Reticulolaelaps hallidayi Joharchi, Nemati & Babaeian

Nemati, Alireza, Joharchi, Omid, Babaeian, Esmaeil & Gwiazdowicz, Dariusz J., 2013, A new species and new record of Reticulolaelaps Costa (Acari: Laelapidae) from Iran, Zootaxa 3718 (1), pp. 73-80 : 76-79

Reticulolaelaps hallidayi Joharchi, Nemati & Babaeian sp. nov.

Figures 5–18

Specimens examined. Holotype, female, Iran, Khuzestan province, Izeh (31° 49´52" N 49° 52´9" E, alt. 845 m), soil, 30 March 2010, coll., A. Nemati (in APAS). Paratypes, 7 females and 3 males, same data as holotype; 10 females, 4 males, Alborz province, Savojbolagh, Khoznan, 36˚71’ N, 50˚32’ E, alt. 1595 m, 3 August 2012, O. Joharchi coll., in nest of Tapinoma sp. ( Formicidae ) (6 paratypes in JAZM, 6 in ANIC, 6 in YIAU and 6 in APAS).

Description. Female. Dorsal idiosoma. Dorsal shield length 534–580, width 298–398 (n = 25) ( Fig. 5 ). Shield oval shaped with convex dorsum and flat venter; shield well sclerotised and with strong reticulation; with about 110–116 simple and long setae, with unpaired and asymmetrical setae, setae on shield uniform in length (podonotal 44–60 and opisthonotal 55–75) and thickness, most setae long enough to reach well past base of next posterior seta except j1 (10–13), z1 (21–23), J5 (26–31) and Z5 (23–29). Setae J5 and Z5 curved and directed downward. Shield with ca. 20 pairs of lyrifissures and pore-like structures.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 6 ). Tritosternum with paired pilose laciniae (74–77), columnar base (10–11 × 5–8 wide) ( Fig. 7 ); pre-sternal plates fused with sternal shield, some minute irregular platelets present behind coxa I in some specimens. Sternal shield (length 57–68) narrowest between coxae II (89–92) widest between coxae II and III (134–136), with biconvex anterior margin and extending beyond level of st1; posterior margin concave; shield bearing three pairs of smooth pointed setae (st 1 25–27, st 2 30–48, st 3 31–50) and two pairs of lyrifissures, one pair of lyrifissures adjacent to setae st1 and the other between st 2 and st 3; surface with distinct reticulate ornamentation. Metasternal setae st 4 apparently absent but associated pores iv3 present, located at the posterior corners of lateral extensions of sternal shield; endopodal plates II/III fused to sternal shield, endopodal plates III/IV elongate, narrow, curved. Genito-ventral shield broad, length 298–364, maximum width 232-238, posterior edge straight, abutting anal shield, surface with polygonal ornamentation, bearing the genital setae st5 (47–60) and five additional pairs of setae on its surface, (Jv1 54–60, Jv2 42–75, Jv3 44–60, Zv1 54–73, Zv2 47–65), paragenital pores absent. Anal shield subtriangular and large, nearly twice as wide as long (84–96 × 168–185 wide), with notch in each lateral margin in holotype and some other specimens, posterior margin slightly rounded, anterior margin almost straight, surface with polygonal ornamentation, with a pair of slit lateral pores, para-anal setae (12–18) longer than unpaired post-anal seta (8–12). Opisthogastric skin with five pairs of smooth setae and four pairs of pores; metapodal plates absent. Large triangular podal shields present posterior to coxae IV. Stigmata located at a level near anterior part of coxa IV, peritremes with six or seven indentations along their interior margins, extending anterior to coxae I. Peritrematal shields wide and reticulate, fused with dorsal shield from level of coxa I, extending behind stigmata to well behind coxa IV; posterior end of shield with a small rounded or pointed projection, with two small pores behind stigma and two on peritrematal shield, at level of coxae II–III.

