobia bromi, Khanjani, Masoumeh, Khanjani, Mohammad & Seeman, Owen D., 2012

Khanjani, Masoumeh, Khanjani, Mohammad & Seeman, Owen D., 2012, The false spider mites of the genera Aegyptobia Sayed and Phytoptipalpus Trägårdh (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) from Iran, Zootaxa 3295, pp. 30-58 : 31-34

Aegyptobia bromi sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–9 )

Diagnosis. Hysterosoma with 13 pairs of setae (f2 present). Prodorsal projections pointed, extending to end of trochanter I. All dorsal setae broadly lanceolate, barbed and subequal size. Prodorsum and hysterosoma anteriorly with coarse, irregular striae; posterior hysterosoma with irregular reticulation. Ventral idiosoma with fine striae between coxae II–III, broken coarse longitudinal striae between coxae III–IV, and coarse weakly formed striae on ventral opisthosoma. Ventral and genital plate smooth; setae ps1–3 arranged along posterior (ps1) and medial (ps2–3) margin of anal plate. Palp tibia with 1 seta; palp genu without seta and palp femur with 2 setae. Palp tarsal phaneres rayed, solenidion about 2/3 length of eupathidia. Trochanter III with 2 setae; genu III with 1 seta; femur I–III, genu I–II and tibia I–II with 1 spatulate seta. Tarsal claws pad-like with tenent hairs.

Description

FEMALE (Holotype). Color in life red. Idiosoma oval. Measurements (measurements of 9 paratypes in parentheses): length of body (excluding gnathosoma) 287 (301–323); (including gnathosoma) 311 (270–295); width 162 (158–171); length of leg I 127 (118–136); leg II 112 (108–128); leg III 102 (95–107), leg IV 111 (100– 115).

Dorsum ( Fig. 1 ). Anterior margin of prodorsum with projections pointed. Idiosoma mostly with wavy irregular striae, tending to reticulation on posterior hysterosoma. Area surrounding sejugal suture with broken transverse striae. Dorsal setae broadly lanceolate, barbed. Distance between setae v2–v2 2.5 times length of seta v2; lengths of dorsal setae: v2 16 (13–17), sc1 13 (12–16), sc2 14 (10–15), c1 14 (12–15), c 2 14 (11–15), c 3 15 (10–13), d1 13 (11– 13), d2 13 (11–14), d3 13 (10–14), e1 13 (11–14), e2 13 (11–14), e3 15 (10–15), f2 13 (12–15), f3 13 (11–15) h1 14 (11–15), h2 13 (11–15); distances between dorsal setae: v2–v2 42 (42–49), v2 –sc1 33 (30–37), sc1–sc1 87 (86–93), sc2–sc2 115 (114–122), sc1–sc2 30 (24–32), c1–c1 36 (38–43), c1–c2 36 (33–42), c2–c3 23 (12–27), c3–c3 150 (133– 156), c1–d1 34 (32–36), c2–d2 37 (32–43), c3–d3 53 (47–53), c2–c2 107 (107–113), d1–d1 32 (28–35), d1–d2 35 (31– 42), d2–d3 27 (14–27), d2–d2 101 (98–108), d3–d3 134 (131–141), d1– e 1 49 (42–50), e1– e 1 25 (19–23), e1– e 2 35 (32– 40), e2– e 2 92 (85–94), e2– e 3 29 (21–30), e3–e3 121 (112–124), f2–f2 84 (79–86), f3–f3 103 (97–107), f3–h2 26 (16–27), h1–h1 29 (28–32), h1–h2 21 (18–25), h2–h2 66 (68–74), e1–h1 67 (58–71).

Venter ( Fig. 2 ). Intercoxal area between coxae I–II smooth and also III–IV with coarse broken longitudinal striae; area between setae la to 3a and posteriad 4a with broadly transverse striae. Length of setae la 53 (45–62), 1b 22 (20–28), 1c 14 (13–16), 2b 14 (13–18), 2c 15 (14–16), 3a 14 (13–18), 3b 14 (12–16), 4a 15 (12–16), and 4b 13 (11–14). Ventral setae fine, setae 1a about 4 times longer than aggenital setae (ag) 12 (10–15). Ventral shield and genital shield smooth ( Fig. 2 ); aggenital (ag) setae serrate and almost as long as genital setae (g1–2); inner pair (g1) posterior than outer pair (g2); anal setae (ps1–2) about as long as genital setae; anal setae arranged along posteromedial and medial margins of anal shields; setae g1 12 (10–13), g2 12 (10–13), ps1 12 (11–14), ps 2 11 (10– 13), ps3 9 (6–11). Distances: ag–ag 30 (28–33), g1–g1 19 (14–22), g2–g2 41 (37–42), g1–g2 12 (8–13). Spermatheca as in Fig. 2 .

Gnathosoma ( Figs. 2–5 ). Rostrum normal and as indicated in Fig. 2 ; tarsus with 1 solenidion plus 2 eupathidia, rayed, with solenidion about 2/3 length of eupathidia; palp tibia with 2 setae; palp genu without seta and palp femur with 1 dorsal barbed seta ( Fig. 3 ). Subcapitulum and chelicerae as in Figs. 4 and 5 respectively.

Legs ( Figs. 6–9 ): Setal formulae of leg I–IV segments as follows (solenidia in parentheses): coxae 2-2-1-1; trochanters 1-1-2-1; femora 4-4-2-1; genua 3-3-1-0; tibiae 4-4-3-3; tarsi 9(1) - 9(1)-5-5. Tarsal claws pad-like, with tenent hairs.

MALE and immature stages. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype female and 9 female paratypes collected from Bromus tectorum L., under gum bushes, Astragalus gossypinus Fisch. (Fabaceae) , IRAN: Hamedan Province, Hamedan (34º45ʹN, 48º31ʹE, 2015 m a.s.l), 20 September 2010, coll. M. Khanjani.

Type deposition. Holotype female (slide-mounted)— CALBS; 2 paratypes—QMA.

Etymology. The new species is named after the genus name of the host plant, Bromus tectorum L., from which it was collected.

Remarks. The new species can be distinguished from most other species in the macswaini group by the long prodorsal projections. Such projections are also found in A. perscia Khosrowshahi and Arbabi, 1997 , but this species has slender dorsal setae. The long prodorsal projections, along with the absence of metapodal plates, makes A. bromi resemble species of Pseudoleptus . However, because of the weak ventral plate and dorsal reticulation (forming a complete opisthonotal shield), we consider this species an Aegyptobia .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Aegyptobia bromi sp. nov. (female): 1. Dorsum; 2. Venter; 3. Palp; 4. Ventral gnathosoma; 5. Chelicerae.

FIGURES 6 – 9. Aegyptobia bromi sp. nov. (female): 6. Leg I (Right); 7. Leg II (Right); 8. Leg III (Right); 9. Leg IV (Right).