Holostaspis oophila ( Wasmann, 1897 )

Babaeian, Esmaeil, Mašán, Peter & Halliday, Bruce, 2019, Review of the genus Holostaspis Kolenati, 1858 (Acari: Laelapidae), Zootaxa 4590 (3), pp. 301-341 : 324-325

Holostaspis oophila ( Wasmann, 1897)

( Figs 57–66 )

Uropoda oophila Moniez (nomen nudum).— Wasmann, 1894: 197, 199.

Laelaps oophilus Wasmann, 1897: 172 .

Hypoaspis oophila .— Oudemans, 1902: 24; Oudemans, 1903: 130; Buitendijk, 1945: 296.

Laelaps (Eulaelaps) oophilus .—Berlese, 1903b: 13.

Laelaps (Oolaelaps) oophilus .—Berlese, 1904b: 428.

Oolaelaps oophilus .— Oudemans, 1914: 68; Hull, 1918: 69; Castagnoli & Pegazzano, 1985: 286.

Hypoaspis (Holostaspis) oophila .— Evans & Till, 1966: 159, 206; Karg, 1971: 176; Karg, 1979: 97; Karg, 1982: 247; Karg, 1993: 157.

Holostaspis oophila .— Bregetova, 1977: 549; Keum et al., 2017: 490.

Specimens examined. Eight females—SW Slovakia, Podunajská Rovina Lowland, Svätý Jur Town, Šúr Nature Reserve (48°13'33" N, 17°12'29" E), forest-steppe, in anthill of Formica pratensis , altitude 130 m, April 29, 1991, coll. P. Mašán. These specimens were previously published under the name Hypoaspis (Holostaspis) oophila by Mašán (2001).

Diagnosis (female). Dorsal shield suboval, more broadly rounded posteriorly and slightly more tapered anteriorly, smooth anteromedially, reticulate in posterior area, bearing 39 pairs of setae and one unpaired accessory seta between J3–J4; dorsal setae mostly short, setae r-series slightly longer than other podonotals, in posterior third of shield setae are also progressively longer, with J4–J5, Z3–Z5 and S3–S5 setae 3–5 times longer than anterior setae, and slightly pilose; vertical setae (j1) longer than most other, podonotal setae, but shorter than most opisthonotal setae; setae z1 slightly shorter than most other podonotal setae. Sternal shield slightly wider than long, smooth. Anal shield subtriangular, elongate, with anterior margin concave and anterolateral angles pointed; postanal seta thickened and approximately 1.3–1.5 times longer than adanals. Peritremes anteriorly reaching level of s1. Epistome with anterior margin rounded. Fixed digit of chelicera with two teeth, movable digit with a small rounded subdistal bulge.

Description. Female (n=4)

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 57 ). Idiosoma 596–606 µm long and 403–416 µm wide; dorsal shield 572–587 µm long and 307–309 µm wide, reticulate on marginal and posterior surface (anteromedial region smooth); bearing 39 pairs of setae: 22 pairs (j1–j6, z1–z6, s1–s6, r2–r5) in podonotal area and 17 pairs (J1–J5, Z1–Z5, Px2–Px3, S1–S5) in opisthonotal area and one unpaired accessory setae between J1–J5; with at least 20 pairs of discernible pore-like structures (four pairs of gland pores and 16 pairs of lyrifissures). Dorsal shield setae apparently heterogeneous in length and thickness: thin and smooth setae on podonotum markedly shorter than thickened, elongate and apically pilose ones on opisthonotum; lengths of some setae: j 1 27–30 µm, j2–j6 and z1–z 6 17–20 µm, s1–s6 and r2–r 5 27–33 µm, longest posterior setae 87 µm.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 58 ). Tritosternum with short columniform base (17 µm) and pilose laciniae (54 µm). Sternal shield subrectangular, 99–106 µm long and 104–111 µm wide (L/W=0.95), widest at level of coxae II–III (173–177 µm), convex anteriorly (except shallow medial concavity) and concave posteriorly (occasionally posterior margin unsclerotised and not indicated, as in Fig. 59 ); whole surface smooth, without sculptural ornamentation; setae with tips not reaching bases of following ones (st1 42–45 µm, st2 37–40 µm, and st3 37–42 µm); lyrifissures iv1 and iv2 slit-like. Metasternal setae (st4 32–37 µm) and associated lyrifissures iv3 placed on soft integument; endopodal platelets III–IV subtriangular, narrow, anteriorly free or connected to posterolateral margins of sternal shield. Epigynal shield tongue-shaped, elongate, 272–285 µm long and 156–163 µm wide (121–126 µm at level of st5); anterior hyaline margin irregularly curved, reaching level between st1 and st2; posterior portion with rounded margin and lineate ornamentation pattern forming usually 8–9 elongate cells; genital setae (st5 40 µm) placed on mediolateral margins and associated lyrifissures iv5 on soft integument; soft integument between iv5 and Zv1 each with a pair of minute and narrow adgenital sclerites. Metapodal platelets long and narrow, 50–52 µm long. Anal shield elongate, triangle-shaped, 86–89 µm long and 62–71 µm wide, with anterolateral angles obtusely pointed, anterior margin deeply concave and weak lineate-reticulate ornamentation on anterior portion; postanal seta 40–45 µm long, thickened and longer than adanal setae (30–32 µm); cribrum with wide band of spicules. Lateral and opisthogastric soft integument with 17 pairs of setae; setae different in length, each with base inserted in small and rounded scutal structure; setae r6, R1, and R2 shorter and smooth, other longer and sparsely pilose distally. Poststigmatic section of peritrematal shield narrow, tapered posteriorly.

Gnathosoma ( Figs 60–62 ). Epistome subtriangular, with narrower base and rounded anterior margin ( Fig. 60 ). Corniculi weakly sclerotised, short and pointed, horn-like; internal malae short, divergent, finely serrate laterobasally, and with tips not reaching beyond corniculi; labrum long and blade-like ( Fig. 61 ). Deutosternal furrow on ventral subcapitulum with almost parallel lateral margins, with six transverse rows of denticles (each with 8–12 denticles). Lengths of hypostomal and palpcoxal setae: h 1 22–25 µm, h2 20 µm, h3 32–35 µm, pc 27–30 µm. Palp setation as in Fig. 61 . Shape and dentition of chelicera as in Fig. 62 ; lengths of cheliceral articles: the second segment 63–67 µm, fixed digit 15 µm and movable digit 17–20 µm.

Legs ( Figs 63–66 ). Tarsi I–IV each with a pair of claws and pulvillus. Lengths of legs: leg I 361–374 µm, leg II 260–272 µm, leg III 275–282 µm, leg IV 334–339 µm. Setae av and pv on genu II, tibia II and tibia IV slightly thickened; seta ad on trochanter IV, ad1 on femur IV and av on genu IV thickened.

MALE. Briefly described and illustrated by Berlese (1904b).

Notes. Vitzthum (1925, 1929) considered that H. oophila was a synonym of H. isotricha , but Bregetova (1977) and subsequent authors treated both as valid species.

Figures

FIGURES 57–62. Holostaspis oophila, female. 57. Dorsal idiosoma; 58. Ventral idiosoma; 59. Sternal and epigynal shield (a specimen with unsclerotised posterior margin of sternal shield); 60. Epistome; 61. Ventral gnathosoma with palp; 62. Chelicera.

FIGURES 63–66. Holostaspis oophila, female. 63. Leg I; 64. Leg II; 65. Leg III; 66. Leg IV.