Laelaspis astronomicus (Koch)

Joharchi, Omid, Issakova, Aigerim K., Asyamova, Olga S., Sarcheshmeh, Mohammadhassan Abbasi & Tolstikov, Andrei V., 2020, Some soil-inhabiting mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Kazakhstan, with description of a new species of Gaeolaelaps Evans & Till (Acari: Laelapidae), Zootaxa 4819 (3), pp. 473-498 : 490-492

Laelaspis astronomicus (Koch)

( Figures 64–65 )

Iphis astronomicus Koch, 1839 : Fasc. 27/18.

Laelaspis ovatus Willmann, 1951: 115 ; Pirianyk, 1959: 678 (synonymy by Evans & Till, 1966).

Hypoaspis astronomica .— Evans & Till, 1966: 208.

Laelaspis astronomicus .— Hunter, 1961: 672; Schweizer, 1961: 147; Lapina, 1976: 52; Joharchi et al., 2012: 2001 .

Hypoaspis (Laelaspis) astronomica .— Karg, 1979: 101; 1982: 249; 1989: 120.

Specimens examined. Five females, Kostanay Region, Kazakhstan, 53°18ʹN, 66°27ʹE, 5 September 2019, A.K. Issakova coll., from soil (in TSUMZ) .

Remarks. This species is very widespread in Europe and elsewhere, in soil, organic litter, mammal nests and ant nests ( Joharchi et al., 2012) and is now recorded in Kazakhstan for the first time, from soil. Our newly collected specimens agree very well with the description given by Evans & Till (1966). The species is easily recognised by the central podonotal setae short, never reaching past base of next posterior setae ( Fig. 64 ), genito-ventral shield width equal with length, extending laterally beyond outer edges of coxae IV ( Fig. 65 ), post-anal seta smooth and thicker and longer than para-anal setae ( Fig. 65 ), setae Z5 clearly longer than J5 and seta v1 on the palptrochanter thickened.

Figures

FIGURES 64–65. DIC micrographs of Laelaspis astronomicus (Koch, 1839), female. 64, idiosoma in dorsal view; 65, idiosoma in ventral view.