Blattisocius flagellatus, Hassan & Ali & Nasr, 2020

Hassan, Mourad Fahmy, Ali, Fatma Samir & Nasr, Mahmoud Korashy, 2020, A new species of Blattisocius from Egypt (Acari, Blattisociidae), Zootaxa 4820 (2), pp. 391-397 : 392-395

Blattisocius flagellatus n. sp.

( Figures 1–13 )

Diagnosis. Dorsal shield with 33 pairs of setae, 11 pairs of marginal (r -R) and six pairs of sub-marginal (UR) on the lateral unsclerotised cuticle. Ventrianal shield vase-shaped, reticulated anteriorly and laterally around anal opening, bearing three pairs of opisthogastric setae (JV1–JV3). Sternal shield nearly smooth, with concave posterior margin; peritreme short 20 (18–21), reaching to the median level of coxa III; fixed cheliceral digit shorter than movable digit, with two teeth in addition to apical tooth, and with a long setiform pilus dentilis. Spermathecal calyx hornlike; atrium globular; minor duct as long as calyx.

Adult female (4 specimens measured). Dorsum of female is shown in Fig. 1 and setal measurements in Table 1. Dorsal shield reticulate, 405 (391–415) long and 198 (195–207) wide at widest level ( Fig.1 ). Podonotal region of dorsal shield with 18 pairs of setae (j1–j6, z1–z6, and s1–s6), with five pairs of lyrifissures and four pairs of pores. Opisthonotal region reticulate, with 15 pairs of setae (J1–J5, Z1–Z5 and S1–S5), nine pairs of lyrifissures and two pairs of pores. Unsclerotised cuticle around dorsal shield with 17 pairs of setae (r2–r6, R1–R6 and UR1–UR6), and three pairs of lyrifissures. Most dorsal and ventral setae smooth and sharp-tipped (flagellate). Dorsal shield setae moderately long, except J5, slightly shorter than others, setae Z5 longest and simple.

Measurements. Venter of female shown in Fig. 2 and setal measurements in Table 2. Idiosoma ( Fig.2 ). Base of tritosternum 10 (9–13), long and 14 (12–15) wide; laciniae free for 55–60% of their total length of 71 (66–75). Pre-sternal region with lightly transversely striae. Sternal shield smooth 88 (86–91) long and 90 (88–94) wide, with narrow projection between coxae I–II bearing a pore at (gv6) distally, with concave posterior margin, bearing three pairs of sternal setae (st1–st3) and two pairs of lyrifissures (iv1 and iv2). Endopodal plates weakly defined between coxae III–IV. Metasternal plates absent; st4 and lyrifissure (iv3) free on unsclerotised cuticle. Genital shield smooth, 155 (145–160) long, (including anterior membranous flap) and 65 (63–71) widest, near the posterior margin, posterior margin truncate, bearing genital seta (st5) 45 (44–46) long; paragenital lyrifissure on (iv5) cuticle, posteriorlateral to st5. Ventrianal shield vase-shaped, 161 (158–166) long, and 111 (102–114) wide at widest level, reticulate anteriod, and lateral to anal opening, with three pairs of opisthogastric setae (Jv1–Jv3) in addition to circum-anal setae and a pair of lyrifissures on the anterior margin, lateral of Jv1, and a pair of pores (gv3) on the lateral margin, approximately in level with posterior margin of the anus; para-anal setae 24 (22–25), shorter than post-anals 31 (30–33); anal opening 26 (25–28) long including frame; a weakly sclerotised line between genital and ventri-anal shields, with two pairs of metapodal plates, the posterolateral of which longer. Unsclerotised cuticle around ventrianal shield, bears seven pairs of the remain opisthogastric setae Jv4 55 (54–57), Jv5 80 (74–83), Zv1 50 (48–54), Zv2 60 (58–62), Zv3 50 (48–52), Zv4 55 (52–57), Zv5 51 (50–55), and three pairs of lyrifissures. Endopodal shield vestigal and weak, between coxae II–III, III–IV. Peritremal shield narrow, extending anteriorly to level of seta UR1, and posteriorly to region behind coxae IV, with discernible two pores-like structures (ip2, ip3) and two lyrifissures (gp3 and gv2) behind stigmata. Peritreme veryshort 20 (18–21) long, extending only less than median level coxae III.

Spermatheca ( Fig. 7 ). Calyx horn-like, atrium globular and minor duct as long as calyx.

