A new genus and three new species of Eviphididae (Acari: Mesostigmata) associated with scarab beetles in Iran Kazemi, Shahrooz Moraza, Mar A L. Kamali, Karim Saboori, Alireza Zootaxa 2008 1852 1 20 Kazemi & Moraza Kazemi & Moraza [151,588,1066,1092] Arachnida Eviphididae Metacryptoseius GBIF Animalia Mesostigmata 1 2 Arthropoda genus   Typespecies:  Metacryptoseius persicus  sp. nov.   Diagnosis.Dorsal shield of adult females and males not covering whole body, with 26 pairs of setae and 22 pairs of pore-like structures. Adult female sternal shield fused with endopodal shield between coxae I/II and II/III, with three pairs of setae and two pairs of lyrifissures; minute metasternal shields bearing sternal setae st4and lyrifissures  iv3present. Adult male with sternogenital shield slightly narrowed posteriorly and not fused with anal shield, with five pairs of setae and three pairs of lyrifissures. Chaetotaxy of opisthogaster reduced to five pairs of setae ( JV1, JV2, JV5, ZV2and ZV3). Gnathotectum of both sexes triangular with anterior margin smooth to slightly dentate. Deutosternal groove with six rows of denticles. Sexual dimorphism visible in the shape of corniculi and chelicerae: corniculi stout, in male rounded apically and in female acute; fixed cheliceral digit longer than movable digit in females.   Description. Female. Dorsal idiosoma. Dorsal shield with anterolateral incisions reaching level of setae z2to j3. Dorsum with 32 pairs of setae: setae j1-j6, J1, J3-J5, z1, z2, z4, z5, Z2-Z5, s2, s4, s5, S3-S5, r2and r3on dorsal shield ( s2, r2and r3on laterodosal elements); setae s6, r5, R1, R3-R5on soft cuticle. Dorsal shield with 22 pairs of discernible pore-like structures (eight podonotal, 14 opisthonotal), of which seven (three podonotal, four opisthonotal) superficially appear secretory (gland pores) and 15 (five podonotal, ten opisthonotal) non-secretory (lyrifissures); marginal poroid Rp(= idR3) between setae R3-R4and two pairs of lyrifissures on soft cuticle.  Ve n t r a l idiosoma. Tritosternum with narrow base and two free pilose laciniae; presternal region weakly sclerotized; sternal shield entire, with three pairs of setae and two pairs of lyrifissures (  iv1,  iv2), fused with endopodal shields between coxae I/II and II/III; fourth pair of sternal setae and lyrifissures on minute metasternal plates ( Figs 10, 11). Endopodal shields well developed between coxae III and IV; parapodal shields present. Genital shield with hyaline, smooth convex anterior margin; posterior margin of genital shield broadly rounded; setae st5on lateral borders of shield, paragenital lyrifissures  iv5on soft cuticle alongside genital shield. Inguinal region with a pair of nearly oval metapodal platelets and gland pores gv2posterior to coxae IV, sometimes with platelets behind posterior margin of genital shield. Anal shield relatively small, pear-shaped or nearly subtriangular; anus located on anterior half of shield, with relatively small anal opening (euanal setae and lyrifissures on anal valves absent); adanal gland pores gv3on lateral edges of shield; cribrum normally developed. Chaetotaxy of opisthogaster reduced to five pairs of simple setae (larval setae JV1, JV2, JV5, ZV2and deutonymphal setae ZV3) on soft cuticle around anal shield, and four pairs of lyrifissures. Peritrematal plates with one gland pore gp1and 2 lyrifissures ip( Fig. 10), lacking any posterior extension, poststigmatic gland pore on soft cuticle. Peritremes well developed, wide, extending from stigmata between coxae III and IV to anterior border of coxae II or between coxae I and II. Spermatheca with distinct connecting ducts and narrow calyx, solenostome on base of leg III.   Gnathosoma( Fig. 7). Gnathotectum triangular, with denticulate or smooth anterior margin ( Fig. 8); hypostome with three pairs of smooth setae; deutosternal groove with six moderately narrow rows of denticles, all rows connected; gnathobase with a pair of simple capitular setae. Fixed cheliceral digit multidentate, pilus dentilis short and setiform; dorsal seta small, smooth and near dorso-proximal lyrifissure; with large transversal antiaxial lyrifissure; movable digit with fringed hyaline process at its base. Corniculi stout and acute at tip; internal malae slender, pointed, finely fringed, extending beyond anterior border of palp femur; salivary stylets thin and rounded apically; labrum prominent, blade-like, reaching to palp tibia, with pilose surface. Palpi with normal setation and setal ontogeny as described for Gamasina by Evans (1964), including only one seta on palptrochanter of protonymph; palp genu with six setae in adults; palpal setae simple; palptarsal apotele two-tined.  Legs. Legs I-IV of moderate length, with well developed paired claws and rounded pulvilli inserted on well developed pretarsi. Ventral face of coxae I with two coxal gland pores. Chaetotaxy: coxae 2-2-2-1; trochanters 6-5-5-5; femora (2 3/1 2/3 2) – (2 3/1 2/2 1) – (1 2/1 1/1 1) – (1 2/1 1/1 1); genua (1 3/1 2/2 2) – (2 3/ 1 2/1 2) – (1 2/1 2/1 1) – (1 2/1 2/1 1) and tibiae (1 3/1 2/2 2) – (2 2/1 2/1 2) – (1 1/1 2/1 1) – (1 1/1 2/1 1). Some ventral setae on femur and genu elongated. Seta av -1on tarsi II–IV enlarged and thick, tri-dentate at the tip (as in Fig. 29a).  Male. Dorsal idiosoma. Dorsal chaetotaxy, adenotaxy, poroidotaxy and shape as for female.  