Pedoniphis, Joharchi, Omid, Mašán, Peter & Babaeian, Esmaeil, 2014

Joharchi, Omid, Mašán, Peter & Babaeian, Esmaeil, 2014, A new genus and species of edaphic mite (Acari: Mesostigmata: Eviphididae) from Iran, Zootaxa 3774 (3), pp. 275-281 : 276-278

Genus Pedoniphis gen. nov.

Type species: Pedoniphis persicus sp. nov.

Diagnosis (female). Dorsal shield entire, regularly narrowed posteriorly, not expanded laterally, covering almost the whole dorsal surface, and bearing 29 pairs of needle-like setae (18 pairs of podonotal and 11 pairs of opisthonotal setae); setae J2 absent, setae J5 minute. Sternal shield subrectangular, fused with endopodal shields I- II and II-III, without scutal elements in presternal region, with three pairs of setae and two pairs of lyrifissures on its surface. Metasternal shields minute, irregular, each bearing metasternal seta st4 and a lyrifissure. Endopodal shields III-IV free from sternal shield. Exopodal shields present. Genital setae on or off the epigynal shield. Peritremes well developed, wide and long; anterior sections connected to anterolateral margins of dorsal shield near setae r3, reaching well beyond setae s2. Peritrematal shields rudimentary, post-stigmatic gland pores gp2 off the shields and placed on soft integument. A pair of minute metapodal shields present. Postanal seta longer than adanals. Soft integument with three pairs of setae dorsolaterally (R1, R3, and R4) and seven pairs of setae in opisthogastric surface (JV1–JV5, ZV2, and ZV3). Deutosternal groove with five to six rows of denticles. Movable digit of chelicera with large subterminal tooth. Femur II with ventral seta v1 modified into a robust spine. Ambulacra of tarsi I–IV with small and weakly sclerotised claws. Chaetotaxy of legs I–IV normal for the family.

Description (female). Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 1 ). Idiosoma elongated and suboval, with well sclerotised dorsal shield; the shield with podonotal and opisthonotal parts completely fused, wider in anterior portion, slightly narrowed posteriorly, not completely covering dorsal surface, exposing narrow strips of soft integument posteromarginally, bearing very delicate sculptural lines on marginal surface and 29 pairs of dorsal setae (j1–j6, J1, J3, J5, z1, z2, z4–z6, Z1, Z3–Z5, s2, s4–s6, S1, S3–S5, r2, r3, and r5); marginal setae R1, R3 and R4 inserted on soft integument, off the shield. Almost all dorsal setae simple, pointed, smooth, and subequal in length; clunal setae J5 extremely short microsetae. Dorsal shield with 20 pairs of discernible pore-like structures (eight pairs on podonotum and twelve pairs on opisthonotum), of which five (two podonotal, three opisthonotal) superficially appear secretory (gland pores) and 15 (five podonotal, ten opisthonotal) non-secretory (lyrifissures); marginal poroid idR3 between setae R3 and R4 on soft integument.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 2 ). Tritosternum with narrow base and two pilose laciniae; presternal region weakly sclerotised, lacking presternal shields. Sternal shield entire, almost smooth on surface (with no specific sculptural pattern), slightly concave on anterior and posterior margins, obtusely pointed in anterolateral and lateromedial corners and widely rounded on posterolateral corners. Endopodal shields relatively well developed between coxae III and IV, subtriangular; parapodal, and three separate exopodal shields between coxae I–IV present. Posterior tip of peritremes with well developed stigma. Peritrematal shields strongly reduced, in the form of very narrow edges around the peritremes. Epigynal shield oblong, hyaline in anteriormost part, smooth on surface, regularly convex on anterior and posterior margins, slightly constricted medially; genital setae on or off the shield ( Figs 2, 6 ); paragenital lyrifissures iv5 on soft integument alongside genital shield. Inguinal regions with a pair of nearly oval metapodal shields. Anal shield slightly elongated, pear-shaped, unevenly sclerotised, mostly smooth and without sculptural ornamentation on surface; anus relatively small, circum-anal region with three setae; adanal gland pores on lateral edges of the shield; cribrum normally developed. Ventral setae similar to those on dorsum, but moderately shorter. Opisthogastric soft integument with five pairs of lyrifissures. Insemination structures apparently unsclerotised, not detectable.