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 4 ). Fixed cheliceral digit ( Fig. 9 ) 14 (13–17) long, with two teeth, in addition to apical tooth and a long setiform pilus dentilis; movable cheliceral digit 28 (26–30) long, with one tooth in addition to apical tooth. Anterior margin of epistome ( Fig. 8 ) smooth, subtriangular, with blunt median projection; corniculi tapered, with inner concave edge; deutosternum delimited byparallel lateral lines, seven transverse rows of deutosternal denticles, each with a single denticle. Palp (Fig: 3) 125 (120–127) long, numbers of setae on palp segment from trochanter to tibia: 2–5–6–14, tarsus not counted; palp trasal claw bifurcate ( Fig. 6 ). Hypostomal and subcapitular setae flagellate and smooth, h1 33 (30–34), h2 34 (33–36), h3 45 (44–48), and sc 51 (50–54).

Legs ( Figs 10–13 ). All legs with ambulara (leg I the longest while leg III shortest, pretarsi I–IV with a pair of claws and pulvillus with three rounded lobules.

Adult male: unknown.

Type specimens: Holotype female; collected from maize grains stored in sacks, El-Moatamdia village , Giza Governorate, October 2018 . Paratype: 4 females with the same data as holotype. Deposited in Zoology and Nematology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt .

Etymology: The specific name flagellatus refers to the shape of the setae on the dorsal shield.

Remarks. The genus Blattisocius includes only 17 described species world-wide. Seven of these species are close to the new species in having 33 pairs of dorsal setae, seta st4 on soft cuticle, peritremes short and macrosetae on tarsus IV absent. – B. keegani Fox , B. migratoriae Abo-Shnaf , B. tarsalis (Berlese) , B. patagionum Treat , B. capsicum Basha & Yousef , B. damghaniae Shams, Kazemi & Saboori and B. apis Basha & Yousef. The new species can be easily separated from B. keegani mainly by having most dorsal setae flagellate with sharp tipped tapered end, concave posterior margin of sternal shield, most of ventral setae longer (between 40–55), setae J3–J5 and Z5 smooth (vs simple and pilose setae, truncate posterior margin of sternal shield, most of ventral setae shorter between 20–35 except JV5 48, setae J3–J5 and Z5 serrate in B. keegani respectively). The new species can be easily separated from B. migratoria by having three pairs of pre-anal setae Jv1–Jv3, epistome sub-triangular with small and plunt anterior projection, with six pairs of UR setae, considerable difference in length of setae h1 (33), h2 (34), h3 (45), sc (51) (vs. B. migratoria by having two pairs of pre-anal setae Jv2 and Jv3, epistome sub-triangular only, with seven pairs of UR setae and rarely eight, and length of setae h1 (22) h2 (16), h3 (28) and sc (31)). The new species can be easily separated from B. apis by the dorsal setae long, mostly between 45–55, sternal shield equal in length and width, (90 × 93), with six pairs of R and UR setae (vs. B. apis dorsal setae shorter (30–33), sternal shield longer than wide 109×74, with eight pairs of R setae and seven pairs of UR setae). The new species can be easily separated from B. capsicum by the dorsal shield reticulated, sternal shield length equal to width, fixed digit much shorter than movable digit (vs. B. capsicum smooth dorsal shield except for network of striae on the lateral margin of opisthosomal region, sternal shield much longer than wide, fixed digit of chelicera subequal to movable digit). The new species can be easily separated from B. damghaniae by genu I with 13 setae (av2 present), most of dorsal setae long length (40–55), setae J3–J5 and Z5 smooth, cheliceral fixed digit very reduced 1/3 of movable in length, calyx of spermatheca horn-like (vs. B. damghaniae genu I with 12 setae (av2 absent), most of dorsal setae short between 15–32 in length, setae J3–J5 and Z5 sparsely barbed, cheliceral fixed digit slightly shorter than movable, calyx of spermatheca sub tubular). The new species can be easily separated from B. tarsalis by: peritreme very short, extending to level of posterior margin of coxa III, most of dorsal shield setae longer than the distance between their bases, sternal shield equal in length and width and with concave posterior margin, dorsal setae are flagellate-like and smooth, movable digit of chelicera bears one tooth, ventrianal shield vase-shaped (vs. B. tarsalis peritreme short extending to coxa II, most of dorsal shield setae shorter than the distance between their bases, length of sternal shield longer than wide, dorsal setae are lightly pilose, movable digit of chelicera with three teeth, ventrianal shield sub-rectangular).

Figures

FIGURES 1–2. Blattisocius flagellatus n. sp., Female. 1. Dorsal idiosoma; 2. Ventral idiosoma.

FIGURES 3–13. Blattisocius flagellatus n. sp., female. 3. Palp; 4. Ventral gnathosoma; 5. Tritosternum; 6. Palp tarsal claw 7. spermatheca; 8. Epistome 9. Chelicera; 10. Leg I; 11. Leg II; 12. Leg III; 13. Leg IV.