Laelaspis mandibularis (Ewing)

Keum, Eunsun, Jung, Chuleui & Joharchi, Omid, 2017, New species and new records of the family Laelapidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Republic of Korea, Zootaxa 4353 (3), pp. 485-505 : 498-499

Laelaspis mandibularis (Ewing)

Laelaps mandibularis Ewing, 1909: 65 .

Hypoaspis (Laelaspis) johnieae Hunter & Glover, 1968: 70 (junior synonymy by Hennessey & Farrier, 1988: 31; Farrier & Hennessey, 1993: 81).

Laelaspis mandibularis .— Hennessey & Farrier, 1988: 31; Farrier & Hennessey, 1993: 81.

Hypoaspis sardous .— Keum et. al., 2016: 478 (misidentification).

Hypoaspis imitates (sic). — Kontschán et. al., 2015: 34 (misidentification).

Specimens examined: five females and two males, Andong, Gyeongbuk province, Republic of Korea, 36°33′ N, 128°40' E, alt. 683 m, 23 May 2009, E. Keum coll., from riparian soil (deposited in PMANU) ; seven females and one male, Yeongju , Gyeongbuk province, Republic of Korea, 36°50′ N, 128°28′ E, alt. 542 m, 27 April 2012, E. Keum coll., from soil of organic apple orchard (deposited in PMANU) ; six females and four males, Hoengseong , Gangwon province, Republic of Korea, 37°31′ N, 128°09' E, alt. 584 m, 12 April 2014, E. Keum & C. Jung coll., from soil of grassland (deposited in PMANU) .

Notes. Laelaspis mandibularis was described from the U.S.A. from an unknown habitat ( Ewing, 1909). Hennessey & Farrier (1988) and Farrier & Hennessey (1993) considered that Laelaspis johnieae ( Hunter & Glover, 1968) is a junior synonym of Laelaspis mandibularis . Laelaspis johnieae was described from Florida, U.S.A., and it has been found from moist sand pine litter ( Hunter & Glover, 1968). Kontschán et. al. (2015) reported Laelaspis imitatus Reitblat from Republic of Korea on the basis of one specimen collected from pitfall traps baited with beer in Korean red pine forest. We have not had the opportunity to examine that specimen, but on the basis of some published illustrations of the specimen ( Kontschán et. al., 2015), we believe this was a misidentified specimen of L. mandibularis . The species L. mandibularis is easily recognised by: the long pointed dorsal setae (reaching well past base of next posterior seta) with slightly swollen bases; sternal shield with a distinctly concave posterior margin; fixed digit of chelicera with four teeth (two large and two minute); and the pore-like structure between the setae Z1 and Zx large and clearly apparent.