Raphignathus saboorii Ghorbani and Bagheri, 2011

Ghorbani, H., Bagheri, M., Ueckermann, E. A., Navaei-Bonab, R., Mehrvar, A. & Saber, M., 2011, Raphignathus Saboorii N. Sp. A New Species Of The Genus Raphignathus (Acari: Trombidiformes: Raphignathidae) From Northwest Iran, Acarologia 51 (4), pp. 425-430 : 426-429

Raphignathus saboorii Ghorbani and Bagheri n. sp.

( Figures 1-2 )

Holotype — Female: (n=2) – Length of body (paratype measurements in parenthesis) (including gnathosoma) 412 (394), (excluding gnathosoma) 277 (260), width 176 (183).

Dorsum — ( Figure 1a ) Propodosoma with one median and 2 lateral shields; without small shields behind median propodosomal shield. Median shield with three pairs of setae (vi, ve and c1), and separated from lateral shields by striations; each lateral shield with three pairs of setae, (sci, sce and c2), and with one eye; integument behind median propodosomal shield punctuated, interscutal membrane with two pairs of setae, (d1 and e1) situated on small platelets. Opisthosomal shield with four pairs of setae, (f1, h1, h2 and h3), setae f1 not located on margin of opisthosomal shield. Three pairs of lyrifissures present, one pair (ia) on posterior margin of lateral shields, one pair (im) on integument between lateral and opisthosomal shields, and one pair (ip) on anterior margin of opisthosomal shield. All dorsal setae simple. Dimension of setae as follows: vi 26 (25); ve 27 (26); sci 26 (26); sce 26 (24); c1 20 (19); c2 25 (24); d1 19 (21); e1 20 (21); f1 22 (24); h1 24 (29); h2 22 (29); h3 19 (26); Distances between dorsal setae: vi – vi 23 (22); ve – ve 41 (46); vi – ve 33 (30); ve – sci 25 (26); vi – sci 49 (47); sci – sci 94 (72); sci – sce 25 (25); sce – sce 130 (116); c1 – c1 13 (16); c1 – c2 42 (43); c2 – c2 90 (108); c1 – d1 41 (37); d1 – d1 53 (58); d1 – e1 30 (22); e1 – e1 59 (63); e1 – f1 27 (22); f1 – f1 42 (55); f1 – h1 33 (35); f1 – h2 49 (57); f1 – h3 60 (60); h1 – h1 19 (27); h1 – h2 28 (30); h2 – h2 43 (55); h2 – h3 13 (12); h3 – h3 73 (70); ratios: vi / vi – vi 1.13; c1 / c1 – c1 1.53; d1 / d1 – d1 0.35; e1 / e1 – e1 0.33; f1 / f1 – f1 0.52; h1 / h1 – h1 1.26; h2 / h2 – h2 0.51; h3 / h3 – h3 0.26; c1 – c1: d1 – d1: e1 – e1: f1 – f1 = 1: 1.26: 1.4: 1.

Venter — ( Figure 1b ) Endopodal shields absent; setae 1a and 3a near coxae I and III respectively, setae 4a on membrane posterior to coxae IV; venter striated except for coxae; aggenital area with two pairs of aggenital setae (ag1 – ag2); genital area with four pairs of setae (g1 – g4); anal shield with three pairs of anal setae (ps1 – ps3). Measurements of setae: 1a 33 (30), 3a 26 (27), 4a 22 (25), ag1 17 (20), ag2 18 (19), g1 16(16), g2 15 (16), g3 15 (15), g4 15 (15), ps1 15 (15), ps2 15 (17) and ps3 14 (16).

Gnathosoma — Subcapitulum ( Figure 1c ) ventrally with two pairs of subcapitular setae (m and n), equal in length, m = n = 30, and 2 pairs of adoral setae (or1 and or2) which are slightly serrated; distances between n - n 36, m - m 19, n - m 12. Dorsal stylophore with striae. Palpi ( Figure 1d ) five segmented; palptarsus with four setae, four eupathidia and one solenidion (ω); palptibia with three setae and one small claw; palpgenu and palpfemur each with two setae; palptrochanter without setae.

Legs — ( Figure 2 ) length of legs I-IV (from base of coxae to tip of tarsal claw): 275(251) – 235(205) – 243(225) – 319(255). Chaetotaxy of leg segments as follows: coxae (excluding 1a, 3a and 4a) 2-2-2-1, trochanters 1-1-2-1, femora 6-5-3- 3, genua 5+1κ-5+1κ-4-4, tibiae 5+1’-5+1’-5+1’ρ- 4+1’ρ, tarsi 19+1ω+1ωρ-16+1ω-13+1ωρ-13.

Male and immature stages — Unknown.

Etymology — The species is named in honor of Prof. Alireza Saboori (Professor of Entomology, University of Tehran, Iran), for his great efforts to develop of Acarology in Iran.

Type material — Holotype and 1 paratype female of Raphignathus saboorii n. sp. were collected from soil in apple orchards, 20 August 2009, Maragheh, East Azerbaijan province, Iran, by Hamed Ghorbani. The holotype and paratype females will be deposited in the Arachnida Collection of Plant Protection Research Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.

Remarks — The new species is very closely related to R. sceptrum Chaudhri, Akbar and Rasool ( Chaudhri et al. 1979) by having: 4 pairs of genital setae, 2 pairs of setae on interscutal membrane, 2 pairs of setae on palpfemur and simple dorsal setae but can be distinguished from the later as follows:

1. R. sceptrum has one pair of small shields behind the anteromedian propodosomal shield which are absent in new species.

2. setae f 1 in new species well behind the anterior margin of opisthosomal shield but in R. sceptrum f1 situated on anterior margin of opisthosomal shield.

3. tarsi I and IV with 21 and 13 setae in new species vs 19 and 12 in R. sceptrum, respectively.

Raphignathus saboorii also resembles R. gracilis by having 2 pairs of interscutal setae, 2 setae on palpfemur, simple dorsal setae and absence of small shields on interscutal membrane but, can be separated by following features:

1. genital shields with 4 pairs of setae in R. saboorii vs. 3 pairs in R. gracilis

2. tarsus II with 17 setae vs. 16 in R. gracilis.

3. coxisternal III-IV is absent in new species but present in R. gracilis.

Figures

FIGURE 1: Raphignathus saboorii n. sp. (Female): a – Dorsal view, b – Ventral view, c – Subcapitulum, d – Palp.

FIGURE 2: Raphignathus saboorii n. sp. (Female): a – Leg I, b – Leg II, c – Leg III, d – Leg IV.