Anystipalpus labiduricola, Lindquist, Evert E. & Moraza, María L., 2009

Lindquist, Evert E. & Moraza, María L., 2009, Anystipalpus, Antennoseius and Vitzthumia: a taxonomic and nomenclatural conundrum of genera (Acari: Mesostigmata: Dermanyssina), with description of four species of Anystipalpus, Zootaxa 2243, pp. 1-39 : 23-27

Anystipalpus labiduricola n. sp.

( Figs 29–40 )

Diagnosis. ADULT FEMALE. Dorsal shield setae collectively similar in slightly carinated, smooth or slightly barbed, pointed form and length (about 0.7 to 0.8 as long as longitudinal intervals between their bases). Epigynal shield drop-shaped, with lateral margins constricted anterior to genital setae and posterior margin bluntly pointed. Peritrematal-exopodal shield with four or five lines radiating from stigma to broadly scalloped posterior margin. Coxa I with one seta (av) bluntly spinelike. Tarsus II lacking spinelike setae. Leg I with trochanter seta d and femoral seta pd2 barbed, slightly stout, pointed; other setae not markedly spinelike.

Description. ADULT FEMALE. Dorsal shields together 358–360 long, reticulated over entire surfaces, except posteromedial face between setae J5 and Z5 primarily longitudinally lineate ( Fig. 29 ). Podonotal shield 190–200 long, 182–187 wide at level of setae r2-r3, with 21 pairs of smooth or slightly barbed setae (j1-j6, z1- z6, s1-s6, r2 and two extra pairs in s3-s6 area), none conspicuously spinelike. Opisthonotal shield 158–166 long, 165–168 wide at level of setae S2, evenly rounded posteriorly, with 15 pairs of smooth or slightly barbed setae (J1-J5, Z1-Z5, S1-S5). Setae j1 (12) and z1 (8) short, slightly barbed ( Fig. 30 ), j1 slightly spinelike; other setae on dorsal shields (19–25) slightly thickened, narrowly keeled, acutely pointed ( Fig. 30 ), most about 0.7– 0.8 as long as longitudinal intervals between their bases; setae J5, Z5, S5 and sometimes others of Z and S series slightly barbed; setae J2 and J3 (25–26) slightly longer than subequally long J4, J5, Z5 (20–22); transverse interval between setae J5 (45–47) greater than those between J4 (28–32) and Z5 (37–38). Lateral soft cuticle with 13 to15 pairs of smooth setae (12–18), including r3-r6, R1-R7 and three or four pairs of UR setae.

Tritosternum with laciniae (68–70) free nearly to their bases, where fused for 7 µm and with denticulate fringe weakly formed above apical margin of tritosternal base. Presternal area with pair of narrow indistinct platelets adhered to anterior margin of sternal shield. Sternal shield 95–105 long from anterior presternal margin to irregularly straight posterior margin, 72 at narrowest width between coxae II, shield continuous with endopodal extensions between coxae I and II, II and III; shield surface evenly sclerotized, with pair of faint parallel longitudinal lines near mid-surface, flanked by other faint lines laterally, and anterior margin notched medially to level of st1 ( Fig. 35 ); sternal shield with one pair of poroids, iv2, and usually three pairs of attenuate setae, st3 barely on posterolateral corners of shield or sometimes barely off it; sternal setae progressively slightly shorter from st1 (23–25) to st3 (15–17). Setae st4 (15–17) inserted on soft cuticle. Endopodal strips weakly developed between coxae III and IV. Epigynal shield faintly lineated laterally, 92– 100 long from anterior margin of broadly rounded hyaline rim to bluntly pointed posterior margin, 38 at widest level between setae st5 (15), and 20 at narrowest width between legs IV. Opisthosomatic venter with 1 pair of small postgenital platelets, and with metapodal platelets irregularly oval (15 x 10), removed by about their greatest dimension from posterior margin of peritrematal-exopodal shields; anterior pair of small metapodal platelets amalgamated with expanded posterior margins of peritrematal-exopodal plates. Anal shield faintly reticulate-lineate, with paranal setae (14–15) slightly shorter than postanal seta (18–20); shield width (65–70) subequal to its length including cribrum; paranal sigillae protruding from shield’s lateral margins. Soft cuticle with ten pairs of simple opisthogastric setae JV1-JV5, ZV1-ZV5 flanked by three or four pairs of simple submarginal UR and marginal R setae. Peritrematal-exopodal shield with four or five lines radiating from stigma to broadly scalloped posteromedian margin ( Fig. 35 ); peritreme extends anteriorly to level of seta z1, where vertex curved ventrally. Spermathecal structures indiscernible in specimens at hand.

Tectum with anterior margin finely denticulate, convex; mid surface of tectum with transverse line of denticles well defined, concave medially ( Fig. 31 ). Cheliceral shaft, excluding basal section, 125 long, with slender digits; dorsal face of fixed digit on antiaxial side with pointed process extending to level of basal tooth of movable digit, seeming to cover movable digit in repose ( Fig. 32 ); fixed digit with row of five to seven weak teeth including barely offset subapical tooth along apical third and a tiny proximal tooth on masticatory margin ( Fig. 32 ); movable digit (38) bidentate, with vestige of process on midventral hardly perceptible ( Fig. 33 ). Subcapitulum ( Fig. 34 ) slender, elongate, its greatest width (72) at base about 0.7 its length (98) from capitular base to apex of corniculi; hypostome on a neck-like projection, such that longitudinal distance between hp3 and pc (35) over four times that between hp1 and hp3 (8). Deutosternum with seven transverse rows of denticles, all but seventh row connected laterally, similar in width, each with a single median denticle but sixth and sometimes seventh row with one or two denticles on either side ( Fig. 34 ). Corniculi normal in form, slightly longer than internal malae; subcapitular setae simple, hp1 (20–22) longer than capitular seta pc (15–16), and hp3 short (10), scarcely longer than hp2 (6–8). Palpus elongate (170–175), about 0.53 as long as leg I, each of palpal trochanter (42–43), femur (38), genu (36–38), tibia (40–41) similarly elongated ( Figs 36, 37 ), about 2.5–2.8 times as long as palptarsus (15–17); palptibia 3.8 times as long as wide; palptrochanter with more basal seta (15) half as long as more distal seta (28); apical pd seta of palptibia recurved, blunt (13) in distinction to adjacent setae.

