Laelaspis persicus Joharchi & Halliday, 2012

Kazemi, Shahrooz, 2015, A new species of Laelaspis Berlese (Acari: Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) from Iran, with a revised generic concept and notes on significant morphological attributes in the genus, Zootaxa 4044 (3), pp. 411-428 : 415-420

Laelaspis persicus Joharchi & Halliday, 2012

Laelaspis persicus Joharchi & Halliday, 2012: 2009 in Joharchi et al. (2012).

Diagnosis. Dorsal shield with 37 pairs of setae, z3 and unpaired setae Jx absent, S5 off the shield; setae j1, j3–6, J1–5, z2, z4–6, Z1–4, s3–5 short and smooth, others thicker, slightly barbed and longer, r4, S2–4, Z5 longest, ratio of Z5 / J5 length≈6; gland pores gd5 absent. Sternal shield smooth medially, weakly reticulated anteriorly and laterally, sternal setae shorter than distance to following setal base. Genitiventral shield relatively narrowed, ratio of length/width (at broadest point)≈1.5, with posteromedial point overlapping anal shield. Anal shield slightly wider than long, ratio of L/W≈0.9 anterior margin of shield slightly concave; postanal seta smooth. Peritremes extending to anterior margin of coxae I. Opisthogastric integument with 16 pairs of setae. Epistome subtriangular, with smooth margin. Movable digit of chelicera bidentate, fixed digit with three small teeth. Leg chaetotaxy normal for genus, except genua IV with eight setae (2 2/1 3/0 0) and tibia IV with nine setae (2 2/1 2/1 1); leg setae slender and relatively short, except spine-like setae ad1, pd2 on femur II, ad on trochanter III, ad1 on femur III, ad on trochanter IV, ad1 on femur IV; setae ad1 on femora II-IV situated close to distal margin of leg segment.

Redescription. ( Figs 1–14 based on a specimen collected in nest of Tetramorium in Kerman, Iran)

Female (n=3). Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 1 ). Idiosoma dorsally mostly covered by dorsal shield, sometimes a narrow band of soft cuticle including setae S5 exposed in mounted specimens. Dorsal shield 444–459 [450 (436– 475)] long, 344–358 [371 (376–400)] wide, mostly smooth except sparsely lineate-reticulate on margins, with 37 heterogeneous setae, in length and thickness ( Fig. 2 ): j1 (22–25) [16] slightly thickened, smooth, j3–6, J1–4, z2, z4–6, Z1–4, s3–5 (21–27) [18–24 (20–25)] short, smooth, with a small protuberance near the base, J5 (15–18) [(15–23)] shortest, needle-like, smooth; other setae longer, thicker and sparsely barbed: j2 (52–106) [99 (124– 130)], z1 (32–53) [40 (62–66)], Z5 (88–92) [90 (89–107)], s1 (38–42) [38], s2 (58–63) [82], s6 (67–74) [75], S1 (66–68) [71], S2–3 (86–104) [99–106], S4 (92–112) [115 (89–107)], r2 (40–43) [42], r3 (48–53) [61], r4 (93–122) [134], r5 (51–54) [57]. Setae S5 (88–118) [96] elongate, thickened and barbed, inserted on small platelets, sometimes situated dorsally on a narrow band of integument. Dorsal shield with 16 pairs of poroids (oval-shaped symbols) and six pairs of gland pores (circular symbols), gd5 absent.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 5 ). Tritosternum short, 12–14 [12 (15–17)] long, 12–13 [12] wide at base, 6–7 [6] apically, laciniae total length 56–61 [61 (50–55)], fused 7–9 [9]. Sternal shield 78–85 [81 (84–89)] long, 87–90 [85] wide at st2 level, 126–132 at st3 level, anterior margin of shield bilobed, posterior margin slightly concave, anterolateral edges fused to narrow endopodals between coxae I-II continued behind coxae II, sparsely lineatereticulate on anterior and lateral margins; sternal setae smooth, st1 (27–34) [34 (35–41)], st2 (31–42) [46 (42–44)], st3 (32–48) [51 (42–47]; two pairs of poroids, iv1–2 slit-like, iv2 enlarged. Metasternal setae st4 (29–42) [38 (37– 40)] inserted on free endopodal platelets between coxae III-IV; iv3 on soft integument. Genitiventral shield relatively narrow, 256–273 [272 (230–268)] long, 173–183 [178 (191–200)] wide, gradually tapered after widest point, ending into a point, slightly overlapping anal shield; anterior hyaline margin covering posterior region of sternal shield until level of setae st3; shield ornamentated posteromedially by eight large cells flanked by interior Λ-shaped lines; with two pairs of smooth setae, st5 (35–50) [46 (50–53)], JV1 (50–67) [57 (52–59)]. Anal shield subtriangular, 67–74 [73 (69–75)] long, 74–82 [77 (74–80)] wide, anterior margin of shield slightly concave, with few lineae anterolaterally; para-anal setae (18–20) [19 (17–20)] thin, inserted at mid-level of anal opening, postanal seta (35–39) [39 (50–52)] thickened and smooth; cribrum developed, gv3 inserted on lateral margins of shield at just anterior to level of para-anal setae. Peritrematal shields somewhat developed along peritremes, with five pairs of discernible pore-like structures, including pair of gland pores and pair of poroids on lateral edge of shields at level of posterior margin of coxae II; two pairs of poroids and one pair of gland pores on poststigmatic region of shield ( Fig. 6 ). Peritremes long, reaching to anterior margin of coxae I. Exopodal platelets narrow; pair of exopodal anterolaterad of coxae II fused to endopodals between coxae I-II anteriorly, those laterad of coxae IV fused to moderately developed parapodals; exopodal laterad coxae II-III free. Opisthogastric soft integument with 16 pairs of mostly thickened setae, JV2 (58–64) [68 (55–62)], JV3 (47–55) [54 (52–59)] and ZV2 (34–37) [32 (42–44)] smooth, others barbed, r6, R 1 –3 21–44 [25–35], others longer, up to 103 [103] long; with a pair of primary metapodals narrow and elongate, 47–52 [46–48 (45–50)] long, 6–8 [7] wide; pair of minute platelets anterior to metapodals and seven pairs of poroids, including paragenitals iv5. Spermatheca as Figure 7 .

