Hypoaspis

Joharchi, Omid, Ostovan, Hadi & Babaeian, Esmaeil, 2014, A new species of Hypoaspis Canestrini from Iran (Acari: Laelapidae), with a key to the species occurring in the Western Palaearctic Region, Zootaxa 3846 (4), pp. 569-576 : 570-571

Hypoaspis sp.— Damghani, 2001: 59.

( Figures 1–8 )

Type material. Holotype female, Bam, Kerman province, Iran, August 1999, Reza Damghani coll., on adult female of Oryctes elegans Prell. ( Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae ). Paratypes: 10 females taken from same host specimen as the holotype.

Description (Female)

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 1 ). Length 684–700, width at level of r5, 494–520. Dorsal shield oval, without lateral incisions, length 580–650, width at level of r5, 420–450 (n= 11), shield without distinct reticulate ornamentation over whole surface only with weak reticulation, more distinct in opisthonotal region. Dorsal shield with 37 pairs of smooth and pointed setae, 20 pairs on podonotal shield (j1–6; z1–6; s1–6; r4–5), plus r2, r3 and r6 off the shield, on the soft skin, 17 pairs on the opisthonotal shield (J1–5, Z1–5, S1–5), including two pairs of Zx setae between J and Z setae; Z4 longest (124–126) and slightly wavy, j3 (77–80) not very long, only reaching base of j4 but never past it, j4 (62–65) only reaching base of j5 (50–53). Setal lengths: j 1-2 50-54, j6 50-52, z 1 12-13, z 5-6 54-62 and J1 45-46, J2 37-38, J3, J4 40-41, J 5 25-26, Z5 45-47, S5 37 -38. Shield with 19 pairs of pore-like structures, apparently including six pairs of gland pores (labelled gd in Figure 1 ) and 13 pairs of poroids; lyrifissures near the base of j1 large and slit-like, others smaller and ovoid. Seven and three pairs of setae in R and UR series on the lateral soft skin which surrounding shield respectively.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 2 ). Tritosternum with paired pilose laciniae (99–101), columnar base 45–48 long, 20–22 wide; pre-sternal plates present, weakly reticulated and punctuated. Sternal shield (length 124–128) narrowest between coxae II (114–115), widest between coxae II–III (184–195), with straight anterior margin and slightly concave posterior margin, with three pairs of long, smooth pointed setae (st1 52–53, st2 57–59, st3 54–56), reaching well past base of next posterior setae, and two pairs of lyrifissures, one pair adjacent to st1, the other between st2 and st3, lateral and central surface of sternal shield with weak reticulation. Metasternal platelets absent, metasternal setae st4 (52–54) and metasternal poroids located on weakly sclerotised cuticle. Endopodal plates II/III completely fused to sternal shield, endopodal plates III/IV roughly triangular and curved. Genital shield tongue-shaped, length 208–212, maximum width 90–101, posterior margin rounded, surface with reticulate ornamentation, genital setae st5 (40–42) on edge of the shield. Circular paragenital poroids located on weakly sclerotised cuticle close to st5. Anal shield rounded triangular, length 74–76, width 74–76, anterior half with lineate ornamentation, para-anal setae (30–32) longer than unpaired post-anal seta (17–18), cribrum small, a pair of circular lateral gland pores flank anal shield (labelled gv 3 in Figure 2 ). Opisthogaster with one pair of oval metapodal plates (22–23 long × 5–7 wide) and nine pairs of smooth setae (37–52) on the weakly sclerotised cuticle; Jv5 (52) not very long and wavy. Exopodal plates behind coxa IV long and narrow. Peritrematal shield free posteriorly, with large protrusion on outer margin opposite coxae II–III bearing two pairs of discernible pore-like structures (apparently one lyrifissures ‘ ip’, and one gland pore ‘ gp’; see Fig. 2 ), post-stigmatal section conspicuous and narrow, with three pairs of discernible pore-like structures of post-stigmatal pores (apparently two lyrifissures ‘ ip’, and one gland pore ‘ gp’; see Fig. 2 ), peritreme extending from posterior margin of coxa III to near mid level of coxa I.

Insemination structures: Insemination ducts opening on posterior margin of coxa III, sacculus indistinct, apparently unsclerotised.