Legs I (320–325) about 0.9 as long as collective length of the two dorsal shields; other leg lengths (excluding pretarsi): II (250–256), III (225–230), IV (288–300). Leg I length ratios, genu: tibia: tarsus, about 1.0: 0.9: 1.4–1.5; tarsus (75–77) slightly longer than femur (72–74). Coxa I with two or three small, raised bumps on ventral face ( Fig. 38 ); coxae I–IV lineate on posterior ventral surfaces (as in Fig. 7 ); basal seta av of coxa I and pv of coxa II modified as thick, conical, blunt spines (7–8); pv of coxa I, av of coxa II, and setae of coxae III–IV normal, slender, pv of coxa III and v of coxa IV short (12). Legs I to IV with chaetotactic formulae of femora, genua, tibiae as described for genus. Leg I with setae d (17) of trochanter and pd2 (22) of femur barbed, slightly stout, pointed, pd 1 of femur slightly thickened, pointed ( Fig. 38 ); other setae normal, slender. Legs II–IV without modified setae.

ADULT MALE and IMMATURES. Unknown.

Type material. HOLOTYPE, adult female: IRAN, North Khorasan Province, Esfarayen (36° 55' 29" N, 57° 44' 08" E) elevation 1,471 m, 26 June 2007, coll. S. Kazemi, ex. “earwig” ( Dermaptera : Labiduridae : Labidura sp.). PARATYPES: nine adult females, with same data as holotype: two deposited in the AETMU, Tehran, five in the MZUNAV, Pamplona, and two in the CNCI, Ottawa.

Etymology. The specific name, labiduricola , is based on the name of the genus of labidurid earwigs under whose tegmina these mites are phoretic.

Remarks. Adult females of Anystipalpus labiduricola are similar to those of Antennoseius (A.) longisetus Eidelberg, 2000 . Both forms are similar in the number and relatively long length of setae on the dorsal shields, in the forms of the sternal and epigynal shields, and in the scarcity of modified spinelike setae on leg I. Those of Antennoseius longisetus differ in the posterior dorsal shield having setae J4-J5, Z4-Z5, S5 conspicuously barbed, the narrowed neck of the epigynal shield more constricted between legs IV, none of the setae on coxae I and II modified, spinelike, and the chelicerae typical of Antennoseius , with the fixed digit multidenticulate along nearly the entire masticatory margin and the movable digit having a gutterlike process along its midventral face. No information was provided on the length of the palpi and their segments and on the degree of subcapitular elongation in A. longisetus .

Based on how the earwigs were collected and the location of a considerable number of the mites tightly positioned on several host specimens, the extraordinary finding of adult females of A. labiduricola phoretic on labidurid earwigs does not seem to be accidental. The earwigs were collected individually by hand under stones, and not in the presence of carabid beetles (S. Kazemi, personal communication). The mites were found by one of us (MLM) to occupy three different positions on the earwigs: (a) on the dorsal surface of the folded membranous hind wing, in the small depressions of the axillar region; (b) on the small depressions of the dorsal surface of the meso- and meta-notum, beneath the folded hind wing; and (c) between the plications in the distal region of the folded membranous hind wing (where these mites were at the same frontal level as the others, perhaps enabling them to move from one position to another). Further thoughts on this phoretic association are presented in the discussion.

Figures

FIGURES 29 – 34. Anystipalpus labiduricola n. sp., adult female: 29, idiosoma, dorsal aspect; 30, enlarged separate views of setae denoted; 31, anterior margin and dorsal face of tectum; 32, cheliceral digits, dorsal view, showing dorsal antiaxial projection; 33, separate ventral view of movable digit, showing vestige of ventral process; 34, subcapitulum.

FIGURES 35 – 38. Anystipalpus labiduricola n. sp., adult female: 35, idiosoma, ventral aspect; 36, palptarsus, enlarged view; 37, palpus, dorsal view; 38, leg I (excepting tarsus) posterolateral view.

FIGURES 39 – 42. Figs 39 – 40, Anystipalpus labiduricola n. sp., adult female: 39, tarsus I, dorsal view; 40, tarsus I, detail of distal sensorial region. Figs 41 – 42, Anystipalpus kazemii n. sp., adult female: 41 a, palpus excepting tarsus, dorsal view; 41 b, palptarsus, dorsal view; 42 a, leg I excluding coxa and tarsus, dorsolateral view; 42 b, tarsus I, dorsal view.

FIGURES 7 – 10. Anystipalpus percicola Berlese, adult female: 7, idiosoma, ventral aspect; 8, tarsus II excluding pretarsus, dorsal view; 9, leg I excluding coxa and tarsus, dorsal view; 10 a, chelicera, dorsal view; 10 b, separate ventral view of distal part of fixed digit; 10 c, separate antiaxial view of movable digit.