Iphidonopsis Gwiazdowicz

De Moraes, Gilberto J., Britto, Erika P. J., Mineiro, Jefferson L. De C. & Halliday, Bruce, 2016, Catalogue of the mite families Ascidae Voigts & Oudemans, Blattisociidae Garman and Melicharidae Hirschmann (Acari: Mesostigmata), Zootaxa 4112 (1), pp. 1-299 : 23-24

Iphidonopsis Gwiazdowicz

FEMALE

Gnathosoma. Anterior margin of epistome with three projections, the median smooth and the lateral denticulate. Seta h1 longer than h2, h3 and pc setae, but not greatly elongate; h2 shortest, its insertion in transverse line with insertion of h3. Inner palp trochanter seta elongate. Deutosternum wide, with posteriorly divergent delimiting lateral lines and seven rows of usually 10–20 denticles each. Corniculi almost twice as long as their basal widths, with pointed tips, slightly divergent distally. Palp tarsal apotele two-tined. Cheliceral digits of similar lengths; fixed digit with three teeth in addition to apical tooth; movable digit with two teeth in addition to apical tooth.

Idiosoma. Ovoid. Dorsum: podonotal and opisthonotal shields fused, broad, extending to lateral margin of ventral idiosomal surface, with distinct reticulate-foveate ornamentation, without lateral incisions at region of fusion, transverse and nearly straight lines, and delineated strip along lateral margins or posterior tubercles; anterior end of dorsal shield deflexed, hiding base of j1 and apex of peritreme. No supernumerary setae on dorsal shields or on unsclerotised ventrolateral cuticle. Podonotal region of shield with 21 pairs of setae, including r3, which is similar to neighbouring setae. Opisthonotal region of shield with 14 pairs of setae (S2 absent). Unsclerotised ventrolateral cuticle with three pairs of setae; UR setae absent. Dorsal and ventrolateral idiosomal setae of variable lengths, acicular. Ve n t e r: presternal platelets indistinct. Sternal shield with three pairs of setae (st1–st3) of similar lengths and three pairs of lyrifissures (iv1–iv3); iv3 on posterior shield margin, which is concave; st2 about equidistant to st1 and st3. Seta st4 inserted on unsclerotised cuticle. Genital shield not wide enough to include iv5 or st5; posteriorly convex. A pair of elongate metapodal plates present. No platelets between genital and anal shields. Opisthogaster with nine pairs of setae on unsclerotised cuticle; anal shield trapezoidal; para-anal setae inserted between levels of posterior margin and mid-length of anal opening, slightly shorter than post-anal seta, which is not stout. Anal opening small, about 1/4 of shield length, anterior to shield centre. Anterior section of endopodal shield fused with sternal shield; section behind sternal shield reduced to a tri-radiate plate between coxae III–IV. Exopodal shield only conspicuous beside coxa IV.

Peritreme. Extending from stigma to level of z1, about as wide as or slightly narrower than diameter of stigma; not visible dorsally. Peritrematic shield wide, broadly fused anteriorly with dorsal shield, and with exopodal shield beside coxa IV.

Legs. All legs with pretarsi. Medium section of pulvilli of legs II–IV rounded. Setation of legs I–IV, genu: 12, 10, 8, 7; tibia: 12, 9, 7, 7. Leg II slightly stouter than other legs. Setae ad2 and pd2 of tarsi II–IV elongate and curved. Legs without macrosetae.

MALE

Gnathosoma similar to female, but fixed cheliceral digit with two teeth in addition to apical tooth and movable digit with one tooth in addition to apical tooth; spermatodactyl almost twice as long as movable digit, strongly deflexed near base and slightly curved medially. Dorsal shield ornamentation similar to female; no setae on unsclerotised lateral cuticle. Presternal platelets absent. Sternogenital shield with five pairs of setae (st1–st5) and three pairs of lyrifissures (iv1–iv3); posterior margin slightly convex. Anterior section of endopodal shield fused with endopodal shield; section behind st3 reduced to a three-radiate plate between coxae III–IV. Metapodal plates absent. Ventrianal shield wider than anal shield of female, bearing seven of the nine pairs of opisthogastric setae in addition to circumanal setae; not fused with peritrematic shield.