Proparholaspulus Ishikawa, 1980

Quintero-Gutiérrez, Edwin Javier & Halliday, Bruce, 2021, Review of the mite family Parholaspididae Evans, 1956 (Acari: Mesostigmata), Zootaxa 5005 (4), pp. 401-459 : 437

Genus Proparholaspulus Ishikawa, 1980

Proparholaspulus Ishikawa, 1980a: 23 . Type species Proparholaspulus suzukii Ishikawa, 1980 , by original designation. Indutolaelaps Karg, 1997: 210 . Type species Indutolaelaps squamosus Karg, 1997 , by original designation (new synonymy).

Note: Karg (1997) pointed out that the genitiventrianal shield in the female of Indutolaelaps is very similar to that of Neoparholaspulus . He considered this similarity between the Parholaspididae and Leptolaelapidae to be convergent, because Indutolaelaps squamosus lacks another diagnostic character state for the Parholaspididae and Macrochelidae , namely the conspicuous arthrodial brush at the base of the movable digit of the chelicera. However, Proparholaspulus pasohensis is certainly a member of the Parholaspididae , but has only a very small arthrodial brush ( Ishikawa, 1976, his Figure 31), so this character state cannot be considered as diagnostic for the family. Species in the related families Eviphididae and Pachylaelapidae also have a very small arthrodial brush, or only a membranous flap, so this state may be plesiomorphic in the Eviphidoidea . Karg (1997) also drew attention to the unusual spermatodactyl in the male of I. squamosus . His Figure 2D shows a long backward-directed spermatodactyl as is typical of the Eviphidoidea , but with an additional ventrally-directed branch near its base. This unusual bifurcate form of the spermatodactyl is also seen in other Parholaspididae , including Neparholaspis spathulatus ( Evans, 1956, his Figure 36), N. simplex ( Evans, 1956, his Figure 40), Parholaspis maunaloaensis ( Tenorio & Marshall, 1977, their Figure 12 ), Gamasholaspis gamasoides ( Tenorio & Marshall, 1977, their Figure 22), Parholaspis desertus ( Evans, 1956, his Figure 54). On the basis of this evidence, we transfer Indutolaelaps squamosus into the genus Proparholaspulus , and Indutolaelaps becomes a junior synonym.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Neparholaspis spp. A. Dorsal setae of different shapes: ++some species; B. Common pattern of the ventral idiosoma with expulsory vesicles and conspicuous poroid. Inset, alternative form of pre-sternal platelets; C. Epistome; D. Lateral (antiaxial) view of chelicera. Inset, cheliceral seta. Not to scale.

FIGURE 12. Lattinella spp. A. Typical forms of dorsal shield setae; B. Common pattern of the ventral idiosoma, inset, alternative form of pre-sternal platelets; C. Epistome; D. Lateral (antiaxial) view of chelicera. Not to scale.