Stigmaeus malekii Haddad, Bagheri & Khanjani

Irani-Nejad, Karim Haddad, Bagheri, Mohammad, Khanjani, Mohammad, Kamali, Karim & Saboori, Alireza, 2006, A new species of Stigmaeus Koch (Acari: Stigmaeidae) from Northwest of Iran, Zootaxa 1354, pp. 57-61 : 58-61

Stigmaeus malekii Haddad, Bagheri & Khanjani n. sp.

( Figs. 1–7 )

FEMALE (n=5): Measurements of holotype (variations in measurements of paratypes in parentheses): Length of body (including gnathosoma) 492 (487–490), (excluding gnathosoma) 425 (421–427), width 200 (197–202) ( Fig. 1 ).

Gnathosoma: Subcapitulum smooth, with 2 pairs of subcapitular (m, n) and 2 pairs of adoral setae (or1, or2) ( Fig. 2 ). Palpal chaetotoxy: tarsus with 1 terminal tridentate eupathidium + 1 solenidion + 4 tactile setae; tibia with 1 well-developed claw + 1 accessory claw + 2 tactile setae; genua with 2 tactile setae; femur with 3 serrate setae ( Fig. 3 ).

Dorsum: Idiosoma oval, dorsal shields smooth, region between base of chelicerae and margin of prodorsal shield punctuated, eyes absent ( Fig. 1 ). Prodorsal shield subtriangular, bearing 3 pairs of setae; ve longer than others and sce situated on small shields. Humeral shields with setae c2. Median and zonal shields fused, with 3 pairs of setae (c1, d1, e1), lateral zonal and intercalary shields oval and each with 1 pair of setae (e2 and f1 respectively). Suranal shield entire, with 2 pairs of setae (h1, h2). All dorsal setae slightly serrate;, lengths of dorsal setae as follows (paratypes in parentheses): vi 23 (22–25), ve 85 (83–86), sci 20 (18–19), sce 53 (47–48), c1 23 (19–22), c2 67 (65–69), d1 23 (21–24), d2 22 (20–23), e1 27 (22–25), e2 41 (40–43), f1 39 (33–37), h1 39 (39–40), h2 45 (42–45); distances between setae: vi– vi 29 (30–31), ve–ve 40 (40–42), vi–ve 27 (25–27), sci–sci 73 (71–74), ve–sci 22 (21–22), sce–sce 112 (109–114), sci–sce 23 (20–22), sce–c2 71(70–71), c1–c1 50(46–52), c1– c2 64(55–65), d1–d1 51(47–53), c1–d1 52 (51–60), d1–d2 50 (45–47), d2– e 2 63 (67–70), d1– e 2 65 (52–63), e1–d2 83 (80–84), d2–d2 143 (135–142), e1– e 1 45 (40–45), e2–e2 138 (95–120), e1– e 2 31(26–35), f1–f1 61 (60–65), e1–f1 30 (26–32), e2–f1 40 (35–41), h1–h1 25 (25–27), h2–h2 72 (65–70), h 1–h2 22 (19–21), f–h1 31(32–37), and f–h2 35 (30–36).

Ven te r: Coxisternal shields divided, smooth ( Fig. 2 ); sternal shield with 1 pair of setae(1a), metasternal shield with 2 pairs of setae (3a and 4a); ventral setae short and simple; anogenital area with 3 pairs of agential setae (ag1–ag3) and 3 pairs of pseudoanal setae (ps1–ps3). Dimension of setae as follows: 1a 22, 2 a, 4a 18 (18–20), g 14, ag1 18 (18–20), ag2 23(21–23), ag3 21(18–22), ps1 38 (36–31), ps2 15 (12–15), ps3 22 (14–15).

Legs ( Figs. 4–7 ): Chaetotaxy of leg segments as follows (solenidia in parentheses): coxae 2-2-2-2, trochanters 1-1-2-1, femora 6-4-3-2, genua 3-3-1-1, tibiae 6(1)6-6-6, tarsi 12(1)-7(1)-7(1)-7(1). All setae smooth.

Male: Unknown.

Type materials: Holotype female and 4 paratype females, collected from apple litter, Tabriz, East Azarbaijan province, Iran, July 2004, M. Bagheri.

The type materials are preserved as slide mounted specimens. The holotype and 2 paratypes are deposited in the Acarological Collection, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran. Two paratype females will be deposited in the British Museum (Natural history), London, UK.

Remarks: This species resembles S. fissicomus Ueckermann & Meyer, 1987 in the number of the dorsal shields and the setal formula of trochanters. However, it differs from S. fissicomus by the shape of the dorsal body setae, the dorsal shield pattern and genual setal formula. The prodorsal reticulation are rosette-like areas and ventral plates are reticulated in the S. fissicomus , they are smooth in the new species.

Etymology: The species is named in honor of Dr. Hassan Maleki Milani (Prof. of Entomology) for his great efforts to develop of entomology and the exchange of entomological information among Iranian entomologists.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Stigmaeus malekii Haddad, Bagheri & Khanjani n. sp. 1, dorsal view of female; 2, ventral view of female; 3, palp of female; 4, leg I of female; 5, leg II of female; 6, leg III of female; 7, leg IV of female.