Hypoaspis surenai, Joharchi, Omid & Shahedi, Alireza, 2016

Joharchi, Omid & Shahedi, Alireza, 2016, A new species of Hypoaspis Canestrini (Acari, Mesostigmata, Laelapidae) associated with Oryctes sp. (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) in Iran, ZooKeys 574, pp. 105-112 : 107-109

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Scarabaeidae

Hypoaspis surenai sp. n. Figures 1-7

Type material.

Holotype, female, Iran, Yazd Province, Taft, Kahduiyeh, 31°16'N, 53°43'E, alt. 1496 m a.s.l, 04March 2015, A. Shahedi coll., on adult females of Oryctes sp. ( Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae ). Paratypes: ten females same data as holotype.

Description of the female.

Dorsal idiosoma (Fig. 1). Length 796-802, width at level of r5, 446-450. Dorsal shield oval, without lateral incisions, length 778-785, width at level of r5, 420-426 (n= 11), shield without distinct reticulate ornamentation over whole surface, only with weak reticulation, more distinct in opisthonotal region (Fig. 1). Dorsal shield with 37 pairs of smooth and pointed setae, 21 pairs on podonotal shield (j1-6; z1-6; s1-6; r4-5 and including a supernumerary pair near s6), plus r2, r3 and r6 off the shield in the soft skin, 16 pairs on the opisthonotal shield (J1-5, Z1, Z2, Z4, Z5, S1-5), including two pairs of Zx setae between J and Z setae, seta Z3 absent (Fig. 1); Z4 longest (322-330) and slightly wavy, s5 (219-225), s4 (198-207), z4 (232-245) and j3 (222-230) also long, j1 (74-75) and z1 (30-31) short; j4 (128-132) long enough to reach past j5, j5 (112-117) not long enough to reach j6, j6 (138-142) not long enough to reach J2 (100-108) but reaching past J1 (118-123); J4 (98-100) long enough to reach J5 (27-29); Z5 (178-180) and S5 (136-139) also long. Seven pairs of setae in R series on the lateral area of weakly sclerotised cuticle surrounding shield; R7 elongate (182-191) and appearing wavy. Shield with 12 pairs of pore-like structures, apparently including four pairs of gland pores and eight pairs of poroids; lyrifissures near the base of j1 large and slit-like, others smaller and ovoid.

Ventral idiosoma (Fig. 2). Tritosternum with paired pilose laciniae (141-143), columnar base 30-32 long, 20-21 wide; pre-sternal area weakly reticulated. Sternal shield (length 138-148) narrowest between coxae II (138-148), widest between coxae II–III (198-200), with slightly concave anterior margin and irregular posterior margin, with three pairs of long, smooth pointed setae (st1 52-54, st2 82-84, st3 74-79), st2 and st3 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 (45-47) 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 278-280, maximum width 118-120, posterior margin rounded, surface with reticulate ornamentation, genital setae st5 (50-52) on edge of the shield. Circular paragenital poroids located on weakly sclerotised cuticle close to st5. Anal shield rounded triangular, length 87-89, width 87-89, para-anal (39-41) and post-anal (38-40) setae equal in length, cribrum small, a pair of circular lateral gland pores flank anal shield. Opisthogaster with one pair of oval metapodal plates (22-23 long × 5-7 wide) and 11 pairs of smooth setae on the weakly sclerotised cuticle; Jv1, Jv2 70-72, Jv3 89-92, Jv4 158-160, Zv1 50-52, Zv2 91-93, Zv3, Zv4 100-105, UR 124-126, Jv5 242-250 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 pore-like structures (apparently one lyrifissure ‘ip’, and one gland pore ‘gp’; see Fig. 2), post-stigmatal section conspicuous and narrow, with three pairs of 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.

Gnathosoma. Epistome irregularly denticulate laterally, apical section smooth with minute denticles in some specimens (Fig. 3). Hypostomal groove with six rows of 6-11 denticles, and smooth anterior and posterior transverse lines. Hypostome with four pairs of setae, internal posterior hypostomal setae h3 longest (109-110), h1 (54-55), h2 (45-47), palpcoxal pc (52-54) (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 serrated edges (Fig. 4). Fixed digit of chelicera with 15 small 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 and cheliceral lyrifissure indistinct.

Legs. Legs II and III shortest (564-570, 604-610), I and IV both longer (702-711, 872-880) (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 (macrosetae pd1 184-190, pd2 94-97, Fig. 6), genu 2-3/1, 2/1-2 (pd1 84-86 and pd2 100-103 longer, 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 (macroseta ad1 124-128; ad2 longer 37-43), genu 2-2/1, 2/1-1 (ad1 57-59 and pd1 90-94 longer), tibia 2-1/1, 2/1-1 (ventral setae all thicker). 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 200-207, ad2 longer 90-92, Fig. 7), genu 2-2/1, 3/0-1 (ad1 84-86 and pd1 60-62 longer, Fig. 7), tibia 2-2/1, 3/1-2. Tarsi II–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 (164-169), pd2 (100-107) and pd3 (142-147) and pl3 thick. All pre-tarsi with a pair of claws and a long thin membranous ambulacral stalk.

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

Males & immature.

Unknown.

Etymology.

The species is named in memory of Surena (died 53 BC) was a Parthian spahbed ( “General” or “Commander”) during the 1st century BC.

Remarks.

According to the key to species of Hypoaspis s.s. occurring in the Western Palaearctic Region provided by Joharchi et al. (2014), Hypoaspis surenai most resembles Hypoaspis pentodoni Costa, 1971 but has the following unique character states for the genus: 21 pairs of long smooth, pointed setae on the podonotal shield, including a supernumerary pair near s6 (x) and r2, r3, r6 off the shield; 16 pairs of smooth and long setae on the opisthonotal shield including two pairs of Zx setae between the J and Z setae, seta Z3 absent; three long macrosetae on tarsus IV (ad2, pd2 and pd3); one macroseta on each of femora II–IV and seta ad1 on genu IV being only slightly longer than the remaining setae on the segment.