Pogonolaelaps canestrinii (Berlese, 1903) Berlese, 1903

Nemati, Alireza & Gwiazdowicz, Dariusz J., 2016, A new genus and species of Laelapidae from Iran with notes on Gymnolaelaps Berlese and Laelaspisella Marais & Loots (Acari, Mesostigmata), ZooKeys 549, pp. 23-49 : 27-31

Taxon classification Animalia Mesostigmata Laelapidae

Pogonolaelaps canestrinii (Berlese, 1903) comb. n. Figures 1-6, 7-10, 11-14

Laelaps canestrinii Berlese, 1892: LXIX, 1.

Laelaps (Eulaelaps) canestrinii Berlese, 1903: 13.

Hypoaspis canestrinii . - Oudemans 1902: 24; Oudemans 1903; 129; Buitendijk 1945: 295.

Laelaspis (Hypoaspis) canestrinii . - Berlese 1904.

Gymnolaelaps canestrinii . - Vitzthum 1929: 25; Sellnick 1931: 695; Costa 1962: 491: Costa 1966: 74; Bhattacharyya 1968: 539; Joharchi et al. 2011: 23.

Laelaps canestrinii . - Tipton 1960: 290.

Hypoaspis (Gymnolaelaps) canestrinii . - Hunter 1967: 99; Bregetova 1977: 523.

Pseudoparasitus (Gymnolaelaps) canestrinii . - Karg 1981: 218; Karg 1989, 334; Karg 1993: 135.

Hypoaspis (Cosmolaelaps) canestrinii . - Karg 1979: 71.

Laelaspisella canestrinii . - Joharchi and Halliday 2013: 46; Moreira 2014: 316.

Specimens examined.

Khuzestan province: Ahwaz (31°19'22"N, 48°40'50"E, H: 16 m), nest of unknown ant, two females, coll. A. Nemati, 2012; Baghmalek (31°31'22"N, 49°53'8"E, H: 707m), soil, one female and one male, coll. A. Nemati, 2012; Ghaletol (31°37'55"N, 49°53'20"E, H: 885 m), soil and nest materials of unknown ant, one female, coll. A. Nemati, 2012; Izeh (31°49'52"N, 49°52'9"E, H: 845 m), soil, two females, coll. A. Nemati, 2012 and Masjed-Soleiman (31°56'11"N, 49°18'14"E, H: 251 m), soil, one female, coll. A. Nemati, 2011. Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari province: Shahrekord (32°19'39"N, 50°51'35"E, H: 2206 m), soil, three females, coll. A. Nemati, 2009, Lordegan (31°30'30"N, 50°49'39"E, H: 1594 m), soil, three females and two males, coll. A. Nemati, 2012; Naghan (31°56'19"N, 50°44'54"E, H: 2219 m), soil, one female, coll. M. Mohseni, 2010. Ben (32°32'32"N, 50°43'48"E, H: 2203 m), soil, four females and one male, coll. A. Nemati, 2011. Esfahan province: Esfahan (32°39'37"N, 51°41'22"E, H: 1608 m), soil, coll. A. Nemati, 2011. Kashan, soil, five females, coll. M. Fahiminezhad, 2006. Shahreza, soil, one female (32°07'N, 51°55'E, alt. 1725 m), 22 August 2010; one female (32°01'N, 51°53'E, alt. 1800 m), 20 March 2011; one female (32°01'N, 51°53'E, alt. 1806 m), 4 April 2011; three females (32°02'N, 51°51'E, alt. 1827 m), 11 June 2011; five females and two males (31°39'N, 51°55'E, alt. 2220 m), 9 July 2011; one female and one male (32°00'20"N, 51°52'54"E, alt. 1823 m), 17 July 2011; two females (31°56'N, 51°44'E, alt. 1963 m), 4 August 2011. Microslides were deposited in APAS.

Explanation concerning Berlese’ specimens were cited in the following text under notes on the male of Pogonolaelaps canestrinii .

Diagnosis.

Podonotal region with 23 pairs of thin small setae with small knobs at their base (except for j1 and z1); opisthonotal region with 32 pairs of setae, three unpaired setae between J series and seven pairs of long barbed setae; pre-sternal area with a pair of indistinct poorly sclerotized plates; iv1-3 slit-like and located on the sternal shield surface; peritremes long, extending to coxa I anteriorly; internal malae densely fringed. Epistome with smooth anterior margin. Palp apotele three-tined; genu IV with 10 setae, including two ventral setae (av and pv).

Description of the female

(n = 7). Figures 1-10.

Dorsal idiosoma. Dorsal shield oval-shaped, length 624-723, width at level of setae r3 425-465; reticulation more distinct on opisthonotal part; podonotal region with 23 pairs of thin small setae with small knobs at their base (except for j1 and z1); opisthonotal region with 32 pairs of setae, three unpaired setae between J series and seven pairs of long barbed setae (Fig. 5). Dorsal setae short (26-36) except for longer setae on opisthonotal part (52-83). Dorsal idiosoma with 19 pairs of lyrifissures and pore-like structures.

