Proctolaelaps aegyptiacus Nasr

Abo-Shnaf, Reham I. A. & De Moraes, Gilberto J., 2016, Proctolaelaps species (Acari: Mesostigmata: Melicharidae) from Egypt, with description of a new species and complementary descriptions of other five species, Zootaxa 4162 (3), pp. 479-503 : 480-483

Proctolaelaps aegyptiacus Nasr

( Figs 1–9 )

Proctolaelaps n. sp. 1.— Nasr, 1978: 101 (unpublished thesis).

Proctolaelaps aegyptiaca Nasr, in Zaher, 1986: 65 ; Moraes et al., 2016: 203 .

Specimens examined. Senuris (30° 15' E, 29° 6' N), Fayoum governorate: two females from litter underneath apricot tree, June 18 and November 25, 2003; one female from litter underneath cucumber, April 2, 2003; two females from litter underneath mango tree, June 3, 2003; seven females from litter underneath citrus trees, June 3, November 25, December 16, 2003, November 4 and 6, 2004; two females from litter underneath peppermint, June 15, 2003; one female from litter underneath coriander, on the same date; three females from litter underneath eggplant, August 15, 16 and 22, 2003; one female from litter underneath peach tree, November 14, 2003; four females from soil, November 15, 2003; two females from litter underneath dill, November 15, 2003 and February 23, 2007; two females from litter underneath fennel, March 15, 2006; one female from litter underneath tomato, January 27, 2014.

Adult female (five specimens measured)

Dorsum of idiosoma ( Figs 1, 2 ): dorsal shield 400 (361 – 420) long and 255 (243 – 265) wide at widest level. Podonotal region of the dorsal shield reticulate, with 23 pairs of setae (j1–j6, z1–z6, s1–s6, r2–r6), four pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures and five pairs of distinguishable pores. Opisthonotal region reticulate, with 17 pairs of setae (J1–J5, Z1–Z5, S1–S5, R1, R5) (three of 20 specimens examined had R6 at the edge of both sides of the dorsal shield) ( Fig. 2 ), eight pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures and two pairs of distinguishable pores. Most dorsal shield setae of uniform length and shape, longer than distance to respective subsequent setae, aciculate and smooth (z1, s1, r2, J5, R1, R5 shortest). Unsclerotised lateral cuticle with no setae, but with a lyrifissure (Rp) anteriad of R5. Setal lengths: j1 32 (28 – 35), j2 23 (21 – 25), j3 56 (54 – 59), j4 55 (52 – 58), j5 58 (55 – 61), j6 55 (52 – 58), z1 14 (11 – 16), z2 24 (22 – 26), z3 33 (30 – 38), z4 59 (55 – 62), z5 61 (58 – 64), z6 58 (57 – 59), s1 16 (14 – 17), s2 31 (27 – 39), s3 42 (39 – 44), s4 55 (52 – 58), s5 58 (50 – 64), s6 55 (50 – 59), r2 24 (23 – 26), r3 51 (48 – 54), r4 31 (30 – 32), r5 36 (32 – 38), r6 25 (22 – 29), J1 52 (50 – 57), J2 54 (52 – 57), J3 54 (50 – 58), J4 61 (57 – 66), J5 6 (5 – 8), Z1 59 (56 – 61), Z2 56 (54 – 61), Z3 57 (56 – 59), Z4 61 (55 – 67), Z5 63 (61 – 66), S1 44 (40 – 47), S2 51 (44 – 54), S3 47 (43 – 51), S4 54 (50 – 58), S5 43 (39 – 45), R1 19 (17 – 23), R5 18 (16 – 19), R6 19 (16–22).

Venter of idiosoma ( Figs 3–5 ): all setae aciculate and smooth. Base of tritosternum 18 (17–20) long and 9 (9– 10) wide at medium level; laciniae 69 (63–75) long, divided for about 61 (57–64)% of their total length. Presternal region with light transverse striae. Sternal shield fused with anterior portion of endopodal plate, with a pair of pores (gst1) on distal end of extension between coxae I–II, reticulate; 86 (78 – 90) long and 97 (90–100) wide at level of st2, with three pairs of setae (st1–st3) and two pairs of lyrifissures. Posterior portion of endopodal plate represented by a v-shaped fragment between coxae III–IV. Metasternal plate ellipsoidal to pear-shaped, with the fourth sternal seta (st4); lyrifissure iv3 variously placed on unsclerotised cuticle, sometimes difficult to discern. Genital shield reticulate, 143 (134–153) long, including hyaline flap; posterior margin slightly convex, 87 (83–90) wide at posterior corners, bearing genital setae (st5); distance between genital setae 70 (64–74); paragenital lyrifissures (iv5) on unsclerotised cuticle, posterolaterad of st5. Anal shield ovate, reticulate, 86 (77–93) long and 78 (71–83) wide at widest level, with circumanal setae and a pair of marginal pores posterolaterad of para-anal setae; anal opening relatively large, 41 (40–41) long including frame. Exopodal plate distinct from posterior margin of coxa IV to anterior margin of coxa II; with a pore near posterior end [SJ, inguinal solenostome of Athias-Henriot (1969), gv2 of Lindquist & Moraza (2008)]. Unsclerotised cuticle around anal shield with 11 pairs of setae (JV1–JV5, ZV1– ZV5, SV2), a pair of widely spaced, transversely elongate platelets anterolaterad of ZV1 and five pairs of lyrifissures. With two pairs of elongate punctate metapodal plates, the anterior smaller. Setal lengths: st1 37 (34– 40), st2 37 (36–40), st3 36 (35–38), st4 36 (35–37), st5 31 (29–32), JV1 29 (27–30), JV2 33 (30–35), JV3 35 (32– 38), JV4 31 (28–33), JV5 39 (37–42), ZV1 27 (24–29), ZV2 27 (25–29), ZV3 25 (23–27), ZV4 21 (20–25), ZV5 22 (21–24), SV2 22 (20–24), para-anal 28 (26–29) and post-anal 30 (27–33).

