Lasioseius

Hajizadeh, Jalil, Javadpour, Mahboubeh & Mohammadi, Leila, 2023, Review of the genus Lasioseius Berlese (Acari: Blattisociidae) in Iran, and a key for identification of the Iranian species of the genus, Persian Journal of Acarology 12 (4), pp. 463-485 : 476-477

Key to species of genus Lasioseius in Iran (females)

1. Dorsal shield lacking setae j1 and z1, leaving setae j2 as anteromedialmost pair; posterior region of dorsal shield with 10 or 11 pairs of setae; peritremes with anterior apices curving posteromedially above level of setae j2; female ventrianal shield with 6 pairs of opisthogastric setae .............................................................................................................................................. 2

– Dorsal shield with setae j1 and usually z1 present; posterior region of dorsal shield with 13 to 15 pairs of setae; peritremes with anterior apices not curving posteromedially where ending at level beside or short of setae z1; female ventrianal shield with 2 to 6 pairs of opisthogastric setae .... 4

2. Setae r2 absent; setae J2 1/2 distance J2-J4 ............................... L. youcefi Athias-Henriot, 1959

– Setae r2 present; setae J2 1/4 distance J2- J4 ............................................................................... 3

3. Setae s4 minute; setae S2 present; setae j5 and j6 short ................. L. phytoseioides Chant, 1963

– Setae s4 not minute; setae S2 absent; setae j5 and j6 long ... L. parberlesei Bhattacharyya, 1968

4. Seta r4 simple, similar to r2, short and not more than half as long as tricarinate seta s4 neighboring it medially; most dorsal setae tricarinate and moderately long, nearly as long as longitudinal intervals between their bases; anterior pair of sternal setae on weakly sclerotized presternal area, just before anterior margin of sternal shield; sternal shield with anteromedial patch of reticula; tarsus II with one midlateral seta, pl-2, elongated, reaching nearly to base of pretarsus ....................................................................................................................................... 5

– Seta r4 usually similar in weakly to strongly tricarinate form, usually over half as long as adjacent seta s4 (except for L. thermophiles that r4 is short); dorsal setae variable in form and lengths; anterior pair of sternal setae on or off well sclerotized surface of sternal shield; sternal shield variably ornamented; tarsus II with or without one or two attenuated setae ............................... 6

5. Tarsus III with seta ad2 slightly (1.1) longer but not more attenuated than pd2; spermatheca conspicuous, with a strongly sclerotized, shallowly cup-shaped calyx and long, relatively thick minor duct ........................................................................... Lasioseius floridensis Berlese, 1916

– Tarsus III with seta ad2 more attenuated and clearly (ca 1.5) longer than pd2; spermatheca small, weakly sclerotized, bulbous, without discernible minor duct .............. L. sugawarai Ehara, 1964

6. With 1 pair of metapodal plates, approximately as long as anus; most of the dorsal setae are needle shaped ............................................................................................................................... 7

– With 2 pairs of metapodal plates, smaller than anal opening; dorsal setae needle shaped, tricarinate or serrated ................................................................................................................... 9

7. Ventrianal shield with 4 pairs of perianal setae; tectum with 3 short branches, equal in length, distally serrate ............................................................................. L. qianensis Gu & Wang, 1990

– Ventrianal shield with more than 4 pairs of perianal setae; tectum with 3 longer branches ....... 8

8. With large, strongly sclerotized presternal plates; anterior dorsal shield with 23 pairs of setae; posterior dorsal shield with 15 pairs of setae; setae near the posterior margin of the dorsal shield long, spinose; posterior dorsal shield with 5 pairs of setae in the dorsocentral series (J) ............. ..................................................................................................... L. muricatus (C.L. Koch, 1839)

– Without presternal plates; anterior dorsal shield with 16 pairs of setae, posterior dorsal shield with 13 pairs of setae; setae near the posterior margin of the dorsal shield simple; posterior dorsal shield with only 3 pairs of setae in the dorsocentral series (J) ......... L. berlesei Oudemans, 1938

9. Sternal shield with posterior margin deeply excavated to level of setae pair St2, tectum with 3–4 groups of points ................................................................................ L. ometes ( Oudemans, 1903)

– Posterior margin of sternal shield nearly straight ...................................................................... 10

10. Ventrianal shield with 4 pairs of peranal setae .......................................................................... 11

– Ventrianal shield with 5–6 pairs of peranal setae ...................................................................... 14

11. With macroseta on tibia and tarsus of leg IV ............................................................................. 12

– Without macroseta on tibia and tarsus leg IV ............................................................................ 13

12. Macroseta present on the tibia and tarsus of leg IV; idiosoma with more than 3 pairs of marginal setae on soft integument ........................................................................... L. dentatus ( Fox, 1946)

– Macroseta present only on the tarsus of leg IV; idiosoma with only 3 pairs of marginal setae (r4, R1, R5) on soft integument ................................................. L. frankbakkeri Faraji & Karg, 2005

13. Tectum four-tined, with 2 smooth median points; anterior margin of sternal shield with an incision in the middle; dorsal setae short, no seta of posterior half of dorsum reaching the next seta of the series ..................................................................... L. inconspicuus Westerboer, 1963

– Tectum three-tined, with 1 smooth median point; anterior margin of sternal shield without middle incision; dorsal setae relatively long, most setae of posterior half of dorsum reaching the next seta of the series ........................................................................ L. thermophilus Willmann, 1942

14. Ventrianal shield with 5 pairs of peranal setae; tectum three-tined, middle tine twice as long as the lateral tips .............................................................................. L. lacunosus Westerboer, 1963

– Ventrianal shield with 6 pairs of peranal setae; tectum in other forms ..................................... 15

15. Most dorsal shield setae serrated ............................................................................................... 16

– Most dorsal shield setae simple, some posterior setae serrated ................................................. 17

16. Dorsal setae j4 as long as dorsal setae j1 and j3; sternal shield without a median longitudinal net-like pattern ....................................................................................... L. penicilliger Berlese, 1916

– Dorsal setae j4 remarkably shorter than other setae in j series; sternal shield with a median longitudinal net-like pattern .................................................... L. ometisimilis Hirschmann, 1962

17. Ventrianal shield broadly oval; peritreme short, extends only to the middle of coxa III .............. ........................................................................................................ L. formosus Westerboer, 1963

– Ventrianal shield pentagonal; peritreme long, extending to level of setae j1 ............................ 18

18. Peritreme with poststigmatic projection; sternal shield dotted; membrane surrounding ventrianal shield with 2 pairs of setae; with 2 pairs of small plates between genital and ventrianal shields .. ................................................................................................................. L. confusus Evans, 1958

– Peritreme without poststigmatic projection; sternal shield reticulated; membrane surrounding ventrianal shield with 4 pairs of setae; without small plates between genital and ventrianal shields .................................................................................................................... L. krantzi Chant, 1963