Cosmolaelaps malmiriensis, Nemati, Alireza & Gwiazdowicz, Dariusz J., 2016

Nemati, Alireza & Gwiazdowicz, Dariusz J., 2016, Description of a new species of Cosmolaelaps Berlese and the male of C. brevipedestra (Karg) from Iran, with notes on some other species of Cosmolaelaps Berlese (Acari: Laelapidae), Zootaxa 4066 (5), pp. 535-551 : 536-540

Cosmolaelaps malmiriensis sp. nov.

Figures 1–10

Specimens examined and type deposition. Holotype, female, Izeh, Khuzestan province, from soil of ant nest ( Tapinoma sp.), coll., A. Nemati, 2012; two female paratypes, from soil of unknown ant nest, coll., A. Nemati, 2014, Izeh, Khuzestan Province, deposited in Plant Protection Department, Agricultural College, Shahrekord University (APAS); one female, same data as holotype, deposited in Poznań University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, Poland; one female, same data as holotype, deposited in Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz Am Museum 1 02826 Görlitz, Germany.

Description. Female.

Dorsal idiosoma. Dorsal shield ( Fig. 1 ) length 497–541, width at level of setae r3 455–465 (n= 3),with linear reticulation at lateral margins and some fine cellular reticulation in central part of dorsal shield between J1–J3, shield with 21 pairs of setae on podonotum including j1–6; z1–6; s1–6; r2–4, r5 absent, opisthonotal part with 17 pairs of setae including two pairs of Px setae (Px2–3), all dorsal setae fine, bearing a knob like projection at the base, relatively short, podonotal shorter than opisthonotal, most do not reach the next seta in series, except for S series setae; setae length varies from 22–77; j1 (33–36), z1 (22–24), j2–j6 and z2–z6 (39–50), J4 (48–50), J5 (36– 38), Z5 (56–58) acicular with fine barbs in distal half, S4 (75–77), and S5 (71–74). Seta r6 is simple-acicular located ventrally near margin of post-stigmatal plate. Podonotal region with six pairs of pores and three pairs of lyrifissures, opisthonotal region with seven pairs of pores and four pairs of lyrifissures. Dorsal shield with two unpaired Jx setae between J1–J3 and J4–J5.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 2 ). Tritosternum with trapezoidal base (25–26) and pilose laciniae (62–73) fused at base for one fifth of lacinia length. Pre-sternal plates well sclerotised with linear striation, adjacent to anterior margin of sternal shield. Sternal shield with fine linear reticulation in anterior half, 81 long, 164–177 wide (at level of projection between coxae II–III) and 120–157 at level of st2, ratio of length/width at st2 is 0.51–0.67, anterior and posterior margins deeply concave, lateral margins fused with endopodals beside coxae II–III, with anterolateral corners produced into narrow projections between coxae I–II. Sternal setae smooth, st1–3 (39–44), iv1 slitlike, located slightly posterior and between st1, iv2 slit-like located between st2–st3. Setae st4 (42–44) and porelike iv3 located on integument near lateral corners of sternal shield. Genital shield expanded posterior to coxa IV, with small marginal notch between Zv1–Jv1, posterior margin circular, 226–242 long (excluding hyaline part beneath the posterior margin of sternal shield), 140–148 at level of st5, 211–221 at widest part posterior to st5, and 133–140 posterior to the widest part between Zv1 and Jv1, ratio of length/widest part is 1.07–1.09, bearing one pair of setae (st5 = 49–55); surface with a pattern of inverted v–shaped line at central portion which encloses six cells and linear striations on lateral margins; epigynal shield separated from anal shield by about one third of the length of the anal shield, paragenital pores on soft integument posterior to genital setae and at the base of coxae IV. Anal shield with a pair of conspicuous pore-like structures at lateral margins, with linear striae on the anterior surface, and semi-circular anterior margin, 81–89 long, 94–96 wide, post-anal seta (39–41), longer than para-anal setae (23–26). Cribrum extending laterally to the level of post-anal seta. Opisthogastric surface with a pair of rod-like metapodal plates. Number of ventral opisthogastric setae region variable – holotype ( Fig. 2 ) has 18 setae on the right and 16 on the left; in paratypes there are 15 on the right and 14 on the left. Setae Jv1–4 and Zv1–5 length varies from 39–55, and Jv5 65–68. Stigmata located at the mid-level of coxa IV, surrounded by broad stigmatal plate. Post-stigmatal plate contains two pores, and extending nearly to the posterior level of coxa IV, peritrematal plate separated from exopodal shield. Peritremes extending to the anterior margin of coxa I. Endopodal plates II/III fused to lateral margins of sternal shield, III/IV small, narrow, angular, extending posteriorly to the mid-level on interior side of coxae IV. Exopodal plate angular between coxae III–IV expanded and crescent-shaped posteriad coxae IV, located adjacent to narrow platelets interior of coxae, and free from peritrematal plate.

