Eviphididae

Mašán, Peter & Halliday, Bruce, 2009, Three new genera of the mite family Eviphididae (Acari: Mesostigmata), Zootaxa 2013, pp. 43-57 : 55-56

Key to the females for the world genera of the family Eviphididae

1. Palpgenu with five setae; sternal shield absent, reduced or fragmented into well sclerotised anterior platelet and marginal endopodal components; at least one pair of sternal setae (st3) inserted on soft striated cuticle; anterior margin of tectum with at least five anteriorly directed points............................................................. Thinoseius Halbert, 1920

- Palpgenu with six setae; sternal shield entire, well sclerotised or hyaline, with three pairs of sternal setae (sternal setae st3 sometimes inserted on lightly sclerotised integument but never in striated cuticle); anterior margin of tectum with one or three points ......................................................................................................................................... 2

2. Anal shield flanked by a pair of large transversely ribbed sucker-like plates; fixed digit of chelicera rudimentary and reduced to hyaline appendage; metasternal setae absent ................................. Canestriniphis Potter & Johnston, 1976

- Anal shield without adjacent ribbed plates; fixed and movable digits of chelicerae well developed and subequal in length; metasternal setae present................................................................................................................................... 3

3. Dorsal shield extensively expanded laterally, covering wide lateral strips of ventral idiosoma, and capturing three pairs of ventral setae in opisthogastric region; unsclerotised opisthogastric cuticle otherwise hypotrichous, with three pairs of setae; central projection of tectum trifurcate .......................................... Rafaphis Skorupski & Błaszak, 1997

- Dorsal shield never expanded onto ventrolateral margins of idiosoma, all opisthogastric setae inserted on soft cuticle; opisthogastric cuticle with more than three pairs of setae; central projection of tectum undivided...................... 4

4. Peritremes wide and short, never reaching beyond anterior margin of coxae II; peritrematal shields reduced, without post-stigmatic extensions; dorsal shield hypotrichous, never with full set of 30 pairs of setae ................................... 5

- Peritremes narrow, long enough to extend anteriorly beyond coxae I; peritrematal shields well developed, with poststigmatic extensions; dorsal shield with full set of 30 pairs of setae ............................................................................ 7

5. Tarsi II–IV with normal needle-like setae; tectum with long central process and denticulate wing-like lateral flaps; peritrematal shields strongly reduced; dorsal shield strongly reticulate; small exopodal platelets present.................... ................................................................................................................................................... Scamaphis Karg, 1976

- Tarsi II–IV with modified spatulate seta av1; tectum subtriangular, smooth or serrate and without conspicuous anterior points; podonotal and peritrematal sections of dorsal shield well developed and fused, each bearing three setae; exopodal platelets absent .............................................................................................................................................. 6

6. Metasternal setae st4 inserted on soft cuticle behind sternal shield; sternal shield with three pairs of pores including metasternal pores; peritremes conspicuously shortened and not reaching beyond middle of coxae II; dorsocentral setae strongly differentiated in length .............................................................................. Cryptoseius Makarova, 1998

- Metasternal seta st4 and associated pore inserted on small metasternal platelets; sternal shield with two pairs of pores; peritremes moderately shortened and reaching anterior margin of coxae II; dorsocentral setae subequal in length............................................................................................................ Metacryptoseius Kazemi & Moraza, 2008

7. Post-stigmatic section of peritrematal shields expanded and elongated, with tip reaching beyond level of posterior margin of genital shield................................................................................................................................................. 8

- Post-stigmatic section of peritrematal shields short, reaching at most as far as posterior margin of coxae IV ......... 10

8. Coxae II–IV on left side close to those on right side; sternal and genital shields anteriorly constricted; strips of soft cuticle between genital, peritrematal and anal shields very narrow; exopodal platelets II and III well developed; metapodal plates and exopodals IV usually closely adjacent ........................................................ Evimirus Karg, 1963

- Coxae II–IV on left side well separated from those on right side; sternal and genital shields not constricted; genital, peritrematal and anal shields separated by wide strips of soft cuticle; exopodal platelets II and III absent; metapodals and exopodals IV well separated .................................................................................................................................. 9

9. Idiosoma highly domed, almost hemispherical; vertical setae j1 minute and needle-like; posterior ends of peritrematal shields greatly enlarged; metapodal plates completely or partly fused with peritrematal shields, occasionally unfused but enclosed within an indentation in peritrematal shield and only very narrowly separated from it; hypertrophied post-stigmatic pores situated about half-way between stigma and posterior end of peritrematal shields; trochanter I with five setae, genu III with seven setae ..................................................................... Eviphis Berlese, 1903

