Pseudoleptus hamedaniensis, Khanjani, Masoumeh, Khanjani, Mohammad, Saboori, Alireza & Seeman, Owen D., 2012

Khanjani, Masoumeh, Khanjani, Mohammad, Saboori, Alireza & Seeman, Owen D., 2012, Three new false spider mites of the genus Pseudoleptus Bruyant (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) from Iran, Zootaxa 3297, pp. 41-56 : 43-46

Pseudoleptus hamedaniensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–9 )

Diagnosis. Hysterosoma with 13 pairs of setae (f2 present). Prodorsal projections extending just past coxa I. Seta h2 much longer than h1. Ventral idiosoma with sections of tessellate sculpturing. Ventral plate indistinct, with tessellate sculpturing anteriorly, coarse transverse striae posteriorly; genital plate mostly smooth. Anal setae arranged in triangular pattern. Palp 5-segmented; femur bearing 1 dorsal seta; palp tibia with 2 setae; palp tarsus with 1 solenidion and 2 eupathidia; palp solenidion very short, less than 1/3 length of eupathidia; palp tarsal phaneres directed anteriorly. Trochanter III with two setae; genu III with seta l ΄. See key for comparison with other species.

Description.

FEMALE (Holotype). Color in life red. Idiosoma broadly elliptical. Measurements of holotype (measurements of 1 paratype in parentheses): length of body (excluding gnathosoma) 313 (325); (including gnathosoma) 341 (370); width 162 (162); length of leg I 125 (128); leg II 112 (111); leg III 95 (98); leg IV 101 (105).

Dorsum ( Figs. 1, 5 ). Prodorsal projections acutely pointed prongs ( Fig. 5 ). Lateral and posterior prodorsum with coarse, irregular striae and medially almost smooth, area surrounding sejugal suture with transverse striae; opisthosoma with finely areolate-rugose striae anteriorly and coarse irregular striae posteriorly; pores absent ( Fig. 1 ). Dorsal setae rather slender, finely serrate, lateral setae more serrated than dorsocentral setae; v2 half distance v2- v2; lengths of dorsal setae: v 2 22 (21), sc1 24 (22), sc2 24 (25), c1 14 (13), c 2 19 (18), c 3 16 (17), d1 9 (7), d2 10 (9), d3 12 (10), e1 6 (6), e2 9 (7), e3 14 (13), f2 9 (9), f3 2 5(26), h1 13 (15), h2 35 (33); distances between dorsal setae: v2-v2 43 (42), v2 -sc1 44 (46), sc1-sc1 116 (107), sc2-sc2 132 (133), sc1-sc2 32 (32), c1-c1 23(24), c1-c2 42 (46), c2-c3 20 (19), c2-c2 108 (110), c3-c3 146 (149), c1-d1 45 (45), c2-d2 53 (53), d1-d1 24(23), d1-d2 34 (34), d2-d3 17 (13), d2-d2 93 (94), d3-d3 114 (113), d1- e 1 49 (45), e1- e 1 32 (34), e1- e 2 37 (35), e2-e2 103 (103), e2- e 3 33 (34), e3-e3 101 (104), e3-f2 12 (13), f2-f2 80 (83), f2-f3 21 (22), f3-f3 96 (95), f3-h2 16 (15), h1-h1 45 (46), e3-f2 12 (13), h1-h2 16 (17), h2-h2 77 (77), e1-h1 60 (66).

Venter ( Fig. 2 ). Intercoxal area between coxae I–II smooth and III–IV with broken coarse longitudinal striae; area between setae la to 3a and posteriad of 4a with tessellated pattern ( Fig. 2 ). Length of setae la 75 (76), 1b 20 (20), 1c 16 (14), 2b 16 (18), 2c 18 (25), 3a 20 (18), 3b 16 (17), 4a 16 (17), and 4b 15 (16). Ventral setae fine, setae 1a 3 times longer than 3a, 4a and 2b; seta 1a 5 times longer than aggenital setae (ag), 15 (13). Ventral and genital shields with transverse striae ( Fig. 2 ); aggenital (ag) setae almost smooth and same length as genital setae (g1-2); inner pair (g1) longer slightly posteriad to outer pair (g2); anal setae (ps1-3) almost as long as genital setae, arranged in a triangular pattern; setae g1 18 (17), g2 13 (12), ps1 13 (13), ps 2 17 (18), ps3 14 (12). Genital and pseudanal setae finely serrate. Distances: g1-g1 18 (17), g2-g2 44 (41), g1-g2 8 (8).

Gnathosoma ( Figs. 2–4 ). Rostrum extending just beyond middle of femur I ( Fig. 2 ); palp 5-segmented, palp tarsus with 1 solenidion and 2 eupathidia distally; solenidion very short, less than 1/3 length of eupathidia; palp tarsal phaneres directed anteriorly; palp tibia with 2 setae, palp femur with 1 dorsal seta ( Fig. 3 ). Chelicera as in Fig. 4 .

Legs ( Figs. 6–9 ). Setal formulae of leg I–IV segments as follows (numbers of solenidia in parentheses): coxae 2 - 2 - 1 - 1; trochanters 1 - 1 - 2 - 1; femora 4 - 4 - 2 - 1; genua 3 - 3 - 1 - 0; tibiae 4 - 4 - 3 - 3; tarsi 9(1) - 9(1) - 5 - 5. Chaetotaxy as in Figs. 6–9 . Tarsal claws pad-like with tenent hairs.

Male and immature stages. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype female and one female paratype from Bromus tectorum L. ( Poaceae ) beneath gum bushes, Astragalus gossypinus Fisch. (Fabaceae) , IRAN: Hamedan Province, Hamedan (34º 45ʹ N, 48º 31ʹ E and altitude 2015 m a.s.l), 21 August, 2010, coll. M. Khanjani.

Type deposition. Holotype female—QMA; 1 female paratype—CALBS.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from Hamedan, its city of origin.

Remarks. Pseudoleptus hamedaniensis is similar to P. i r an e n s is sp. nov., but are most easily separated by the ventral body sculpturing (tessellate between 1a-3a and posterior 4a in P. hamedaniensis , compared with striate in P. iranensis ). Further differences are noted in the key.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Pseudoleptus hamedaniensis sp. nov. (female): 1. Dorsum; 2. Venter; 3. Ventral gnathosoma; 4. Chelicerae; 5. Prodorsal projections.

FIGURES 6 – 9. Pseudoleptus hamedaniensis sp. nov. (female): 6. leg I, dorsal; 7. leg II, dorsal; 8. leg III, dorsal; 9. leg IV,