Gnathosoma . Hypostome ( Fig. 3 ) with three pairs of smooth simple setae; h1 (21–24), h2 (18) and h3 (47–52). Palpcoxal setae 24–27 long. Deutosternal groove with seven transverse rows, the first nearly straight and smooth; multidentate rows Q2–4 are wider than Q5–7. Corniculi normal and horn-like. Internal malae forming a single, median projection with fine and short fimbriations, with two lateral projections with short fimbriations at their base and longer fimbriations distally. Labrum long and pilose. Epistome with denticulate lateral margins and smooth pointed triangular anterior margin ( Fig. 4 ). Arthrodial processes of chelicerae ( Fig. 5 ) developed, moveable digit (42–47) with two teeth, middle article (109–111) ending in fixed digit (35–38), bearing three small distal teeth followed by three larger proximal teeth, and with setaceous pilus dentilis. Palp length from the posterior base of trochanter to anterior margin of tarsus is 117–122, palp chaetotaxy normal ( Evans & Till, 1965), with acicular setae, except al on femur and al1 on genu slightly thickened, palp–tarsal claw (13–16) two-tined ( Fig. 6 ).

Legs ( Figures 7–10 ). Tarsi I–IV with claws and ambulacra. Leg I: 429–452, coxa (52–68), trochanter (34–39), basi-femur (26), telo-femur (60–70), genu (52–57), tibia (62–68), tarsus (130). Leg II: 309–348, coxa (31–48), trochanter (39–55), basi-femur (18), telo-femur (49–52), genu (44–47), tibia (39–44), tarsus (81–88). Leg III: 320– 338, coxa (39–47), trochanter (49–60), basi-femur (18–31), telo-femur (44–49), genu (39–42), tibia (34–36), tarsus (78–86). Leg IV: 445–455, coxa (34–52), trochanter (73–78), basi-femur (31–34), telo-femur (65–70), genu (55– 57), tibia (52–60), tarsus (114–122). Legs I and IV longer than legs II and III. Chaetotaxy: Leg I ( Fig. 7 ): coxa 0 0/ 1 0/1 0 (seta av slightly thicker than pv); trochanter 1 0/2 1/1 1 (pd thicker and longer than the others); femur 2 2/1 3/3 2 (av longer and thicker than the others); genu 2 3/2 3/1 2; tibia 2 3/2 3/1 2. Leg II ( Fig. 8 ): coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0; trochanter 1 0/2 0/1 1; femur 2 3/1 2/2 1 (av, pd2 and pv1 slightly thickened, ad1 strongly thickened); genu 2 3/1 2/ 1 2; tibia 2 2/1 2/1 2; tarsus 3 3/2 3/2 3 + mv, md (mv, av1–2, pv1–2, al1 and pl1 thickened). Leg III ( Fig. 9 ): coxa 0 0/1 0/10; trochanter 1 0/2 0/1 1 (av2 thickened); femur 1 2/1 1/0 1 (ad1 strongly thickened); genu 2 2/1 2/1 1 (ad2 and pl slightly thickened); tibia 2 1/1 2/1 1 (av and pv slightly thickened); tarsus 3 3/2 3/2 3 + mv, md (mv, md and first and second ventral and lateral setae thickened). Leg IV ( Fig. 10 ): coxa 0 0/1 0/0 0; trochanter 1 0/2 0/1 1 (av1 strongly thickened); femur 1 2/1 1/0 1 (ad1 strongly and ad2 slightly thickened); genu 2 2/1 3/0 1; tibia 2 1/1 3/1 2; tarsus 3 3/2 3/2 3 + mv, md, setae thickness of other segments of leg IV are similar to leg III ( Figs 9–10 ).