Gnathosoma . Epistome irregularly denticulate laterally, with median pointed projection ( Fig. 3 ). Hypostomal groove with six rows of 11-18 denticles, and smooth anterior and posterior transverse lines. Hypostome with four pairs of setae, internal posterior hypostomal setae h3 longest (77–81), h1 (50–53), h2 (40–42), palpcoxal pc (45–50) ( Fig. 4 ). Corniculi robust and horn-like, reaching mid-level of palp femur. Palp setal numbers: trochanter 2, femur 5, genu 6, tibia 12, tarsus 15, all setae smooth and pointed, palp tarsal apotele two-tined. Internal malae complex, with two pairs of lobes, inner lobes narrow, with serrated edges, outer lobes narrow, pointed, shorter than inner lobes, with strongly serrated edges. Fixed digit of chelicera with nine small subterminal teeth, the one level with the pilus dentilis largest ( Fig. 5 ), pilus dentilis short and robust, dorsal seta short, semi-erect, movable digit with two large subterminal teeth, arthrodial membrane a rounded flap with a corona.

Legs ( Figs. 6–8 ). Legs II and III shortest (450–472, 376–410), I and IV both longer (570–588, 628–640) (excluding pretarsus). Chaetotaxy normal for free-living Laelapidae . Leg I: coxa 0-0/1, 0/1-0, trochanter 1-0/1, 1/2- 1, femur 2-3/1, 2/3-2, genu 2-3/2, 3/1-2, tibia 2-3/2, 3/1-2. Leg II: coxa 0-0/1, 0/1-0, trochanter 1-0/1, 0/2-1, femur 2-3/1, 2/2-1 (macroseta pd1 116–125, Fig. 6 ), genu 2-3/1, 2/1-2 (pd2 longer 50–61, Fig. 6 ), tibia 2-2/1, 2/1-2. Leg III: coxa 0-0/1, 0/1-0, trochanter 1-1/1, 1/1-0, femur 1-2/1, 1/0-1 (ad1 longer 83–90, Fig. 7 ), genu 2-2/1, 2/1-1 (ventral setae all thicker, Fig. 7 ), tibia 2-1/1, 2/1-1. Leg IV: coxa 0-0/1, 0/0-0, trochanter 1-1/1, 0/1-1, femur 1-2/1, 1/0-1 (macroseta ad1 153–158, Fig. 8 ), genu 2-2/1, 3/0-1 (ad1 longer 70–73, av thickest, Fig. 8 ), tibia 2-2/1, 3/1-2. Tarsi I–IV with 18 setae 3-3/2, 3/2-3 + mv, md. On tarsus II, al1, pl1 and all ventral setae thicker. Tarsus IV with three macrosetae, ad2 (110–115), pd2 (100–107) and pl3 (113–118) ( Fig. 8 ). All pretarsi with a pair of claws and a long thin membranous ambulacral stalk.

Males & immatures Unknown.

Etymology. The name of this species is taken from its host beetle, Oryctes elegans .

Notes

Hypoaspis elegans has the following four unique character states for the genus: 20 pairs of smooth, pointed setae of moderate length on the podonotal shield; r2, r3 and r6 off the shield; three long macrosetae on tarsus IV (ad2, pd2 and pl3); and one macroseta on each of femora II and IV. Hypoaspis elegans is most similar to Hypoaspis (Hypoaspis) jambar Ishikawa, 1985 , but differs from it by the seta j2 never reach to base of seta z2 (versus seta j2 reaching past base of z 2 in H. jambar ), seta j3 not long, only reaching base of next posterior j4 (never past it) (versus seta j3 long and reaching past base j 4 in H. jambar ) and legs much longer (581-837) in H. jambar and short (376-640) in H. elegans . Hypoaspis elegans is also similar to H. zaheri Fouly & Al-Rehiayani, 2011 , but differs from it by fewer number of dorsal shield setae (35 pairs in H. zaheri ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Hypoaspis elegans sp. nov., female. 1, dorsal idiosoma; 2, ventral idiosoma; 3, epistome; 4, subcapitulum; 5, chelicera.

FIGURES 6 – 8. Hypoaspis elegans sp. nov., female. 6, leg II; 7, femur & genu III; 8, leg IV (excluding coxa).