Androlaelaps myrmecophilus (Evans & Till)

Joharchi, Omid, Tolstikov, Andrei V., Khaustov, Alexander A., Khaustov, Vladimir A. & Sarcheshmeh, Mohammadhassan Abbasi, 2019, Review of some mites (Acari: Laelapidae) associated with ants and bumblebees in Western Siberia, Russia, Zootaxa 4613 (1), pp. 71-92 : 72

Androlaelaps myrmecophilus (Evans & Till)

Figures 1–4 .

Androlaelaps casalis myrmecophila Evans & Till, 1966: 154 .

Androlaelaps myrmecophila .— Huhta & Karg, 2010: 334.

Specimens examined. Four females, RUSSIA, Tyumen Province, vicinity of lake Kuchak, 57°21’N, 66°03’E, 27 April 2018, O. Joharchi coll., in the nest of Formica rufa L. ( Hymenoptera : Formicidae ), six females, RUSSIA, Tyumen Province, vicinity of lake Kuchak, 57°21’N, 66°03’E, 16 June 2016, A.A. Khaustov coll., in the nest of Formica pratensis Retzius ( Hymenoptera : Formicidae ).

Notes. Androlaelaps myrmecophilus was described as a new subspecies of A. casalis (Berlese) from Great Britain ( Evans & Till 1966). It has been found associated with Formica rufa L. ( Hymenoptera : Formicidae ). Huhta & Karg (2010) raised it to the species level and examined specimens from ants’ nests from Finland. Davydova & Nikolsky (1986) reported Androlaelaps aff. casalis from Western Siberia on the basis of specimens collected from the ants’ nests. We have not had the opportunity to examine any specimens to confirm this identification. A. myrmecophilus is now recorded in Western Siberia for the first time. Our specimen agrees very well with the description given by Evans & Till (1966, Fig. 11 ). This species most resembles A. casalis but differs from it by basally inflated pilus dentilis ( Fig. 4 ) (vs. slender in A. casalis ), smaller body size ( Figs 1, 2 ) and setae Z5 obviously longer and thicker than all dorsal seate, with 2–4 minute barbs ( Fig. 3 ) (vs. setae Z5 short, simple and the same thickness with the other dorsal setae in A. casalis ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. DIC micrographs of Androlaelaps myrmecophilus, female. 1, idiosoma in dorsal view; 2, idiosoma in ventral view; 3, setae Z5; 4, chelicera.

FIGURES 5–13. DIC micrographs of Cosmolaelaps dendrophilus, female. 5, idiosoma in dorsal view, enlarged section not to scale; 6, idiosoma in ventral view; 7, general view of some dorsal setae; 8, general view of setae Z5 and anal shield; 9, chelicera, fixed digit; 10, femur leg II; 11, femur leg III; 12, femur and trochanter leg IV; male. 13, chelicera.