Insemination structures. Not seen.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The name of this new species refers to Malmir, the ancient name of Izeh city (Khuzestan province, South-West Iran) where the mites were collected.

Remarks. The epigynal shield in most known species of Cosmolaelaps is generally tongue or flask-shaped, not markedly broadened posteriorly. In C. mabilogus Rosario, 1981 , C. multisetosus Domrow, 1957 , C. brevipedestra ( Karg, 1985) , and C. malmiriensis , the epigynal shield is widened posterior to coxa IV, but not touching the inversely subtriangular anal shield.

Cosmolaelaps malmiriensis can be distinguished from C. mabilogus by the presence of thick and plumose Z5 (acicular, smooth and at least twice as long as J 5 in C. mabilogus ); with 38 pairs of dorsal shield setae (37 pairs in C. mabilogus ), S1 and Z1 present (absent in the latter), with r2–4, and lacks extra r setae on dorsal shield ( C. mabilogus with r2–5 and extra seta (rx) in r series between r4–r5 on dorsal shield); Cosmolaelaps malmiriensis has Jv5 as long as the other Jv setae (Jv5 is at least twice as long as other ventral setae in the latter). The epigynal shield in C. malmiriensis is wider than that of C. mabilogus , and has two bulge-like extensions posterior to coxae IV. Cosmolaelaps malmiriensis is readily differentiated from C. multisetosus by the presence of only one pair setae (st5) on the epigynal shield, while in the latter there are four pairs of setae on the epigynal shield.

Cosmolaelaps malmiriensis is similar to C. brevipedestra in general appearance, but these species can be separated by the following combination of characters. The dorsal setae in C. malmiriensis are relatively short and fine, and most do not reach to the base of the next setae in the series except for the S series, while in C. brevipedestra the dorsal setae are much thicker, and long enough to reach past the base of the next setae in series ( Figs 11–12 ). The podonotal region in Cosmolaelaps malmiriensis has 21 pairs of setae (r5 missing), while C.

brevipedestra has 22 pairs. The epigynal shield in C. malmiriensis has two bulge-like extensions posterior to coxae IV and is much wider posterior to st5 than that in C. brevipedestra (the ratio of length/widest part in C. malmiriensis is 1.07–1.09, but in C. brevipedestra is 1.18–1.42). The sternal shield in C. malmiriensis is much wider than that in C. brevipedestra (the ratio of length/width at st 2 in C. malmiriensis is 0.51–0.67, but in C. brevipedestra is 0.86–0.94). The anal shield in C. brevipedestra is longer than wide, but in C. malmiriensis is as long as wide. The ventral setae in C. malmiriensis are much longer than those in C. brevipedestra .

The leg chaetotaxy of C. malmiriensis is similar to C. calamitus with one antero-dorsal seta (2 1/1 2/1 1) on tibia III ( Fig. 9 ), and differs from chaetotaxy of this segment in C. barbatus , which has been cited as 2 2/1 2/1 1. In C. malmiriensis there is only one antero-dorsal seta on tibia III instead of two.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Cosmolaelaps malmiriensis sp. nov. (Female): 1. Dorsal idiosoma, 2. Ventral idiosoma, 3. Subcapitulum, 4. Epistome, 5. Chelichera, 6. Palp.

FIGURES 7 – 10. Cosmolaelaps malmiriensis sp. nov. (Female): 7. Leg I, 8. Leg II, 9. Leg III, 10. Leg IV (Scale bar: 100 micrometers).

FIGURES 11 – 12. The thickness of dorsal shield setae (Female): 11. Cosmolaelaps malmiriensis sp. nov. 12. Cosmolaelaps brevipedestra.