Gnathosoma . Hypostomal groove with four rows of denticles each bearing 2–5 small teeth, and a smooth anterior transverse line ( Fig. 8 ). Corniculi short and weakly sclerotised. Internal malae complex, with two pairs of lobes, inner lobes narrow, with smooth edges, outer lobes long, narrow, pointed. Hypostome with two large membranous flaps at the anterior part of hypostome, attached to it at the base of the palp trochanter, rostral seta h1 (91), h2 (44), h3 (94), palp coxal seta (47). Palp chaetotaxy: trochanter 2, femur 5, genu 6, tibia 14, tarsus 15, all setae smooth and needle-like except seta al on palp femur long and slightly sword-like, al 1 on palp genu short and spine-like, al 2 longer and pointed; palp tarsal claw with two pointed tines of unequal length ( Fig. 10 ). Epistome sub-triangular, anterior part membranous, posterior well sclerotised, posterior half with lineate ornamentation ( Fig. 9 ). Fixed digit of chelicera with a large bifid proximal tooth and one small median tooth ( Fig. 11 ), pilus dentilis moderately robust, dorsal seta short, thick, prostrate, movable digit with two large teeth, arthrodial membrane with a rounded flap and a row of short filaments.

Legs. Legs short, well ornamented, legs II and III shorter (258–262, 232–248), I and IV longer (326–332, 332– 336) (excluding pre-tarsus). Chaetotaxy normal for free-living Laelapidae : Leg I: coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0, trochanter 1 0/2 1/1 1, femur 2 2/1 3/3 2 ( Fig. 14 ), genu 2 3/2 3/1 2 ( Fig. 14 ), tibia 2 3/2 3/1 2 ( Fig. 14 ). Leg II: coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0, trochanter 1 0/2 0/1 1, femur 2 3/1 2/2 1, genu 2 3/1 2/1 2 ( Fig. 15 ), tibia 2 2/1 2/1 2 ( Fig. 15 ). Leg III: coxa 0 0/1 0/ 1 0, trochanter 1 0/2 0/1 1, femur 1 2/1 1/0 1 ( Fig. 16 ), genu 2 2/1 2/0 1 ( Fig. 17 ), tibia 1 2/1 2/1 1 ( Fig. 17 ). Leg IV: coxa 0 0/1 0/0 0, trochanter 1 0/2 0/1 1, femur 1 2/1 1/0 1 ( Fig. 18 ), genu 2 2/1 3/1 1 ( Fig. 18 ), tibia 2 1/1 3/1 2 ( Fig. 18 ); all setae fine and needle-like. Tarsi I–IV with 18 setae 3 3/2 3/2 3 + mv, md. All pre-tarsi with a pair of claws and a long thin membranous ambulacrum.

Insemination structures. Not seen, apparently unsclerotised.

Male. Dorsal idiosoma. Dorsal shield length 406–409, width 232–234 (n = 7), structure and chaetotaxy as for female.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 12 ). Sternal, genital, endopodal and ventral shields fused to form a strongly ornamented composite shield (292–293 × 178–179 wide) with ten pairs of setae include the metasternal setae st 4, which are absent in the female, and two pairs of pores, posterior margin straight. Anal shield free, subtriangular and large (64–66 × 128 wide), surface with polygonal ornamentation, para-anal setae equal in length to unpaired post-anal seta, cribrum small, anal pores on edge of shield.

Gnathosoma . Movable digit of chelicera with one large tooth, spermatodactyl slightly longer than movable digit, with rounded tip, fixed digit with large proximal tooth, one small median tooth and one distal tooth, slender pilus dentilis present ( Fig. 13 ).

Legs. Chaetotaxy as in female.

Etymology. This species is named in honour of Dr. Bruce Halliday (Canberra, Australia), who made many important contributions to the systematics of mesostigmatic mites.

Remarks. Reticulolaelaps hallidayi Joharchi, Nemati & Babaeian sp. nov. differs from R. faini Costa, 1968 by having free endopodal plates III/IV, and the posterior margin of sternal shield deeply concave and extending anterior to coxae III. In R. faini the sternal shield is arch-shaped, extending mid to coxae II and fused with the endopodal plates. The fixed digit of the chelicera has a large proximal tooth, one small median tooth and one distal tooth, while in R. faini fixed digit of chelicera has four small teeth.

Figures

FIGURES 5 – 11. Reticulolaelaps hallidayi Joharchi, Nemati & Babaeian sp. nov., female. 5. Dorsal shield; 6. Ventral idiosoma; 7. Tritosternum; 8. Hypostome; 9. Epistome; 10. Palp tarsal claw (not to scale); 11. Chelicera.

FIGURES 12 – 18. Reticulolaelaps hallidayi Joharchi, Nemati & Babaeian sp. nov., male. 12. Ventral idiosoma; 13. Chelicera; female. 14. Femur, genu and tibia I; 15. Genu, tibia and tarsus II; 16. Femur III; 17. Genu, tibia and tarsus III; 18. Femur, genu, tibia and tarsus IV.