Neotarsonemoides (O.) alatus ( Livshits, Mitrofanov and Sharonov, 1979 )

Gheblealivand, Saeide S., Irani-Nejad, Karim Haddad, Manzari, Shahab, Vahed, Mohammad Moghadam & Magowski, Wojciech Ł., 2016, A new species and new records of the genus Neotarsonemoides Kaliszewski, 1984 (Acari: Tarsonemidae) from East Azerbaijan province, Northwestern Iran, Zootaxa 4184 (1), pp. 63-78 : 70-76

Neotarsonemoides (O.) alatus ( Livshits, Mitrofanov and Sharonov, 1979)

Material examined. 4 females, Marand, Yam village district, 45°51'907"E, 38°20'486"N, 1,724 m, sample of litter and soil, 25 April 2014, coll. S. Gheblealivand ; 1 female, Jolfa , Siahrood district, 46°01'582"E, 38°52'273"N, 1,064 m, sample of litter and soil, 30 May 2014, coll. S. Gheblealivand ; 2 females, Marand , Seyvan village district, 45°47'803"E, 38°20'995"N, 1,694 m, sample of soil, 27 June 2014, coll. S. Gheblealivand .

Diagnosis. Pharynx elongate-elliptical, without transverse striations, with pair of moderately large, ovoid glandular bodies. Tergital setae d, e, f and h all long, stiff, tapering but blunt, subequal in length, 2- 3x longer than c1; setae f as long as 1.7x distance between their bases; apodemes 1 near indiscernible; tegula broad roundrhomboidal with rounded tip; setae ps tapering, but stiffer than other attenuate setae, as long as 0.7x distance between their bases. Spine-like seta pl” lacking from Ta II, tarsus III with 4 simple setae.

Redescription. FEMALE ( Figs. 9–16 ): Gnathosoma ( Figs. 11–12 ): capsule oval- heart shaped, slightly triangular; with well-developed ventrolateral apodemes. Pharynx as wide as 0.24x maximum width of gnathosoma, and as long as 0.7x of ventral length of gnathosomal capsule, elongate-elliptical, with sclerotized walls but without transverse striations and with pair of moderately large, ovoid glandular bodies. Postpalpal (pp) setae absent. Setae dgs subequal to vgs. Cheliceral stylets small, slender and with inconspicuous cheliceral levers. Palpi small, only slightly longer than wide, directed convergently, with pronounced bases, each with 2 processes: apical and ventral (palptarsal), and 2 fine setae.

Idiosomal dorsum (average length: 185 (SD ± 20.4), width: 114 (SD ±12.2); length = 1.6x width; Fig. 9 ): relative length of setae (v1: sc2: c2: c1: d: e: f: h): 1: 1.8: 0.8: 0.6: 1.3: 1.2: 1.3: 1. Rostral shieldlet rounded, subtriangular in outline, 2.6x wider than long. Setae v1 slender, sharp, separated by distance of 2x their length each from another. Prodorsal shield (PrS) rounded trapezoidal (almost semicircular) in outline, 1.4x as wide as long, with well-developed anterolateral (prodorsal lateral) lobes, with somewhat irregular posterior edge. Sensilli sc1 clavate, with elongate globular head, covered with fine spines. Stigmata located posterolaterally of setae v1, tracheal tubes each with poorly sclerotized atrial segments and pair of weakly defined, elongate postatrial expansions. Pits v2 each located somewhat mediad of line between setae sc2 and v1 on either side. Setae sc2 inserted in mid-length of prodorsal shield, extending beyond posterior edge of prodorsal shield, separated by distance of 1.4x their length. Setae c2 slender, pointed, located in oblique line of level of c1, latter slender, sharp, reaching with tips 1/3 of distance to posterior edge of tergite C, separated by transverse distance nearing 7x their length. Posterior edge of tergite C weakly undulate without apparent lateral emarginations. Setae d -h long, tapering, stiff and blunt; barbed, setae d reaching beyond insertions of h, separated by transverse distance of more than 1.2x their length; posterolateral margin of tergite D with lateral emarginations corresponding to setae e of succeeding shield; f as long as d and slightly longer than e, latter somewhat longer than h; setae f separated by transverse interval of 0.6x their length. Distance between setae e and f on each side greater than 2x that between setae f. Setae h located in distance of 1.6x their length each to another. All dorsal shields with fine uniform dimpled ornamentation.

Idiosomal venter ( Fig.10 ): apodemes 1 hardly discernible; anteromedial apodeme posteriorly diffused past level of posteromedial ends of apodemes 2, lacking apparent junction with sejugal apodeme; latter continuous, slightly sinous anteromedially; setae 1a -3b slender, sharp; 1a nearly contiguous with front edge of propodosomal plate, in distance each to another similar to their length. Setae 2a inserted on apodemes 2, near their distal extremities, in distance between their bases of almost 5x their lengths. Ventral propodosomal plate weakly biconvex anteriorly, with soft angularities between trochanters I and II. Apodemes 3 strongly sclerotized, well developed laterally related to anterial extremities of trochanters III (not forming continuous sclerotized transverse stripe); apodemes 4 almost straight, extending very slightly posterolaterad of setae 3b, joining with posteromedial apodeme; latter anteriorly ended with pronounced bifurcation; setae 3a separated by transverse distance of 2.2x their length each to another. Setae 3b shorter than 3a, separated by distance of 3.3x their lengths; i.e. slightly exceeding that between 3a. Ventral metapodosomal plate with anterior extremity irregular, almost straight, and with apparent spine-like processes between trochanters III and IV. Tegula rounded subtriangular in outline, 1.5x wider than long with rounded tip. Aggenital plate divided in its posterior part. Setae ps tapering, but stiffer than other attenuate setae, sharply pointed, weakly barbed; their bases separated by distance little smaller than their lengths. Ventral plates with uniform, fine dimpled ornamentation.

