Bdellidae Dugès, 1834

Eghbalian, Amir Hossein & Khanjani, Mohammad, 2018, Re-description of Bdella muscorum Ewing (Acari: Bdellidae) from Western Iran, Persian Journal of Acarology 7 (4), pp. 353-361 : 354-358

Bdellidae Dugès, 1834

Genus Bdella Latreille, 1795 – As defined by van der Schyff et al. 2005

Type species: Bdella longicornis (L.)

Bdella muscorum Ewing, 1909 ( Figs. 1–11 )

Diagnosis

Prodorsal striae between pt convex posteriorly and sparsely broken; pedipalpal tibiotarsus with 6 setae; Hysterosomal setae setiform, not branched distally; genu II with duplex seta; genu IV without duplex seta ( Atyeo 1960; Ueckermann et al. 2007).

Female (n = 6)

Total body length (including gnathosoma from apex of hypostome to posterior margin of idiosoma) 730–775, body length (excluding gnathosoma) 507–555; width 295–350.

Dorsum ( Figs. 1 , 11) – Central region of prodorsum between setae at, mps and pt with continuous to sparsely broken transverse striations and two prominent internal apodemes between anterior and posterior trichobothria (bases of setae at and pt); prodorsum with two pairs of eyes, diameters of anterior lateral eye 15–16 and posterior lateral eye 11–13. Anterior region of setae at with broken transverse striae and prodorsum anteriorly with elongated chamber ( Figs. 1 , 11); all dorsal setae smooth; hysterosomal setae not extending to setae next behind (except seta h1). Dorsum of hysterosoma with continuous, finely broken transverse striae between setae (c1, d1, e1 and f1), but striae obliquely longitudinal between setae c1–c2 and h1–h2; Seta pt the longest and lps the shortest dorsal setae; hysterosomal region with three cupules (ia, im and ip) at level of setae d 1, e 1 and f1 ( Fig. 1 ).

Measurements of dorsal setae as follows: at 138–143, lps 45–48, mps 58–75, pt 175–177, c1 63–70, c2 75–88, d1 50–58, e1 45 –55, f1 48–53, f2 48–53, h1 65–66, h2 63–70. Distance between dorsal setae: at–at 63–65; lps–lps 108–120; at–lps 53–58; lps–pt 43–45; pt–pt 120–158; mps–mps 88–95; mps–pt 18–20; mps–c1 68–75; mps–c2 115–125; c1–c1 103–123; c1–c2 68–83; c1–d1 88– 90; d1–d1 98–125; d1– e1 48–63; e1–e1 100–105; e1–f1 58–68; f1–f1 60–63; f1–f2 43–48; f1–h1 43–45; f1–h2 50–78; h1–h1 35–38; h1–h2 50; h2–h2 98–102. Ratio: at / lps 2.9–3; at / pt 0.8–0.82; pt / pt–pt 1.1–1.5; at/at–at 2.1–2.2, c1 / c1–c1 0.6, d1 / d1–d1 0.4–0.6, e1 / e1– e1 0.5–0.6, f1 / f1–f1 0.8, h1 / h1–h1 1.7–1.9, h2/h2–h2 0.6–0.7, h1/h2 0.9–1.0, c1–c1: d1–d1: e1–e1: f1–f1: 1.7–1.9: 1.6–1.9: 1.6–1.8: 1.0.

RE-DESCRIPTION OF BDELLA MUSCORUM ( ACARI : BDELLIDAE )

RE-DESCRIPTION OF BDELLA MUSCORUM ( ACARI : BDELLIDAE )

Gnathosoma ( Figs. 2–4 ) – Subcapitulum 223–238 long, width at base 113–150; base of gnathosoma with transverse striae; palp five–segmented, palp tibiotarsus with three setae + one solenidion + two long end setae (DES and VES), 180–188 and 128–135 respectively; genu with four setae; telofemur with one seta; basifemur with 10 (9) setae; trochanter without setae ( Fig. 2 ); measurements of palp segments as follows: trochanter 13–15, basifemur 120–125, telofemur 15–20, genu 18–19, tibiotarsus 54–65. Hypostome with six pairs of long ventral hypostomal setae (vh1–6), distal pair (vh6) 53–58 almost twice length of proximal pair (vh1) 25–28; two pairs of short adoral setae near the tip of hypostome, avs 10 and ad 12 and setae vh4 is the longest 58; hypostome with sparsely longitudinal striations, which are transverse at base; setae DHS absent ( Fig. 4 ). Chelicerae 212–228 long, finely striated and with two dorsal setae (ch1–2), proximal seta 50–58, and distal seta 65–85 respectively. Movable chela without teeth and fixed chela smooth and attenuate, shorter than movable chela in length; distal seta (ch1) not extending to base of chela ( Fig. 3 ).