Peritrematic plate and peritreme ( Figs 1, 5 ): peritrematic plate fused with dorsal shield at level of s1 and abutting to exopodal plate beside coxa IV; with a lyrifissure and a pore in region between coxae II–III (ip2, gp1), with two lyrifissures and a pore behind stigma (ip3, ip4, gp2). Peritreme extending forward to level of z1.

Spermatheca: not distinguishable.

Gnathosoma ( Figs 6–8 ): anteromedian region of epistome prominent, acuminate and denticulate. Cheliceral dorsal and antiaxial lyrifissures and dorsal seta distinct; hyaline rim on paraxial face of chelicera with about eight teeth, at about same level as row of teeth on fixed digit. Fixed digit 27 (26–29) long, with 12 teeth and large antiaxial membranous lobe; movable digit 31 (29–32) long, with three teeth. Hypostome with h1 slightly thicker than h2, h3 and sc and with a small, spine-like membranous process near basal paraxial margin of corniculus. Deutosternum with eight transverse lines, delimited by lateral lines from first to sixth transverse lines; first (most distal) line smooth; second to eighth lines respectively with 3, 8, 7, 10, 26–30, 26–30 and 16–18 denticles; lateral lines undulating and slightly divergent posteriorly. Corniculi slightly convergent, with a discreet distal cleft, about 25 (22–27) long and 8 (7–9) wide at the base. Setal lengths: h1 28 (26–29), h2 20 (19–22), h3 22 (19–24) and sc 32 (30–34); palp trochanter setae av 24 (23–25) and pv 22 (20–24).

Legs ( Fig. 9 ): pretarsi I–IV each with a pair of claws and pulvillus with three rounded lobules. Leg lengths: I, 509 (467–538); II, 375 (356–401); III, 404 (363–432) and IV, 621 (566–565). Leg chaetotaxy—genua: I—2 3/2 3/ 1 2; II—2 3/1 2/1 2; III—2 2/1 2/1 1; IV—2 2/1 3/0 1; tibiae: I—2 3/2 3/1 2; II—2 2/1 2/1 2; III—2 1/1 2/1 1; IV— 2 1/1 3/1 2. With two macrosetae on each of basitarsus [ad3 71 (64–76), pd3 101 (91–109)] and telotarsus [ad2 67 (60–73), pd2 83 (80–87)] of leg IV.

Adult male: unknown.

Previous records from Egypt. Giza and Qena governorates ( Nasr, 1978); Upper Egypt (Giza, Sohag and Qena governorates) ( Zaher, 1986).

Remarks. This species was originally described from the holotype female and a paratype female collected in the Faculty of Agriculture Farm , Cairo University , Giza governorate, five paratype females collected in the National Research Centre , Giza governorate and two paratype females collected in Qena governorate . The original description was reasonably detailed, with illustrations, but only with measurements of the idiosoma. Despite our effort, it was not possible to find the holotype of P. aegyptiacus for examination in this study. The specimens collected agree with most characteristics mentioned for this species in the original description. However, in the original description z3, s2 and r4 are seemingly shorter; R 5 is set off dorsal shield and the movable cheliceral digit is mentioned as having only two teeth. Additionally , in the specimens collected in this work, R6 and what was identified as R7 by Nasr (1978) (identified as SV 2 in this work) are most often absent, and iv3 does not seem to be inserted on metasternal plate. The corniculi were mentioned as sinuous in the original description, but in the specimens collected in this study they are arched, with a distal cleft. Also , the original description does not show the small, spine-like membranous process of the hypostome, near basal paraxial margin of the corniculus.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 9. Proctolaelaps aegyptiacus, female: 1. Dorsum of idiosoma; 2. Opisthonotal region of dorsal shield, variant specimen; 3. Tritosternum; 4. Venter of idiosoma; 5. Peritrematic and exopodal plates; 6. Epistomes; 7. Chelicera; 8. Hypostome; 9. Leg IV.