- Idiosoma dorso-ventrally flattened; vertical setae j1 stout and lance-like; posterior ends of peritrematal shields less enlarged; metapodal plates widely separated from peritrematal shields by a strip of soft cuticle; hypertrophied poststigmatic pores situated close to posterior end of peritrematal shields; trochanter I with six setae, genu III with eight setae.......................................................................................................................................... Copriphis Berlese, 1910

10. Coxae I and II with at least some ventral setae modified into flat oval disk-like protuberances; genital setae inserted outside genital shield....................................................................................................... Scarabaspis Womersley, 1956

- Coxae I and II with normal needle-like setae; genital setae inserted on genital shield .............................................. 11

11. Sternal shield weakly sclerotised and hyaline, with barely observable margins; tectum with one subtriangular central point; anterior margin of genital shield pointed; dorsal setae modified, thickened, rod-shaped to club-shaped, with obtusely rounded tips; dorsal chaetotaxy sexually dimorphic ................................................. Crassicheles Karg, 1963

- Sternal shield well sclerotised, with distinct margins; tectum with conspicuous elongated lance-like central process

and simple or serrated lateral elements; anterior margin of genital shield rounded; dorsal setae normal, pointed, mostly needle-like; dorsal chaetotaxy not sexually dimorphic................................................................................... 12 12. Dorsal shield rectangular, with parallel lateral margins, not covering lateral and posterior idiosoma, with coarse rugose-verrucose sculpture; podonotal and peritrematal shields widely fused anteriorly, enclosing a deep wedge of soft cuticle; endopodal platelets II well separated from sternal shield; idiosoma lemon-shaped, with a caudal projection bearing a pair of marginal setae .............................................................................................. Halolaspis gen. nov.

- Dorsal shield suboval, with rounded lateral margins, covering almost whole dorsum; with punctate, reticulate or punctate-reticulate sculpture; podonotal and peritrematal shields may be fused anteriorly, but never enclosing a deep wedge of soft cuticle; endopodal platelets II partly or completely fused to sternal shield; idiosoma regularly shaped, caudal margin rounded................................................................................................................................................ 13

13. Dorsal shield with coarse punctate-reticulate sculpture; anterior extension of dorsal shield overlapping onto ventral surface beyond vertex, fused to anterior parts of peritrematal shields to form an ventral arch-shaped shield structure; setae j1 and z1 displaced ventrally; movable digit of chelicerae bidentate; presternal platelets absent..................... 14

- Dorsal shield with smooth or finely reticulated surface; anterior end of dorsal shield not expanded ventrally beyond vertex, anterior sections of peritrematal shields not fused into conspicuous ventral arch-shaped shield structure; setae j1 and z1 positioned dorsally; movable digit of chelicerae with one robust subdistal tooth; presternal platelets usually present ......................................................................................................................................................................... 15

14. Metasternal setae st4 and associated pores inserted together on small metasternal platelets; endopodal platelets II and sternal shield completely fused; vertical setae j1 columnar, with rounded tips; striated soft cuticle with reticular pattern of tubercles........................................................................................................................... Alloseius gen. nov.

- Metasternal setae st4 inserted on soft cuticle, associated pores inserted separately on microplatelets; endopodal platelets II almost free, fused to sternal shield only at their narrow anterior ends; vertical setae j1 apically pointed; striated soft cuticle normal, without additional reticulation ................................................... Pseudoalliphis gen. nov.

15. Dorsal shield setae with extreme variation in length, longest setae about ten times or more as long as shortest setae, S5 usually several times as long as Z5................................................................................... Pelethiphis Berlese, 1911

- Dorsal shield setae without such extreme variation in length, longest setae at most three times as long as shortest setae, Z5 and S5 subequal in length............................................................................................................................ 16

16. Peritrematal shield developed along whole length of peritreme; anterior section of peritrematal shield completely fused to dorsal shield; posterior dorsal shield setae subequal or only moderately varying in length; exopodal platelets I–II present ................................................................................................................................... Alliphis Halbert, 1923

- Peritrematal shield not reaching the anterior tip of peritremes; peritrematal shields not fused to dorsal shield; posterior marginal setae on dorsal shield (S and Z series) conspicuously longer than medial setae (J series); exopodal platelets I–II absent ......................................................................................................... Scarabacariphis Mašán, 1994