Lamellovertex caelatus (Berlese 1895)

Ryabinin, N. A., 2018, New and little-known species of oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) in the mountain areas of Siberia, Far Eastern Entomologist 368, pp. 11-15 : 14-15

Lamellovertex caelatus (Berlese 1895)

Figs 4, 5

view. Scale bar = 100 µm.

MATERIAL. Republic of Buryatia: Tunkinsky District, Eastern Sayan Mountains ,

Tunkinsky Golts Range, lichen tundra (about 2,500 m above sea level), 1.VIII 1987, 2 ♂,

collector M.N. Pyshnenko.

DESCRIPTION. Light brown mites, length is 520, width is 270. The boundary between the proterosoma and the hysterosoma is sometimes not clear. Rostrum is rounded with a small visor. Lamellae are narrow, cover an insignificant part of the proterosoma, the cusps are large, their distal ends sometimes overlap, the translamella is only indicated. Lamellar setae are attached under lamellas, crescent-shaped, covered with small setae. Rostral setae are 1.5

times longer, slightly curved, rough. Interlamellar and exobothridial setae, as well as other representatives of the genus, are absent. Sensilli are short, clavate, the heads are covered with coarse bristles.

The dorsal side is ovoid with humeral protuberances, with several depressions on the dorsal side. The surface of body is covered with interrupted network-like ornamentation from tubercles and ridges of a variety of configuration. Setae (10 pairs) small (8–11), poorly visible. The ventral side has characteristic of the Lamellovertex structure, covered with tubercles and valleys of various shapes. Pedotectes I and II are very large. The genital opening (71) is 1.5 times smaller than the anal (115), genital setae of 6 pairs (g 1 is twice as long as the others), aggenital 1 pair, anal 2 pairs, adanal 3 pairs. The legs are short, massive,

with various sprouting and spines. Legs with 1 large claw.

NOTES. This is the first finding of representatives of the genus Lamellovertex Bernini,

1976 within the Asian sector of the Palaearctic. Prior to this, the species was known in the

Caucasus, in the vicinity of Novorossiysk, as well as in Italy, Switzerland and Turkey

(Shtanchayeva & Netuzhilin, 2003; Ayyildiz et al., 2005). L. caelatus from Buryatia has a number of differences from European specimens, but they cannot be the basis for description the species new for science.