Abalakeus gonabadensis, Ahmadi & Hajiqanbar & Saboori, 2012

Ahmadi, S., Hajiqanbar, H. & Saboori, A., 2012, A New Species Of The Genus Abalakeus (Acari, Erythraeidae) From Iran, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 58 (2), pp. 169-176 : 170-175

Abalakeus gonabadensis sp. n.

( Figs 1–16 )

Diagnosis. Larva with the following features: fD = 50; fV = 11; fnTi = 14–15–15; fnGe = 9–8–8; fζ = 1–1–1; fε = 0–0–0; fCp = I (1–1), II (0–0), III (0–0); solenidion present on TFe I.

Description. Holotype Larva: color red when alive. Idiosoma oval ( Fig. 1 ). Scutum either pentagonal or oval in outline ( Figs 1 and 4 ), slightly wider than long with slightly concave anterior bor- der, straight anterolateral borders and slightly convex posterolateral borders; AL longer than PL, both fully barbed. Anterior pair of sensilla (AM) shorter than posterior one (S), both barbed in distal ¼. Scutum finely punctate and striated; distance between the SB bases greater than AA; ISD greater than AP ( Fig. 4 ).

A pair of eyes posterolateral to scutum on each side ( Fig. 1 ). Eye plate absent. Anterior eyes 16 in diameter, posterior ones 10 in diameter. Ventral surface of idiosoma bearing 11 barbed setae posterior to coxae III ( Fig. 2 ). All ventral setae barbed. Sternalae with short barbs. Coxae I-III each with one seta; coxalae 1b longer than other coxalae and with fine barbs ( Fig. 2 ). Coxal fields punctate. Supracoxal seta of leg I (eI) small, peg-like and 3 long. Tarsi with median claw-like empodium, falciform anterior claw; posterior claw a spoon-like rod, without hook element but with long, divided onychotrichs. NDV= 50 + 11= 61.

Leg setal formula: Leg I ( Figs 5–8 ): Ta-1ω, 2ζ, 1Cp, 24n; Ti-2ϕ, 1Cp, 1κ, 14n; Ge-1σ, 1κ, 9n; TFe-1ρ, 5n; BFe-2n; Tr- 1n. Leg II ( Figs 9–12 ): Ta-1ω, 1ζ, 25n; Ti-2ϕ, 15n; Ge-1σ, 1κ, 8n; TFe-5n; BFe-2n; Tr- 1n. Leg III ( Figs 13–16 ): Ta-1ζ, 24n; Ti-1ϕ, 15n; Ge-1σ, 8n; TFe-5n; BFe-1n; Tr- 1n. Leg segments punctate, all leg setae with small barbs usually hardly visible.

Gnathosoma with smooth galealae (Ga) and hypostomalae (Hy), 26 and 39 long respectively ( Fig. 3 ). Palp trochanter without seta, palpal femur and genu each with one barbed seta, tibia with two barbed setae and one nude seta; palpal tibial claw bifid. Tarsus with six setae including solenidion and eupathidium ( Fig. 3 ). fPp = 0-B-B-BBN 2 –4Nωζ. Cheliceral base punctate. Supracoxal seta of palp (eP), minute, peg-like.

Measurements are given in Table 1.

Material studied: holotype, larva, Gonabad, Khorasan Razavi province, Northeastern Iran, 34° 11’ N, 58° 32’ E, 1622 m a.s.l. 29-IV–2010. H. HAJIQANBAR leg., ectoparasitic on Aphis craccivora KOCH. ( Hemiptera : Aphididae ) (HH-20111121–1 a); Paratypes, 3 larvae, Sysab, Khorasan Razavi province, Northeastern Iran. 25-VI–2010. H. HAJIQANBAR leg., ectoparasitic on Dociostaurus cf. tartarus (STSHELKANOVTZEV) ( Orthoptera : Acrididae ) (HH-20111121-1b-1c-1d). The holotype, one paratype and host insects are deposited in the Acarological Collection, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. One paratype is deposited in each of the followings: Zoological Institute, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Acarological Collection, Zoological Museum, College of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the type locality Gonabad.

Remarks. Abalakeus gonabadensis sp. n. differs from A. bambusae by shape of scutum (oval vs pentagonal) and claws (anterior claw falciform and posterior one spoonlike vs feather like), number of solenidia on TFe I (1 vs 0), fζ (2–1–1 vs 2–2–0), fε (0–0–0 vs 1–1–0), number of setae on Ti III (15 vs 14), Ta I (24 vs 27), Ta II (25 vs 23), Ta III (24 vs 25), presence of Cp on Ti I (vs absent), absence of Cp on Ta II (vs present); from A. chekei in the number of solenidia on Ta I (1 vs 2), Ge III (1 vs 0), presence of Cp on Ti I (vs. absent), absence of Cp on Ta II (vs present), number of setae on Ti I (14 vs 10), Ge II (8 vs 6), Ti II (15 vs 13), Ta II (25 vs. 17), Ti III (15 vs 14); from A. jahromiensis in the number of solenidia on TFe I (1 vs 0), Ge II (1 vs 0), Ge III (1 vs 0), number of setae on Ta II (25 vs 20), Ta III (24 vs 20), and from A. lorestanicus in the number of setae on Ti II (15 vs 14), Ge I (9 vs 8), presence of Cp on Ta I (vs absent), absence of famulus on Ta I (vs present). Some larval morphometric data of Abalakeus gonabadensis sp. n. and other species of the genus Abalakeus are compared in Table 2.

KEY TO SPECIES OF THE ABALAKEUS OF THE WORLD (LARVA)

1 One solenidion on TFe I 2

– Without solenidion on TFe I. 4

2 One solenidion on Ge III 3

– Without solenidion on Ge III A. checkei SOUTHCOTT, 1994

3 Ti III 262–301, Ti I 192–213 A. lorestanicus SABOORI et LACHINANI, 2003

– Ti III 118–179, Ti I 121–154 A. gonabadensis sp. n.

4 Ti III 425–550, AL 130–140 A. bambusae ZHANG, 2000

– Ti III 220–302, AL 61–70 A. jahromiensis SEDGHI, SABOORI et HAKIMITABAR, 2010

and other species of the genus Abalakeus .

Character A. gonabadensis A. bambusae A. chekei A. jahromiensis A. lorestanicus

*

Acknowledgements – We are grateful to Drs. ALI REZWANI (Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Tehran, Iran) and ROMAIN NATTIER (Departement Systematique et Evolution, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France) for the identification of the aphid and the acridid insect hosts, respectively. This research was partly funded by a grant (No. 88001046) from the “ Iran National Science Foundation” and partly from the “Office of vice president for research affairs, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran ” which is greatly appreciated.

Figures

Figs 1–4. Abalakeus gonabadensis sp. n. (larva) – 1 = dorsal view of idiosoma; 2 = ventral view of idiosoma; 3 = dorsal view (right) and ventral view (left) of gnathosoma; 4 = scutum

Figs 5–12. Abalakeus gonabadensis sp. n. (larva) – 5 = leg I, trochanter-telofemur; 6 = Ge I; 7 = Ti I, 8 = Ta I; 9 = Leg II, trochanter-telofemur; 10 = Ge II; 11 = Ti II; 12 = Ta II

Figs 13–16. Abalakeus gonabadensis sp. n. (larva) – 13 = leg III, trochanter-telofemur;14 = Ge III; 15 = Ti III; 16 = Ta III