Elattoma abeskoun Rahiminejad and Hajiqanbar

Rahiminejad, Vahid, Hajiqanbar, Hamidreza & Fathipour, Yaghoub, 2011, Two new species of the genus Elattoma (Acari: Heterostigmatina: Pygmephoridae) phoretic on Morimus verecundus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from Iran, Zootaxa 2903, pp. 48-56 : 52-54

Elattoma abeskoun Rahiminejad and Hajiqanbar sp. nov.

( Figures 8–14 )

Differential diagnosis. The new species resembles E. cerambycidum sp. nov. but differs from it by solenidion φ2 shorter than φ1, seta f less than two times longer than setae e and seta h 1 bluntly ended and shorter than seta e (solenidion φ2 longer than φ1, seta f more than 3 times longer than setae e and seta h 1 pointed and longer than seta e in E. cerambycidum sp. nov.). The new species is also closely related to E. kornilovi but differs from it by solenidion φ2 shorter than φ1 (solenidion φ2 longer than φ 1 in E. kornilovi ), seta e longer than h 1 (seta h 1 longer than e in E. kornilovi ), seta f less than two times longer than e (seta f more than two times longer than e in E. kornilovi ), setae h 1 bluntly ended (setae h 1 pointed in E. kornilovi ) and setae c 1 and c 2 subequal (setae c 2 longer than c 1 in E. kornilovi ).

Phoretic female. Length of idiosoma 179 (169–182), width 91 (90–97).

Gnathosoma ( Figs. 8, 9 ). Gnathosomal capsule subquadrangular, dorsally with a small median apodeme, one pair of cheliceral setae ch 3 (3–4) needlelike and one pair of small postpalpal setae pp located anterolaterally to seta ch; ventrally with one pair of subcapitular setae su 3 (4–5) needlelike; each palp dorsally with two needlelike setae dFe 3 (3–4) and dGe 2 (2–3), dFe longer than dGe, ventrally with accessory setigenous structure (ass), two small solenidia and one tiny rod-shape structure; chelicerae indiscernible; pharyngeal system ( Fig. 10 ) with three pumps, pump 1 smallest, pump 2 the largest and striated, pump 3 oval-shaped.

Idiosomal dorsum ( Fig. 8 ). Rounded stigmata visible in anterior part of prodorsal shield with conspicuous atria; all dorsal setae smooth and pointed except setae h 1 which are blunt-ended; prodorsal shield with one pair of clavate trichobothria and three pairs of setae v 1 12 (12–13), v 2 8 (6–8) and sc 2 17 (16–18), v 1 longer than v 2, both shorter than sc 2; all tergites smooth, tergite C with two pairs of setae c 1 21 (20–21) and c 2 21 (19–21), c 1 and c 2 subequal, posterior margin of tergite C concave medially; tergite D with seta d 25 (24–27) and one pair of cupuli ia; tergite EF with two pairs of setae e 14 (13–14) and f 21 (18–23) and one pair of cupuli im, seta f less than two times longer than seta e; tergite H with only one pair of setae h 1 12 (10–12) blunt-ended and one pair of cupuli ih; Distances between dorsal idiosomal setae: v 1– v 1 12 (11–12), v 2– v 2 29 (26–29), sc 2– sc 2 27 (27–30), c 1– c 1 36 (34–38), c 2– c 2 57 (51–60), d–d 40 (40–43), e–e 40 (39–43), f–f 27 (25–28), h 1– h 1 27 (26–27).

Idiosomal venter ( Fig. 9 ). Ventral plates smooth; all ventral setae smooth and pointed except setae ps 1 and ps 2 which are needlelike. Apodemes 1 and 2 reaching to presternal apodeme (appr), sejugal apodeme (apsej) not reaching to appr, no apodemes III and V, apodeme IV vestigial, poststernal apodeme (appo) very short; posterior border of poststernal plate bi-parties; epimeres I with three pairs of setae 1 a 9 (7–9), 1 b 9 (7–9) and 1 c 10 (10–10), all subequal; epimeres II with two pairs of setae 2 a 11 (11–12) and 2 c 12 (12–13), 2 a and 2 c subequal; epimeres III with three pairs of setae 3 a 8 (8–10), 3 b 9 (8–9) and 3 c 10 (8–10), all subequal; epimeres IV with only one pair of seta 4 b 12 (11–12); tergite PS with two pairs of setae ps 1 7 (6–8) and ps 2 4 (3–4).

