Scutascirus Den Heyer, 1976

Skvarla, Michael J., Fisher, J. Ray & Dowling, Ashley P. G., 2014, A review of Cunaxidae (Acariformes, Trombidiformes): Histories and diagnoses of subfamilies and genera, keys to world species, and some new locality records, ZooKeys 418, pp. 1-103 : 78-80

Scutascirus Den Heyer, 1976

Historical review.

Den Heyer (1976) erected Scutascirus for Scutascirus polyscutosus . Shiba (1978) described Cunaxa exasperatus . Den Heyer (1980b) described Scutascirus braziliensis . Chaudhri (1980) described Scutascirus pigrus . Smiley (1992) transferred Cunaxa exasperatus to Scutascirus . Corpuz-Raros and Garcia (1996) described Scutascirus contiguus and Scutascirus pentascutellus . Lin, Zhang and Ji (2001) described Scutascirus triangulum .

Diagnosis.

Gnathosoma. Pedipalps 5-segmented and reach beyond the subcapitulum by at most the distal half of the tibiotarsi. Basifemora and telofemora fused but retain a dark line. The tibiotarsi complemented with a tubercle and a dorsodistal solenidion. Pedipalps end in a stout claw. Chelicera with seta present or absent. Subcapitulum bears 6 pairs of setae: 2 pairs of adoral setae and 4 pairs of subcapitular setae (hg1 - 4). Setae hg4 often the longest.

Idiosoma, dorsal. Proterosoma covered in a shield which bears 4 pairs of setae: 2 pairs of simple setae (lps and mps) and 2 pairs of setose sensilla (at and pt). Dorsal hysterosoma bears a median plate which is fused with the proterosomal shield and four pairs of lateral platelets. Plates and shields covered with papillae that form reticulations. 8 pairs of setae present on the dorsal hysterosoma (c1 - f1, c2, f2, h2); these setae occur on the fused dorsal shield. Cupule im present, usually laterad or in the proximity of e1. Unsclerotized integument striated.

Idiosoma, ventral. Coxae I-II fused and coalesce medially to form a single sternal plate. Each pair of coxae complemented with 3 pairs of setae; if they form an extensive sternal shield setae normally born on the unsclerotized integument may be located on the shield. Coxae III-IV fused and extend posteriorly beyond the genital plates. Genital plates each bear 4 setae; 2 pairs of genital papillae visible underneath the plates. 1-8 pairs of setae present on the integument between coxae III and the genital plates. Anal plates complemented with 2 pairs of setae (ps1-2). Two pairs of setae (h2, pa) located on the integument near the anal plates. Cupule ih present in close proximity to h2. Legs shorter than idiosoma. Tarsi never constricted apically so as to end in lobes. Trichobothrium on leg tibia IV present. Ambulacral claws on either side of a four-rayed empodium present.

Key to adult female Scutascirus

Scutascirus tactus is not included in the following key as it is described only from the male.

1	Tubercle on inner margin of pedipalp tibiotarsus not branched ( Fig. 90a )	2
-	Tubercle on inner margin of pedipalp tibiotarsus bifurcate ( Figs 90b, c )	5
-	Tubercle on inner margin of pedipalp tibiotarsus trifurcate ( Fig. 90d ); China	Scutascirus triangulum Lin, Zhang & Ji, 2001
2 (1)	Telofemora III-IV setal formula 4-3	5
-	Telofemora III-IV setal formula 5-2; Philippines	Scutascirus contiguus Corpuz-Raros & Garcia, 1996
3 (2)	Genua II with 1 asl, 5 sts; dorsum with lateral scutella absent; Pakistan	Scutascirus pigrus Chaudhri, 1980
-	Genua II with 2 asl, 1 bsl, 5 sts; dorsum with lateral scutella present; Malaysia	Scutascirus exasperatus (Shiba, 1978)
4 (1)	Basifemora I-IV setal formula 4-6-4-2; Telofemora I-IV setal formula 5-5-4-3; 4 pairs of dorsolateral hysterosomal plates present ( Fig. 91a )	5
-	Basifemora I-IV setal formula 5-5-4-3; Telofemora I-IV setal formula 5-5-5-2; 5 pairs of dorsolateral hysterosomal plates present ( Fig. 91b ); Luzon Is., Philippines	Scutascirus pentascutellus Corpuz-Raros & Garcia, 1996
5 (4)	Pedipalp with entire tibiotarsus projecting past entomalae; bifurcate tubercle positioned halfway along the length of the tibiotarsus ( Fig. 90b ); Brazil	Scutascirus braziliensis Den Heyer, 1978
-	Pedipalp with distal 2/3 of tibiotarsus projecting past entomalae; bifurcate tubercle positioned on distal third of tibiotarsus ( Fig. 90c ); South Africa	Scutascirus polyscutosus Den Heyer, 1976

Figures

Figures 90, 91. Scutascirus key illustrations. 90 a (after Corpuz-Raros and Garcia 1996). Pedipalp with tubercle not branched 90 b (after Den Heyer 1980 b). Pedipalp tibiotarsus with bifurcate tubercle positioned halfway along the length of the segment 90 c (after Den Heyer 1980 b). Pedipalp tibiotarsus with bifurcate tubercle positioned on distal third of segment 90 d (after Lin et al. 2001). Pedipalp tibiotarsus with trifurcate tubercle 90 a (after Den Heyer 1980 b). Four pairs of dorsolateral hysterosomal plates present 91 b (after Corpuz-Raros and Garcia 1996). Five pairs of dorsolateral hysterosomal plates present.