Legs ( Figs. 13–16 ): proportions of free segments of legs (I: II: III: IV): 1.0: 0.9: 1.0: 0.6. Leg setation: I: 4–4– 6(2 φ)+8(1 ω); II: 3–3–4–5(1 ω); III: 1+3–4–5. Unguinal setae u” (and u’ on Ta I) indiscernible. Leg I: claw hooked, medium sized, similar in size to claws of tarsus II. Empodium small. Spine-like subunguinal seta s similar to setae u ' on tarsi II and III. Tibiotarsus with weak ventral bend in area of tibia, 3x as long as wide at base. Eupathidion p’ slightly shorter than p”, both located subapically, eupathidia tc’ and tc” equal in length, located above mid-length of segment. Three tarsal setae pv’, pv” and pl’ slender and sharp. Solenidion ω fusiform, as long as 1.3x Ta II ω. Solenidion φ 2 larger than φ 1, famulus k apparently longer than solenidia. Seta Ge l’ rather thick, pointed, barbed. Femur I without ventral protrusion. Seta Fe l’ strong, stiff; d short, stiff; both sharp. Leg II: claws medium-sized, hooked; empodium almost twice as long as in leg I. Spine-like seta pl” absent. Seta tc” slightly longer than other setae of segment, reaching tip of empodium. Seta Ge II l’ thick, pointed, barbed, slightly more slender than Ge I l’. Seta Fe d short, tapering. Leg III: claws weaker than, and empodium as long as that in leg II. Seta tc” over 3x longer than other setae of segment, more than 2x length of Ta III. Seta Ge l’ as that in leg II. Leg IV: free segments subequal to femorogenu and tibia III. Femorogenu 3x as long as tibiotarsus. Femoral seta v’ longer than genual v’, both slender, slightly barbed. Seta Tb v’ clearly longer than femorogenu, with one fine spine in its proximal length. Seta Ta tc” over 2.5x as long as entire leg IV.

Measurements: (4 non-type specimens) - body and tagmata: length of body: 155–225; length of idiosoma: 155–200; width of idiosoma (approx.): 104–130; length of gnathosoma: 35; width of gnathosoma: 25–30; length of pharynx: 20–25; width of pharynx: 6–7. dgs: 10–13; vgs: 10–13. Dorsum - length of PrS: 65–70; width of PrS: 90– 95; distance between stigmata: 48–53. Lengths of setae: v1: 15–25; sc 1 10–15; sc2: 26–48; c2: 14–15; c1: 10–11; d: 18–28; e: 20–25; f: 23–26; h: 16–21. Distances between setae: v1-v1: 38–40; sc1-sc1: 32–50; sc2-sc2: 45–53; c2-c2: 110; c1-c1: 65–80; d -d: 26–35; e -e: 68–75; e -f: 30–35; f -f: 12–16; h -h: 28–31. Venter- lengths of setae: 1a: 10; 2a: 7–10; 3a: 7–12; 3b: 6–10; ps: 8–11. Distances between setae: 1a -1a: 10; 2a -2a: 40; 3a -3a: 19–25; 3b -3b: 23–28; ps -ps: 14–16. Length of PrP: 45–53; width of PrP: 75–87; ap. 2-2: 38–43. Length of tegula: 9–10; width of tegula: 12–15. Leg segments and leg setae (lengths): Tbt I: 23–25; Ta I ω: 8–9; Tb φ2: 4–5; Tb φ1: 3–4; Tb k: 5–7; Ta II ω: 5–8; Fege IV: 26–27; Tbt IV: 7–9; Ge IV v': 15–18; Tb IV v': 33–38; Ta IV tc": 90–110.

MALE and LARVA unknown.

Distribution. East Europe: Ukraine ( Livshits et al. 1979), Central Europe: Hungary ( Nemestothy & Mahunka 1981), Northwestern Iran: East Azerbaijan province (new record).

Differential diagnosis. Females of the species are similar to N. (O.) auritus ( Mahunka, 1971) in having dorsal opisthosomal setae h longer than 0.5x f, lacking spine-like seta pl” from Ta II, and having four setiform setae on Ta III. However it differs from the latter by (1) setae c1 longer than half the distance between bases of c1 and c2 (vs. c1 shorter than half the distance between bases of c1 and c2) (2) setae 1a about as long as the distance between their bases (vs. setae 1a over twice shorter than distance between their bases), (3) setae 3b as long as 0.3x the distance between their bases (vs. setae 3b shorter than 0.25x the distance between their bases).

Figures

FIGURE 9. Neotarsonemoides (O.) alatus (Livshits, Mitrofanov and Sharonov, 1979) — female dorsum.

FIGURE 10. Neotarsonemoides (O.) alatus (Livshits, Mitrofanov and Sharonov, 1979) — female venter.

FIGURES 11 – 12. Neotarsonemoides (O.) alatus (Livshits, Mitrofanov and Sharonov, 1979) — female gnathosoma: 11 – dorsum, 12 – venter.

FIGURES 13 – 16. Neotarsonemoides (O.) alatus (Livshits, Mitrofanov and Sharonov, 1979) — female legs: 13 — leg I (13 adorsal aspect, 13 b—tibial sensory cluster, dorsal aspect, close-up), 14 — leg II (dorsal aspect), 15 — leg III (ventral aspect), 16 — leg IV (ventral aspect).