Raphignathus DugŁs, 1834

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

Genus Raphignathus DugŁs, 1834

Type species — Raphignathus ruberrimus DugŁs, 1834.

Diagnosis — Small mites with soft-sclerotized body, red or yellow colored when they are live; subcapitulum with two pairs of subcapitular setae (m, n) and two pairs of adoral setae (or 1, or 2); palptibia claw small; cheliceral bases fused; peritremes arising from midbasal part of stylophore and extending along anterior margin of idiosoma; idiosoma oval; propodosoma with three shields, one median and two lateral; one pair of eyes on lateral shields present; one pair of small shields may be present between median and lateral propodosomal shields; Opisthosoma with a large shield bearing 3-6 pairs of setae; Dorsum with 11-12 pairs of setae; two pairs of aggenital setae and three or four pairs of genital setae present; anal opening clearly separated from genital aperture and with three pairs of setae; number of solonidia on tarsi in male and female often is similar but in male dorsal body shields are fused and solonidia of tarsi enlarged ( Fan and Yin 2000; Khanjani and Ueckermann 2003; Ghorbani et al. 2011; Bagheri et al. 2012).

Genus Raphignathus DugŁs : Key to the Iranian species

1. Interscutal membrane dorsomedially with less than 3 (1 or 2) pairs of setae...................... 2

— Interscutal membrane dorsomedially with 3 pairs of setaee..................... R. larestanaensis

2. Interscutal membrane with 1 pair of setae...... 7

— Interscutal membrane with 2 pairs of setae.... 3

3. Genital shields with 4 pairs of setae... R. saboorii

— Genital shields with 3 pairs of setae........... 4

4. Palpfemur with 3 pairs of setae................ 5

— Palpfemur with 2 pairs of setae................ 6

5. Femur IV with 3 setae............... R. aciculatus

— Femur IV with 2 setae.................. R. atyeoi

6. Endopodal shields associated only with coxae III-IV............................................ 7

— Endopodal shields associated with coxae I- IV................................. R. hecmatanaensis

7. Small shields between median and lateral prodorsal shield absent, dorsal setae e 1 reaching anterior margin of opisthosomal shield, median propodosomal shield reaching to peritremes anteriorly.................................. R. gracilis

— Small shields between median and lateral prodorsal shield present, dorsal setae e 1 not reaching anterior margin of opisthosomal shield, median propodosomal shield not reaching to peritremes anteriorly................................... R. giselae

8. Tibia I with 7 setae (5+’, ’ρ)................... 9

— Tibia I with 6 setae (5+’ρ).................... 10

9. Two small shields on interscutal integument is very small; setae e 1 close to anterior margin of opistosomal shield........................ R. collegiatus

— Two small shields on interscutal integument is much longer; setae e 1 well behind anterior margin of opistosomal shield............. R. azarshahriensis

10. Tarsus IV with 14 setae................. R. zhaoi

— Tarsus IV with 13 setae.............. R. protaspus