Hypoaspis cavitatis Karg, 1982

Joharchi, Omid, Ramroodi, Sara & Halliday, Bruce, 2020, Review of the genus Pogonolaelaps Nemati & Gwiazdowicz (Acari: Laelapidae) with description of a new species from Iran, Zootaxa 4820 (3), pp. 465-484 : 476

Hypoaspis cavitatis Karg, 1982

( Figs 24–29 )

Hypoaspis (Pneumolaelaps) cavitatis Karg, 1982: 253 .

Laelaspisella cavitatis .— Karg & Schorlemmer, 2013: 200.

Hypoaspis (Laelaspisella) cavitatis .— Joharchi & Halliday, 2013: 46; Joharchi et al., 2016: 14; Nemati et al., 2019: 81.

Specimens examined. The first author examined three microslides in Karg’s collection at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Zoologische Staatssammlung München ( Germany), labelled as follows: Nr. 3805 ♀, Hypoaspis cavitatis Karg, 1982 , Brasilien, Camponotus rufipes, Nr. 29, Barueri, K. Lenko, 25.07.71; Nr. 3806 ♀, Hypoaspis cavitatis Karg, 1982 . Brasilien Camponotus rufipes Nr. 29, Barueri, K. Lenko, 25.07.71; Nr. 3807 ♀, Hypoaspis cavitatis Karg, 1982 . Brasilien Camponotus crassus Nr. 4574, K. Lenko, 16.12.64.

Karg (1982) described Hypoaspis (Pneumolaelaps) cavitatis as a new species from Barueri, State of São Paulo, Brazil, where it was found on Camponotus rufipes (Fabricius) ( Hymenoptera : Formicidae ). Joharchi & Halliday (2013) excluded H. (L.) cavitatis from Laelaspisella in the belief that the metasternal setae st4 are present, as illustrated by Karg (1982, Fig. 6c ) and Karg & Schorlemmer (2013, Fig. 6b ). However, in the three specimens we examined, which appear to be the types, st4 was absent ( Figs 25 & 26 ). This species shows the following important attributes of Laelaspisella : (1) dorsal shield hypertrichous and with at least 11–13 non-secretory slit-like pore-like structures ( Fig. 24 ); (2) metasternal setae st4 absent ( Figs 25 & 26 ); (3) genitiventral shield large and broadly tapered posteriorly ( Fig. 25 ); (4) iv3 located on posterolateral angles of sternal shield ( Fig. 26 ); (5) para-anal setae (Pa) about half as long as post-anal seta (Po) ( Fig. 26 ); (6) setae Jv5 and Zv5 pilose, longer and thicker than the other opisthogastric setae ( Fig. 26 ); (7) internal malae densely fringed and with elongate threads ( Fig. 27 ); (8) palp tarsal claw with two tines ( Fig. 28 ); (9) tibia I with 13 setae (2 3/2 3/1 2), pd3 present; (10) genu IV with 10 setae (2 2/1 3/1 1). However, it differs from the original concept of Laelaspisella as described by Marais & Loots (1969), because the dorsal cheliceral seta is present, anterior margin of epistome irregularly denticulate ( Fig. 29 ) and genu I with 13 setae (2 3/2 3/1 2), pd3 present.

Figures

FIGURES 24–29. DIC micrographs of Hypoaspis cavitatis Karg, 1982, (types, Nr. 3805-3807), female. 24, dorsal idiosoma; 25, ventral idiosoma, enlarged sections not to scale; 26, sternal shield; 27, internal malae; 28, palp tarsal claw; 29, epistome.

FIGURES 6–13. DIC micrographs of Pogonolaelaps termitophilus sp. nov., female. 6, dorsal idiosoma; 7, ventral idiosoma; 8, general view of dorsal setae; 9, sternal and genitiventral shields; 10, internal malae; 11, palp, enlarged section of palp-apotele not to scale; 12, epistome; 13, chelicera.