Raphignathus azarshahriensis n.

Ahaniazad, M., Bagheri, M., Gharakhany, G. & Zarei, E., 2012, Raphignathus Azarshahriensis N. Sp. (Acari: Trombidiformes: Raphignathidae) From Northwest Iran, Acarologia 52 (4), pp. 367-372 : 368-371

Raphignathus azarshahriensis n. sp.

( Figures 1-2 )

Female (n = 4) — Measurements of holotype (measurements of paratypes in parentheses); Length of body (including gnathosoma) 660 (582 – 690); Length of body (excluding gnathosoma) 410 (372 – 440) and width 245 (215 – 276).

Dorsum ( Figure 1a ) — Body oval; prodorsum with one median and two lateral shields; one pair of small shields behind median shield present; median prodorsomal shield with three pairs of setae (vi, sci and c 1); each lateral shield with three pairs of setae (ve, sce and c 2), one pair of eyes and one pair of cupules (in); interscutal membrane with one pair of setae (d) situated on small platelets. Opisthosomal shield is large and with five pairs of setae (e 1, f 1, h 1, h 2 and h 3) and two pairs of cupules (im and ip); setae e 1 well behind anterior margin of opistosomal shield; all dorsal setae setiform. Lengths of dorsal setae as follows: vi 27 (25 – 27); ve 32 (26 – 33); sci 30 (27 – 31); sce 29 (27 – 30); c 1 25 (21 – 26); c 2 27 (26 – 28); d 1 27 (20 – 27); e 1 24 (23 – 27); f 1 26 (21 – 26); h 1 20 (17 – 20); h 2 20 (18 – 21); h 3 22 (21 – 23); distances between setae as fallow: vi-vi 35 (26 – 37); ve-ve 116 (109 – 124); sci-sci 55 (50 – 59); sce-sce 180 (175 – 183); sci-vi 46 (42 – 47); ve-sce 33 (31 – 35); ve-c 2 51 (46 – 62); sce-c 2 50 (46 – 56); c 1 -c 1 16 (14 – 17); d 1 -d 1 40 (37 – 41); e 1 -e 1 92 (82 – 103); d 1 - e 1 50 (42 – 57); f 1 -f 1 60 (60 – 66); e 1 -f 1 72 (64 – 70); h 1 -h 1 27 (26 – 30); h 1 -h 2 35 (32 – 36); h 2 -h 2 70 (67 – 77); h 3 -h 3 95 (80 – 92).

Venter ( Figure 1b ) — Endopodal shields between the coxae I-II and III-IV are present; setae 1a and 3a on endopodal shields; setae 4a on membrane posterior to coxae IV; three pairs of genital (g 1 -g 3) and two pairs of aggenital setae (ag 1 - ag 2); the anal plates bear three pairs of pseudanal setae (ps 1 -ps 3). Lengths of anogenital area setae as follows: ag 1 30 (28 – 35); ag 2 27 (23 – 27); g 1 25 (23 – 27); g 2 24 (21 – 23); g 3 25 (21 – 24); ps 1 20 (18 – 20); ps 2 21 (20 – 22); ps 3 21 (20 – 22).

Gnathosoma ( Figure 1c ) — Length of gnathosoma 250 (210 – 240). Subcapitulum with two pairs of subcapitular setae (m: 39 and n: 40) and two pairs of adoral setae (or 1: 23 and or 2: 25); stylophore conical and striated; palpal chaetotaxy: tarsus with four terminal eupathidia, one long solenidion and four tactile setae; tibia with one developed claw and three tactile setae; genua and femur with two and three tactile setae, respectively.

Legs ( Figure 2 ) — Length of legs (from base of coxae to tip of tarsi) as follows: leg I: 390 (360 – 403), leg II: 320 (305 – 328), leg III: 325 (317 – 330) and leg IV: 390 (380 – 418); Chaetotaxy of leg segments (excluding 1a, 3a and 4a) as follows: coxae 2-2-2-1; trochanters 1-1-2-1; femora 6-6-4-4; genuae 5(+k)- 5(+k)-4-4; tibiae 5(+’, ’ρ)-5(+’ρ)-5(+’ρ)-4(+’ρ); tarsi 19(+ω I, ω II)-15(+ω)-13(+ω)-13.

Male and immature stages — Unknown.

Etymology — The new species name " azarshahriensis " refers to the type locality, Azarshahr, Iran.

Type material — Holotype female and seven female paratypes of Raphignathus azarshahriensis n. sp. were collected from soil of black cherry, walnut and almond orchards, September 17, 2011, Pirchopan village, Azarshahr, East Azerbaijan province, Iran, by Mansoureh Ahaniazad. The holotype and one paratype female will be deposited in the Arachnida Collection of Plant Protection Research Institute, Pretoria, South Africa and six paratypes were deposited in the Acarological Collection, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maragheh, Iran.

Figures

FIGURE 1: Raphignathus azarshahriensis n. sp. (Female): a – Dorsal view; b – Ventral view; c – Palp.

FIGURE 2: Raphignathus azarshahriensis n. sp. (Female): a – Tarsus and tibia I; b – Tarsus and tibia II; c – Tarsus and tibia III; d – Tarsus and tibia IV.