Gymnolaelaps kabitae Bhattacharyya, 1968

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 : 477

Gymnolaelaps kabitae Bhattacharyya, 1968

( Figs 30–37 )

Gymnolaelaps kabitae Bhattacharyya, 1968: 537 .

Pseudoparasitus (Gymnolaelaps) kabitae .— Karg, 1989b: 334.

Laelaspisella kabitae .— Joharchi & Halliday, 2013: 47; Joharchi et al., 2016: 21; Nemati et al., 2019: 82.

Gymnolaelaps kabitae .— Nemati & Gwiazdowicz, 2016: 45 .

Specimens examined. Two females, Alborz, Karaj , 36°03’ N, 51°24’ E, alt. 1665 m, 7 June 2011, O. Joharchi coll., in nest of Pheidole pallidula .

Bhattacharyya (1968) described Gymnolaelaps kabitae as a new species from specimens collected in soil under rotting plant material in West Bengal. Joharchi & Halliday (2013) placed this species in Laelaspisella and presented a supplementary description for the species. They wrongly stated that the palp tarsal claw has three pointed tines, while it actually has two ( Fig. 35 ). Nemati & Gwiazdowicz (2016) treated this species as member of Gymnolaelaps . Nemati et al. (2019) revised the concept of Laelaspisella , but could not decide on the correct generic placement for G. kabitae . This species agrees with Laelaspisella in the following character states: (1) dorsal shield hypertrichous and with at least 11–13 non-secretory slit-like lyrifissures ( Figs 30 & 32 ), (2) metasternal setae st4 absent ( Figs 31 & 33 ); (3) genitiventral shield large and broad rounded posteriorly ( Fig. 31 ); (4) iv3 located on posterolateral angles of sternal shield ( Fig. 33 ); (5) internal malae densely fringed and with elongate threads ( Fig. 34 ); (6) palp tarsal claw with two tines ( Fig. 35 ). However, it differs from the original concept of Laelaspisella as described by Marais & Loots (1969), because the dorsal cheliceral seta is present ( Fig. 37 ) and the anterior margin of the epistome is irregularly denticulate ( Fig. 36 ). Nemati & Gwiazdowicz (2016) provided more character states that excludes G. kabitae from Laelaspisella .

Figures

FIGURES 30–37. DIC micrographs of Gymnolaelaps kabitae Bhattacharyya, 1968, female. 30, dorsal idiosoma; 31, ventral idiosoma; 32, general view of dorsal setae; 33, location of iv3 on postero-lateral corners of sternal shield; 34, internal malae; 35, palp tarsal claw; 36, epistome; 37, chelicera.