Legs. Leg I ( Fig. 11 ) thicker and shorter than other legs; setal formula: Tr1-Fe4-Ge2-TiTa17(2) (number of solenidia in parenthesis). Tibiotarsus with one large claw; solenidion φ1 6 (5–6) prominent and finger shaped; solenidion φ2 3 (3–4) finger shaped, φ2 shorter than φ1, with 6 eupathidial setae (p’, p”, ft’, ft”, tc’ and tc”) bluntly ended, setae pl’ and pl” whip-like, pl’ longer than pl”, setae d whip-like and longest on leg I and less than two times longer than pl’, seta v” more than two times longer than v’, seta l’ longer than l”; genu with seta l” longer than l’, seta l’ needlelike; femur with seta d hook-like, seta l” longer than l’, seta l’ needlelike, seta v” sparsely barbed and longer than l’ and l”; trochanter with seta v’ sparsely barbed.

Leg II ( Fig. 12 ). Setal formula: Tr1-Fe2-Ge1-Ti4(1)-Ta6(1). Solenidion ω 3 (3–4) finger shaped, anterior to modified and spatulate seta pl”, seta pv” spine like, seta tc” whip-like and more than two times longer than tc’, seta u’ needlelike, sometimes indiscernible in some species; tibia with one small finger shaped solenidion φ 2 (2–4), setae d and v” subequal, seta l’ needlelike and subequal to length of its segment; genu with only one seta l’; femur with seta d shorter than v”; trochanter with seta v’ weakly barbed.

Leg III ( Fig. 13 ). Setal formula: Tr1–Fe1–Ge1–Ti4(1)–Ta6. Tarsus with seta pl” spatulate, setae pv” spine, seta u’ needlelike, seta tc” whip–like and longest one on leg III; tibia with a small solenidion φ 2 (1–2), and four setae which setae d, l’ and v’ distinctly longer than seta v”; genu with seta l’ needlelike, longer than seta d on femur; femur divided into basifemur and telofemur, seta d needlelike and inserted on telofemur; seta v’ on trochanter smooth.

Leg IV ( Fig. 14 ). Ambulacrum stalked; setal formula: Tr1-Fe2-Ge0-Ti3(1)-Ta6. Tarsus with seta pl” short, behind wipe-like and ultralong seta tc”; seta u’ blunt-ended; seta pv” longer than pv’, both shorter than tc’; tibia with small solenidion φ 1 (1-1), seta d and v’ subequal and both longer than v”; genu with no seta; femur divided into basifemur and telofemur, setae d and v’ inserted on telofemur, seta v’ almost two times longer than d; trochanter with seta v’ smooth.

Male and larva unknown.

Type material. Holotype female (1/1) phoretic on Morimus verecundus ( Coleoptera : Cerambycidae ) clinging to ventral surface, around coxae I–III, collected from Oak trees in Nokandeh forest, Golestan province, northern Iran, 36.41°N, 53.54°E, altitude 381 m., coll. V. Rahiminejad, 26 August 2009.

Paratypes: more than 150 females, same collection data as holotype.

Etymology. The name of new species “ abeskoun ” is derived from one of the ancient names of the Caspian Sea to the northwest of the sampling site (Golestan province).

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 10. Elattoma abeskoun Rahiminejad & Hajiqanbar sp. nov. (female): 8. Dorsum of the body, 9. Venter of the body, 10. Pharyngeal system. Scale bar 50 Μm.

FIGURES 11 – 14. Elattoma abeskoun Rahiminejad & Hajiqanbar sp. nov. (female): 11 – 14. Legs I – IV, respectively. Scale bar 20 Μm.