Gnathosoma ( Figs 3–4 , 8–9 ). Epistome subtriangular, with irregular anterior margin, mostly smooth ( Fig. 4 ). Corniculi horn-like, relatively short (19–22) [20], shorter than internal malae; salivary stylets narrow and apically pointed, aligned beneath corniculi; internal malae with a pair of sparsely pilose adjacent median projections, with short tines laterally, and pair of sparsely dentate projections at lateral edges. Labrum acuminate, pilose, conspicuously longer than internal malae; hypostomal and capitular setae smooth, h3 (29–30) [33 (35)]> h1 (19–20) [25]> pc (15–16) [15 (25)]> h2 (12–14) [11 (25)]; deutosternal groove with six denticulate rows, three anterior rows slightly wider, anteriormost with 12–20 minute denticles, second, third and fourth anterior rows with 8–10 denticles, two basal rows with 3–8 larger teeth ( Fig. 8 ). Basal segment of chelicerae 24–26 [25] long, second segment 85–90 [74] long, 19–22 wide; fixed digit of chelicera 16–22 [15] long, tridentate, movable digit 23–26 [22] long, bidentate; dorsal seta short and setiform ( Fig. 9 ). Palp 76–86 [79] long, palp chaetotaxy normal for Laelapidae ; all setae smooth, al1 and al2 on palpgenu and al on palpfemur slightly thickened and subspatulate, v1 on palptrochanter thickened, somewhat spine-like; palp-tarsus apotele with two tines, basal tine shorter ( Fig. 3 ).

Legs ( Figs 10–14 ). Leg chaetotaxy normal for Laelapidae (sensu Evans & Till, 1965) , except genua and tibiae IV, respectively with eight (2 2/1 3/0 0) and nine (2 2/1 2/1 1) setae. Ambulacra of legs I-IV subequal, 33–38 [30– 32] long, claws and pulvilli well developed, ambulacral stalk broad. Lengths of legs I-IV 291–311 [260 (225– 240)], 230–252 [196 (205–212)], 242–265 [217 (210–218)] and 295–310 [267 (248–256)], respectively. Lengths of femora I 46 –50 [49], II 38 –44 [40], III 40 –46 [44], IV 57 –61 [54]; genua I 36 –38 [29], II 33 –36 [26], III 31–33 [25], IV 40 –41 [33]; tibiae I 41 –42 [32], II 31–33 [26], III 29–30 [25], IV 40 –41 [35]; tarsi I 94 –100 [74], II 63 –66 [53], III 65 –70 [53], IV 86 –88 [72]. Leg setae mostly needle-like, slender or slightly thickened and moderate in length, exceptions: trochanter I with al, av, pv1–2 short; femur I with al2, ad3, av short; trochanter II with pv1 short; femur II with al2, ad2 short, ad1, pd2 thickened; trochanter III with ad thickened; femur III with ad1 thickened and relatively long; trochanter IV with ad thickened and spine-like; femur IV with pv, pl short, ad1 thickened and spine-like.

