Pachylaelaps (Longipachys) Mašán & Özbek, 2018

Özbek, Hasan Hüseyin & Mašán, Peter, 2018, A new species and subgenus of Pachylaelaps Berlese from Turkey (Acari: Pachylaelapidae), Zootaxa 4418 (5), pp. 481-492 : 482-483

Pachylaelaps (Longipachys) Mašán & Özbek , subgen. nov.

( Figs 1‒23 )

TYpe species: Pachylaelaps (Longipachylaelaps) anatolicus Özbek, 2015 .

Diagnosis (adults). Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 1 ). Dorsal shield suboval, elongate, with almost parallel lateral margins and 30 pairs of smooth and needle-like setae; setae mostly similar in length; dorsocentral setae J 2 in normal posterior position to setae J1; J5 relatively short but normally developed. Opening of poroids gdS4 minute, slit-like (poroids gdZ1 with normal circular opening).

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 2 ). Presternal platelets absent. Male with holoventral shield bearing nine pairs of setae (plus three circum-anal setae close to anus). In female, sternal shield fused to metasternal and endopodal shields, with four pairs of setae; genitoventral shield oblong, subpentagonal, with two pairs of setae (st5 and Jv1); anal shield free, subtriangular, closely abutting genitoventral shield. Peritremes and peritrematal shields welldeveloped, peritrematal shields fused to exopodal shields, produced posteriorly well behind coxae IV in female. Metapodal platelets free on soft integument (in female) or fused to holoventral shield (in male). Lateral and opisthogastric soft integument with 15 pairs of setae: seven pairs of marginal setae (r-R) and eight pairs of opisthogastric setae (JV2‒JV5 and ZV2‒ZV5) present.

Spermathecal apparatus. Sperm induction system of female associated with coxae IV; paired tubular components normally developed, flattened and weakly sclerotised for whole length; inner sperm ductus thin and usually in a form of wavy line ( Fig. 20 ).

Legs ( Figs 4 , 12‒14 , 18, 19 ). Legs normal in length, shorter than idiosoma. Female tarsus II ( Fig. 18 ) with two spur-like distal setae (pl1 and pl2), male tarsus II with only one distal seta (pl1) modified into spur ( Figs 13 , 19 ); tarsus IV in both adults with seta pl2 shortened and thickened, spur-like ( Fig. 14 ). Female femur II with ventral spur-like projection associated with a seta ( Fig. 4 ). Genu I with 13 setae (2-6/3-2). Male legs II spurred ( Figs 12 , 19 ).

Gnathosomal structures ( Figs 7‒11 , 15‒17, 21‒23 ). Corniculi long, horn-like ( Fig. 7 ). Epistome with truncate or laterally concave base, and smooth, narrow and long central projection; anterior margin of base finely denticulate; projection lanceolate, slightly (in female) or markedly (in male) widened basally, with pointed, bifid or divided apex ( Figs 3 , 9 , 21‒23 ). In female, chelicerae pincette-like; cheliceral digits narrow, elongate, polydentate, each with strong and sharp terminal hook, and additional lateral row of teeth close to most robust distal tooth ( Figs 5 , 16 ). In male, cheliceral digits slender, less elongate than female, terminally strongly hooked, each with one robust distal tooth ( Figs 8 , 15 ); male spermatodactyl narrow, long, regularly tapered and slightly curved, sabreshaped. In male, palptibia with three petal-like projections on ventral and outer lateroventral surface ( Figs 10 , 17 ), and palpfemur with rounded tubercle on inner proximal laterodorsal surface and small pointed tubercle on inner distal lateroventral surface ( Fig. 11 ).

Etymology. The name of the new subgenus is derived from the Latin longus, referring to the elongate idiosoma, in combination with the modified suffix - pachys, as used in the names of other pachylaelapine taxa. Gender masculine.

Notes on the subgenus. The subgenera Longipachys and Longipachylaelaps are reliably distinguished from the other subgenus Pachylaelaps mainly by the presence of normal needle-like dorsal setae J5, and only one pair of slit-like poroid structures (gdS4) placed on the posterior lateral margins of the dorsal shield. In the subgenus Pachylaelaps , setae J5 are vestigial, and the posterolateral dorsal shield margin bears two pairs of slit-like poroids, gdZ1 and gdS4.

Despite their striking similarities in general appearance, idiosomal and leg chaetotaxy and some expressions of sexual dimorphism (see some features on legs, palps and chelicerae), Longipachys and Longipachylaelaps may be easily distinguished by the following characters—in the new subgenus, posterolateral seta pl2 on tarsus IV is modified into a spur (uniform with other setae in Longipachylaelaps); female chelicera is polydentate, each digit with 10‒20 teeth and a prominent terminal hook (mono- or bidentate in Longipachylaelaps, with terminal hooks inconspicuous, often split and never curved backward); central projection of epistome is regularly narrowed toward its apex, lanceolate (with subdistal neck and widened anterior margin in Longipachylaelaps); and opisthogastric setae ZV1 are absent on lateroventral soft integument (present in Longipachylaelaps).

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. Pachylaelaps (Longipachys) anatolicus, female, With setal nOtatiOn Of sOme dOrsal setae. 1. DOrsal idiOsOma; 2. Ventral idiOsOma; 3. EpistOme, With variant fOrms Of central prOjectiOn; 4. Ventral spur On femur II, variant fOrms; 5. Chelicera.Scale bar:200 µm (Figs 1, 2) and 100 µm (Figs 3‒5).

FIGURES 6–14. Pachylaelaps (Longipachys) anatolicus, male. 6. Ventral idiOsOma; 7. Ventral gnathOsOma; 8. Chelicera, variant fOrms; 9. EpistOme; 10. Terminal part Of palp (tarsus and tibia); 11. Palpfemur; 12. Ventral spurs On leg II (femur, genu and tibia); 13. Tarsus II; 14. Tarsus IV. Scale bar: 200 µm (Fig. 6) and 100 µm (Figs 7‒14).

FIGURES 15–24. Pachylaelaps spp. 15‒23. Pachylaelaps (Longipachys) anatolicus. 15. Chelicera, male, variant fOrms; 16. Chelicera, female; 17. Terminal parts Of palps (tarsi and tibiae), male; 18. Leg II (tarsus, tibia and genu), female; 19. Leg II (tarsus, tibia, genu and femur), male; 20. Spermathecal duct, female; 21‒22. EpistOme, female, variant fOrms; 23. EpistOme, male. 24. Pachylaelaps (Pachylaelaps) armiger sp. nov., chelicera, female.NOt scaled.