Venter ( Fig. 5 ). Striae between coxae I–II and III–IV continuous, longitudinal but between coxae II–III finely broken and oblique. Aggenital region with nine pairs of setae (ag1–9), genital valves each with eight pairs of setae (g1–8) ( Fig. 5 ); anal region surrounded with oblique and continuous striae and covered with three pairs of smooth pseudo anal setae (ps1–3): ps1 26–28, ps2 30–32 and ps3 32–35 long, three pairs of para–anal setae or adanal setae (ad1–3): ad1 25–35, ad2 20–28 and ad3 27–30 and one pair of anal setae an1 18–23 ( Fig. 5 ).

Ovipositor ( Fig. 6 ) – Ovipositor tube like and with 16 smooth setae (dorsal ovipositor setae = od1–5 and ventral ovipositor setae = os1–11) ( Fig. 6 ).

Leg ( Figs. 7–10 ) – Length of legs as follows: I 388–438, II 370–413, III 428–465, IV 505–523. Setal formulae of leg segments as follows (solenidia in paranthesis): coxae I–IV: 5-6-7(6)-4sts; trochanters I–IV: 1 (smooth seta enlarged)-1-2-2sts; basifemora I–IV: 13-7(8)-9-3 (5) sts; telofemora I–IV: 10-8(6)-6-8sts; dorso-medial leg III and IV smooth seta enlarged; genua I–IV: 6sts, 2asl, 1 duplex setae- 6sts, 1 duplex setae- 6sts, 1 duplex setae- 8sts, 1asl; tibiae I–IV: 13sts, 4asl, 1pe, 1T- 11sts, 2asl, 1bsl- 11sts, 1asl- 12sts, 1T; tarsi I–IV: 28sts, 2asl, 2bsl,lpe- 24sts, 2bsl,lpe- 25sts, 1T- 22sts, 1asl, 1T ( Figs. 7–10 ).

Distribution

Asia, Europe, North America (see Hernandes et al. 2016); Iran: Karaj ( Ueckermann et al. 2007), Mashhad and Amol regions (Paktinat-Saeij et al. 2014 and 2016).

Remarks

The collected specimens are similar to those considered in the re-description of Atyeo (1960) from USA, in having the same striae structure between setae pt–pt (transverse) and sparsely broken striae; six setae on palp tibiotarsus; duplex setae present on genua I–III and absent on genu IV but differs from the latter in having: 1) Basifemur IV with 3 setae in Iranian specimens but 5–6 setae in American specimens; 2) Tarsi I–IV with 28sts, 2asl, 2bsl,lpe- 22sts, 2bsl,lpe- 25sts, 1T- 24sts, 1asl, 1T vs. 29 (30) + 2asl + 2bsl + 1pe- 24 (25–26) + 2bsl + 1pe- 25 (23–25) + 1T- 23 (22) + 1asl + 1T; 3) Ovipositor with 16 setae instead of 18; 4) Aggenital region with nine pairs of setae in the former but 10 pairs of setae in the latter.

This re-description is also very similar to the re-description of Tseng (1978) from Taiwan but it differs in having: 1) Palp tibiotarsus with 6 setae vs. 7 setae; 2) Genital valves each with eight pairs of setae in Iranian specimens but seven pairs of setae in Taiwanese specimens; 3) Aggenital region with nine pairs of setae vs. seven in other; 4) Leg chaetotaxy: coxae I–IV: 5-6-7(6)-4; basifemora I– IV: 13-7(8)-9-3 (5); telofemora I–IV: 10-8(6)-6-8; genua I–IV: 9-7-7-9; tibiae I–IV: 19-14- 12-13 in Iranian specimens whereas coxae I–IV: 6-5-5-3; basifemora I–IV: 11-9-6-5; telofemora I–IV: 8-9- 8-8; genua I–IV: 10-8-8-8; tibiae I–IV: 20-14- 14-15 in Taiwanese specimens.

These differential characters are categorized as geographical features

RE-DESCRIPTION OF BDELLA MUSCORUM ( ACARI : BDELLIDAE )

RE-DESCRIPTION OF BDELLA MUSCORUM ( ACARI : BDELLIDAE )

Materials

All specimens were collected from soil and litter under apricot trees, Prunus armeniaca L. ( Rosaceae ), Hamedan vicinity, Hamedan Province, Iran, (34° 47' N, 48° 28' E, a.s.l. 1540 m), 25 November 2015. All specimens are deposited in the Collection of the Acarology Laboratory, University of Bu–Ali Sina , Hamedan, Iran.

Figures

Figures 1–6. Bdella muscorum Ewing, 1909 (Female) – 1. Dorsal view; 2. Palp; 3. Chelicerae; 4. Subcapitulum; 5. Ventral view; 6. Ovipositor.

Figures 7–10. Bdella muscorum Ewing, 1909 (Female) – 7. Leg I; 8. Leg II; 9. Leg III; 10. Leg IV.