Ve n t r a l idiosoma. Tritosternal base moderately narrow and shorter than that of female, laciniae free and pilose. Genital opening arising on anterior margin of sternogenital shield. Sternogenital shield fused with endopodal shields between coxae, with five pairs of setae and three pairs of lyrifissures, the anterior lyrifissure slit-like, second and third oval-shaped; margins heavily sclerotized and frame-like, especially between coxae III–IV; paragenital lyrifissures  iv5on soft cuticle beside posterolateral corners of shield ( Fig. 21). Five pairs of opisthogastric setae, anal shield and cribrum similar to those of female. Parapodal, metapodal and peritrematal shields, ventral platelets and peritremes similar to those of female.   Gnathosoma. Gnathotectum similar to female; fixed cheliceral digit with only one tooth and a short setiform pilus dentilis; movable digit with two teeth; hyaline process apparently absent; spermatodactyl truncate distally ( Figs 13, 24). Corniculi thumb-like, with rounded tip ( Fig. 23). Other characters similar to the female.  Legs. Pretarsi and chaetotaxy similar to those of female. Legs of moderate length, shorter than those of female. Femur and tarsus ( Fig. 18) of leg II with one modified spur-like ventral setae; other leg setae (apart from av -1on tarsi II–IV, thickened, bi- or tri-dentate) simple, but many dorsal and lateral setae of femur, genu and tibia thickened.  Deutonymph. Dorsal idiosoma. Dorsal shield without lateral incisions, covering the entire dorsum, usually with 23 pairs of setae. Setae s6, R1, R3-R5, r2, r3, r5, s6on soft cuticle. Dorsal idiosomal complement of lyrifissures and gland-pores similar to those of female.  Ve n t r a l idiosoma. Sternal shield with four pairs of setae and three pairs of lyrifissures; setae st5and paragenital lyrifissures on soft cuticle at level of posterior margin of shield; endopodal shields weekly developed or absent ( Fig. 5). Opisthogaster with five pairs of ventral setae ( JV1, JV2, JV5, ZV2and ZV3). Peritrematal shields anteriorly free, not fused with dorsal shield, one lyrifissure ( ip1) on antero-dorsal edge of peritrematal shield; ip2and gland pore gp1between coxae II and III on soft cuticle; poststigmatic gland pores gp2on soft cuticle, exopodal plates behind coxae IV well delineated, with gland pores gv2posterior to them. Anal shield, glands gv3and cribrum similar to adult female.   Gnathosoma. Gnathotectum, salivary stylets, corniculi, deutosternal structures and palpi similar to those of female. Movable chela bi-dentate and longer than fixed chela with small teeth near the tip.  Legs. Pretarsi, claws, chaetotaxy of legs I-IV and modified av -1on legs II-IV similar to those of female.  Protonymph. Dorsal idiosoma. Sclerotized podonotal and opisthonotal shields covering most of dorsal surface, and 27 pairs of setae; 11 pairs on podonotal shield, five pairs ( r2, r3, r5, s6, S5and R1) on lateral integument and nine on opisthonotal shield. Body dorsum with 18 pairs of pore-like structures, of which 11 (two on podonotal shield, one on soft cuticle, eight on pygidial shield) non-secretory (lyrifissures) and six (three on podonotal shield, three on opisthonotal shield) appear to be secretory (gland pores).  Ve n t r a l idiosoma. Sternal shield poorly sclerotized with three pairs of setae; setae st5inserted on soft cuticle at level of coxae IV. Glands gv2present. Anal shield, adanal glands, and cribrum similar in those of deutonymph. Opisthogaster with four pairs of larval setae on soft cuticle around anal shield. Peritrematal shield as long as peritremes, short; peritrematal gland gp1present between insertion of dorsal setae r3and r5.   Gnathosoma. Gnathotectum triangular, anterolaterally serrate; cheliceral fixed digit bi-dentate, movable digit reduced and edentate; other gnathosomal structures similar to those of deutonymph, except palpi with normal protonymphal complement of setae (see Evans 1964), including only one seta on trochanter.  Legs. Legs I-IV with well-developed pretarsi and claws; protonymphal complement of coxal setae: 2-2-2- 1; trochanters: 4-4-4-4; femur: (2 2/1 2/1 2) – (1 2/1 2/1 1) – (0 2/1 1/1 0) – (1 2/0 1/0 0); genu: (1 2/1 2/1 1) – (1 2/0 2/0 1) – (1 2/0 2/0 1) – (1 2/0 1/0 0); tibiae: (1 2/1 2/1 1) – (1 1/1 2/1 1) – (1 1/1 2/1 1) – (1 1/1 2/1 1). Seta av -1on tarsi II to IV modified as in deutonymph and adults.  Notes.  Metacryptoseiusdiffers from other genera of the subfamily with six setae on palp genu, tibia I with three ventral setae, genu III with two ventral setae, femur I with four ventral setae, J1present and peritrematal shield reduced, in having dorsal setae J3and Z5, metasternal shields bearing setae st4and  iv3and deutosternal groove with six rows of denticles. The related genus  Cryptoseiuslacks metasternal shields,  iv3is on sternal shield, setae J3and Z5absent and has eight rows of denticles in the deutosternal groove.  ScamaphisKarg 1979, with 27 pairs of setae on dorsal shield ( z6present, r5on the shield), lacks setae J1and J2and laterodorsal elements, has a deutosternum with five rows of denticles, and the shape of gnathotectum is different.   Etymology.The genus name  Metacryptoseiusrefers to the similarity of this genus to the related genus  Cryptoseius.