Gnathosoma ( Figs 3–5 ). Ventral hypostome with three pairs of needle-like and smooth setae; deutosternal groove with five to six moderately wide rows of denticles; gnathobase with a pair of simple palpcoxal setae ( Fig. 3 ). Epistome with elongated, lanceolate and spiniferous central projection and wing-like lateral elements finely serrate on anterior margin ( Fig. 4 ). Cheliceral digits well developed; fixed digit with four to five small teeth, pilus dentilis very minute; dorsal seta short, pointed, smooth and inserted close to transversal antiaxial lyrifissure; movable digit with strong terminal hook and large subdistal tooth ( Fig. 5 ). Corniculi horn-like, pointed at their tip; internal malae slender, pointed and densely pubescent; labrum prominent, blade-like and pilose on surface. Palpi with normal setation, palp genu with six setae; palptarsus without paired macroeupathidia, palptarsal apotele twotined.

Legs. Ventral surface of femur II with one proximal seta, modified into a robust and slightly spatulate spine, and flat subdistal protuberance ( Fig. 7 ). Ambulacra of tarsi I–IV with small and weakly sclerotised claws, especially those in tarsi I. Setation of legs I–IV: coxae 2, 2, 2, 1; trochanters 6, 5, 5, 5; femora 13 (2-5/4-2), 11 (2-5/ 3-1), 6 (1-3/1-1), 6 (1-3/1-1); genua 11 (1-5/3-2), 11 (2-5/2-2), 8 (1-4/2-1), 7 (1-4/1-1); tibiae 11 (1-5/3-2), 10 (2-4/ 2-2), 7 (1-3/2-1), 7 (1-3/2-1).

Etymology. The name Pedoniphis is derived from the Greek words Pedon (soil, earth) and Iphis (a proper noun attributed to several individuals in Greek mythology and as a suffix used in the names of many mite taxa), and it refers to the fact that the specimens were found in soil. Gender masculine.

Taxonomic notes. The new genus is the most similar to the monotypic genera Scamaphis Karg, 1976 and Scarabacariphis Mašán, 1994 . These genera may be distinguished by the following important characters. In the new genus, (1) the podonotal portion of the dorsal shield completely covers the dorsal surface and bears all the dorsal setae; (2) the peritrematal shields are rudimentary; peritremes are normal in length, with anterior tip exceeding anterior margins of coxae I and insertions of the podonotal setae s2; (3) peritremes and podonotal shield are directly and simply connected together; (4) dorsal chaetotaxy with setae J1 and S1 present and J2 absent; (5) presternal area without scutal elements; (6) genital setae placed on or off the epigynal shield; (7) one ventral seta of femur II modified into a robust spine; (8) ambulacral claws on tarsi I–IV weakly developed and sclerotised. In the genus Scamaphis , (1) the podonotal portion of the dorsal shield is narrowed posteriorly, not completely covering dorsal surface, so dorsal setae s6 are off the shield; (2) peritrematal shields are absent; peritremes are markedly reduced in length, with anterior tip not exceeding anterior margins of coxae II; (3) peritremes and podonotal shield are mutually connected by narrow laterodorsal scutal elements, these elements bearing marginal setae r3; (4) dorsal chaetotaxy with setae J2 present and J1 and S1 absent; (5) presternal shields present, weakly sclerotised, fused to form one transversely striate plate, completely fused to anterior margin of sternal shield; (6) genital setae placed on epigynal shield; (7) femur II with all setae uniform, needle-like; (8) ambulacrum of tarsi I–IV with well developed and sclerotised claws. In the genus Scarabacariphis , (1) the podonotal portion of the dorsal shield is slightly expanded ventrally close to the vertex so vertical setae j1 and paraverticals z1 are placed ventrally; (2) peritrematal shields are present; peritremes as in the new genus; (3) peritremes and peritrematal shields free and not fused to dorsal shield; (4) dorsal chaetotaxy with setae J1, J2 and S1 present; (5) sternal shield with a pair of presternal shields fused to its anterior margin; (6–8) the same as in the genus Scamaphis .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Pedoniphis persicus gen. nov, sp. nov., female. 1. Dorsal idiosoma; 2. Ventral idiosoma; 3. Subcapitulum; 4. Epistome; 5. Chelicera; 6. Epigynal shield, a variant form with genital setae off the shield; 7. Femur II. Figs 6 and 7 not to scale.