Endopodaliidae, LindquistK & MorazaK, 2023

LindquistK, Evert E. & MorazaK, Maria L., 2023, A newly recognized family of the Ascoidea (Acari: Mesostigmata: Gamasina), based on a revised concept of the subgenus Lasioseius (Endopodalius) Christian and Karg, 2006, Acarologia 63 (4), pp. 998-1016 : 1003-1004

Family Endopodaliidae fam. nov.

Type genus: Endopodalius Christian and Karg, 2006 , new status, based on subgenus Lasioseius

(Endopodalius) Christian and Karg, 2006.

Family based on adult females representing 13 described species, keyed below, and a further

two undescribed species (E.E.L., both from Costa Rica), and males of two and the larva of one

of those species. Quintero-Gutiérrez et al. (2020) assigned three other species of Lasioseius

to Endopodalius , L. frontalis , L. polydesmophilus , and perhaps L. angustus (the latter based

only on the male), without rationale. Based on arguments presented above, those species are

retained in the genus Lasioseius , as diagnosed in our other studies (e.g., Moraza and Lindquist,

2018).

( Figures 1–4 )

Diagnosis

Adults are apomorphic among members of the superfamily Ascoidea in the females having a sternal shield with (1) posterior margin strongly convex, such that its posteromedial margin reaches same transverse level as laterally adjacent, free metapodal platelets, and (2) anterior margin extending laterally into broadly projecting endopodal extensions between legs I and

II where connecting with endopodal-peritrematal plates; (3) females with endopodal plates between legs III and IV uniquely enlarged, extending under metasternal platelets; (4) adults uniquely with a small unpaired platelet at base of tritosternum; (5) female movable cheliceral digit multidentate, with four to nine teeth in addition to apical hook. Other diagnostic attributes include: female sperm access system of laelapoid type, simplified to a short major duct (small section of tubular piece discernibly sclerotized, opening at the base of coxae III), lacking a sclerotized calyx and adjacent atrium with elongated minor duct; fixed cheliceral digit more multidenticulate than movable digit, and with setiform pilus dentilis; movable digit ventral face without a mucronate projection; gnathotectum anterior margin three-tined, with median tine elongated, fringed apically; dorsal shield setae simple, none tricarinate; humeral setae r3

of adult not differentiated by perpendicular projection; male with holoventral shield.

Description

Figures

Figure 1 Endopodalius ibericus(Moraza and Balanzategui, 2023), adult female: A – idiosoma, dorsal aspect; B – subcapitulum; C – gnathotectum; D – palpus, dorsal view. (All figures after Moraza and Balanzategui, 2023.)

Figure 2 Endopodaliusspecies, adult females: A–D, G –E. ibericus; E, F – E. prorsoperitrematus Abo-Schnafet al., 2016. A – idiosoma, ventral aspect; B – detail of variant presternal platelets; C – chelicera, lateral adaxial view; D – detail of fixed cheliceral digit, paraxial view E – fixed cheliceral digit, dorsoventral aspect, showing paraxial denticulate rim and apical mucro (after Abo-Schnafet al. 2016); F – movable cheliceral digit, lateral aspect; G – spermathecal apparatus. Roman numbers indicate acetabulum of legs II, III and IV. (All figures except E, after Moraza and Balanzategui, 2023.)

Figure 3 Endopodalius ibericus, adult female: A – tarsus I, dorsal view; B – tarsus I, diagrammatic representation; C – detail of dorso-apical region of tarsus I sensorial setae; D – detail of dorso-apical sensorial setae; E – tarsus IV, dorsal view; F – detail of ventral setae on distal region

Figure 4 Endopodalius ibericus, adult female, legs I-IV, excepting tarsi: A–D, dorsal views of legs I (A), II (B), III (C), IV (D); E–H ventral views of coxae I (E), II (F), III (G), IV (H). (All figures after Moraza and Balanzategui, 2023.)