Material examined. Holotype: female, Alborz Province, Taleghan City (36˚ 71' N; 50˚ 32' E), 1592 m above sea level, in nest of Pheidole pallidula (Nylander, 1849) , 13 May 2010, coll. O. Joharchi, deposited in YIAU; paratype: same collection data to the holotype, depsited in JAZM. Paratypes: 14 females, southeastern Iran, Kerman Province, Kerman County (30˚ 15' N; 57˚ 04' E), 1763 m above sea level, from the nest of an unidentified species of Tetramorium Mayr, 1855 , in an alfalfa field in Kerman, Kerman Province, 5 June 2012, coll. Sh. Kazemi, deposited in ACISTE; one female with same data deposited in CNC; one female with same data deposited in MfN; one female, southwestern Iran, Khuzestan Province, Dezful County, from soil and moss in lemon and orange orchard, 2 June 2012, coll. A. Nemati, deposited in APAS; one female in nest of an unknown ant, collected in Tehran County, June 2009, deposited in ACISTE.

Remarks. Laelaspis persicus can be easily distinguished from other members of the genus by the presence of only eight setae on genu IV (pl absent) and nine setae on tibia IV (pl2 absent). I noted the following discrepancies between the original description and the specimens I examined (including the holotype and paratype): (1) movable digit of chelicera bidentate [edentate in the original description and illustration]; (2) palp trochanter seta v1 thickened [slender in the original description and illustration]; (3) exopodal platelets present [absent in the original description and illustration]; (4) with 16 pairs of setae on ventrolateral and dorsolateral soft cuticle, including r6 [with 14 pairs of setae in the original description and illustration, r6 absent]; (5) metasternal setae inserted in endopodals between coxae III-IV [inserted in soft cuticle in the original description and illustration]; (6) posterior edge of genitiventral shield bluntly tapered [posterior edge of genitiventral shield rounded in the original description and illustration]; (7) dorsal shield with lineate reticulation on marginal region [without distinct striations in the original description and illustration]; (8) sternal shield sparsely lineate-reticulate on anterior and lateral margins [smooth in the original description]; (9) peritrematal shields narrowly developed, anteriorly fused to dorsal shield, with five pairs of pore-like structures [peritrematal shields very narrow anterior to stigmata, with only two pairs of pores, peritremes free anteriorly in the original description]; (10) anterior hyaline margin of genitiventral shield rounded, covered posterior margin of sternal shield [anterior margin of shield and lateral cells between Λ-shape lines not illustrated in the original illustration]; (11) genua IV with eight setae, setae pl absent [genua IV with nine setae, one seta pl present in the original description]; (12) tibia IV with nine setae (2 2/1 2/1 1) [tibia IV with 10 setae (2 1/1 3/1 2) in the original description]; (13) palptibia with 14 setae [palptibia with 12 setae in the original description]; (14) dorsal shield with 22 pairs of pore-like structures [14 in the original description and illustration].

Specimens of L. persicus collected from different hosts and localities showed a relatively wide range of length in several dorsal and ventral setae and also leg length that indicate its intraspecific variation in these morphological characters, especially in z1, j2, s2, r4, st1–5 and JV1. The length of these setae was usually shorter in specimens collected in nest of Tetramorium in Kerman, but length of legs was longer in these specimens.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Laelaspis persicus. Female. 1. Dorsal idiosoma; 2. Details of some dorsal shield setae; 3. Palp; 4. Epistome.

FIGURES 5 – 9. Laelaspis persicus. Female. 5. Ventral idiosoma; 6. Peritrematal shield; 7. Spermatheca; 8. Subcapitulum; 9. Chelicera.

FIGURES 10 – 14. Laelaspis persicus. Female. 10. Ambulacrum I; 11 – 14. Legs I – IV, dorsal view.