Ventral idiosoma (Figs 1-4). Tritosternum with tubular base (39-47) and pilose laciniae (65-80). Pre-sternal area with a pair of indistinct poorly sclerotized plates (Figs 1, 2). Sternal shield (Figs 1, 2) reticulate anteriorly and laterally, smooth posteriorly, 80-96 long, 107-122 wide, anterior margin sinuate, convex medially, posterior margin deeply concave, sternal setae smooth, st1 (46-67), st2 (47-50), st3 (44-57), iv1 slit-like, located slightly anterior to st1; iv2 slit-like, between st2-st3, iv3 slit-like, located on postero-lateral corners of sternal shield; st4 absent. Genital shield (Figs 1, 3) broad, well ornamented, 346-374 long (including hyaline flap at the base of posterior margin of sternal shield), 177-195 wide at level of st5 and widest (239-260) near setae Zv1, abutting anal shield, bearing one pair of setae (st5 44-49); paragenital pores (iv5) on soft integument posterior to genital setae. Anal shield (Fig. 4) sub-triangular, reticulated, 99-109 long, 177-195 wide, post-anal seta (43-45) slightly longer than para-anal setae (36-42). Cribrum extending laterally to level of post-anal seta. Opisthogastric surface with: one pair of elongate metapodal plates plus two pairs of platelets (Figs 1, 3); 10-11 pairs of setae, 36-49 μm long; and seven pairs of pore-like structures, plus one pair (gv3) on lateral margin of anal shield. Stigmata surrounded by narrow, pointed stigmatal plate, which extends posteriorly past level of mid-coxae IV. Peritremes long, extending to anterior of coxa I. Endopodal, podal and exopodal plates as in genus.

Gnathosoma. Hypostome (Fig. 7) with three pairs of similar smooth simple setae (h1:69-79, h2: 21-30, h3: 72-84) plus one pair of palpcoxal setae (40-47). Deutosternal groove with six rows of denticles; corniculi normal, horn-like, reaching mid-level of palp femur; internal malae densely fringed with very elongate hairs. Epistome (Fig. 8) with smooth anterior margin. Arthrodial processes of chelicerae (Fig. 9) developed, movable digit (47-49) with two teeth, middle article (174-187), fixed digit with six teeth, setaceous pilus dentilis small. Palp attributes as in the genus.

Legs. Tarsi I–IV with claws and ambulacra. Legs I (559-580) and IV (587-605), longer than legs II (429-450) and III (429-455). Genu IV (Figs 6, 10) with 10 setae, including two ventral setae (av and pv).

Description of the male

(n = 5). Figures 11-14.

Dorsal idiosoma (Fig. 11). Dorsal shield 512-540 long, 300-315 wide, dorsal chaetotaxy as for female, except setae that are slightly shorter.

Ventral idiosoma (Fig. 12). Presternal area with transverse lines, not well sclerotised; sternito-genito-ventral shield, 351-357 long, 213-234 wide, reticulated throughout, bearing eight pairs of simple pointed setae, st1-st5 (26-36), Zv1 and Jv1-2 (36-45); with separate reticulated anal shield, 60-75 long, 94-106 wide; without metapodal plates. Soft cuticle with ten pairs of pointed, barbed setae.

Gnathosoma. As in female (Fig. 13); chelicerae (Fig. 14) with middle segment (122-130), fixed digit (34-36) bearing two teeth. Pilus dentilis setiform. Movable digit (34) with one tooth; spermatodactyl (41-44).

Legs. Tarsi I-IV with claws and ambulacra. leg I (490-556), leg II (354-400), leg III (387-411), leg IV (569-577), legs I and IV longer than legs II and III. Structure and chaetotaxy as in female, except femur II, which bears a spine-like pv1 seta.

Notes on the male of Pogonolaelaps canestrinii (Berlese), comb. n.

The described males of Gymnolaelaps have a holoventral shield. Some confusion about the state of the male ventral shields in Pogonolaelaps canestrinii (Berlese), comb. n. exist as Berlese (1892) originally showed the anal shield not separated, but later Berlese (1904) illustrated the species with a separate anal shield. Costa (1962) and Hunter (1967) regarded the species as having a separate anal shield, and here we confirm this by checking the type specimens of Pogonolaelaps canestrinii comb. n. kindly examined by Dr. Roberto Nanelli, and the type information is as follows:

Slide 4 Myrm./45 labeled Laelaps canestrinii Berl., 1 female, type, nidi formiche, Portici; (nests of ant, Portici: a locality near the city of Naples, Italy); Slide 4 Myrm./46 labelled Laelaps canestrinii Berl., 1 female, nidi formiche, Portici; Slide 4 Myrm./47 labelled Laelaps canestrinii Berl., 3 females, type, nidi formiche, Portici; Slide 4 Myrm./48 labelled Laelaps canestrinii Berl., 1 male, type, nidi formiche, (without locality of collection) (perhaps Portici); Slide 221/31 labelled Hypoaspis (Gymnolaelaps) canestrinii Berl., female, Spalato, libero nell’humus; (free, vacant in humus); The specimens are in poor condition but it is possible to see that the female’s dorsal shield has short setae, plus seven long thickened posterior setae, very similar to that shown in Figures 1, 11, 12. The slides labelled Myrm.= associated with ant, myrmecophilous.

Berlese (1892) described female and male specimens of Laelaps canestrinii , and according to his figures the female possesses a very wide epigynal shield with four pairs of setae in addition to st5 and with straight posterior margin, lacks setae between the epigynal and anal shields, sternal shield only with two pairs of setae, lacks the metasternal plates and setae, the movable digit of the chelicera with three teeth, and male without separate anal shield. Berlese (1904) redescribed Laelaps (Hypoaspis) canestrinii as epigynal shield of the female posteriorly rounded, carries only st5, possess one pair of setae between the epigynal and anal shields. In the male, the anal shield is clearly separate from the genito-ventral shield. The examination of the type material of Pogonolaelaps canestrinii and figures by Berlese (1904) confirm the identity of specimens redescribed in this study.