Hypoaspis muellerae Halliday, 2005

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 : 477-481

Hypoaspis muellerae Halliday, 2005

( Figs 38–45 )

Hypoaspis muellerae Halliday, 2005: 32 .

Specimens examined. Five paratypes ( ANIC 51-002833 – 51-002837 ) were examined by the first author from Australian National Insect Collection , Canberra ( Australia), and each microslide containing one female labelled as: Hypoaspis muellerae Halliday , South Africa, Plettenberg Bay, 18 August 1994, Roadside picnic area, TK. Qin coll., Clover, cape weed, site 30–13.

Halliday (2005) described Hypoaspis muellerae from Plettenberg Bay, South Africa. We have re-examined the paratypes of this species, and now take the opportunity to make some additions to the original description. In the description of this species ( Halliday, 2005, Fig. 17 ) setae st4 are obviously present but that was an error, and in all the specimens we examined setae st4 were absent ( Figs 39 & 41 ). The description did not mention the location of iv3, but they are located on the posterolateral angles of the sternal shield in all the specimens we examined ( Fig. 41 ). This species shows some significant morphological character states typical of Laelaspisella : (1) dorsal shield hypertrichous and with at least 11–13 non-secretory slit-like lyrifissures ( Figs 38 & 40 ); (2) metasternal setae st4 absent ( Figs 39 & 41 ); (3) genitiventral shield large, broad and rounded posteriorly ( Fig. 39 ); (4) iv3 located on posterolateral angles of sternal shield ( Fig. 41 ); (5) internal malae densely fringed and with elongate threads ( Fig. 42 ); (6) lateral margin of epistome smooth and anteriorly mucronated ( Fig. 43 ); (7) palp tarsal claw with two tines ( Fig. 44 ). However, it differs from the original concept of Laelaspisella as described by Marais & Loots (1969), because the dorsal cheliceral seta is present ( Fig. 45 ).

Figures

FIGURES 38–45. DIC micrographs of Hypoaspis muellerae Halliday, 2005, (paratypes, ANIC 51-002833–51-002837), female. 38, dorsal idiosoma; 39, ventral idiosoma; 40, general view of dorsal setae; 41, location of iv3 on postero-lateral corners of sternal shield; 42, internal malae; 43, epistome; 44, palp tarsal claw; 45, chelicera.

FIGURES 14–17. Pogonolaelaps termitophilus sp. nov., female, 14, Leg I (trochanter-tibia); 15, Leg II; 16, Leg III; 17, Leg IV.