Copriphis pterophilus (Berlese)

Mašán, Peter & Halliday, Bruce, 2010, Review of the European genera of Eviphididae (Acari: Mesostigmata) and the species occurring in Slovakia 2585, Zootaxa 2585, pp. 1-122 : 42-45

Copriphis pterophilus (Berlese)

( Figs 34–37, 41, 44, 45, 49)

Iphis pterophilus Berlese, 1882a: 344 ; Berlese, 1886: 9.

Copriphis pterophilus .— Berlese, 1910: 261; Karg, 1976: 3; 1993: 94; Evans & Till, 1979: 192; Castagnoli & Pegazzano, 1985: 336. Alliphis pterophilus .— Costa, 1963: 37. Eviphis pterophilus .— Shoemake, 1970: 29; Bregetova, 1977a: 559 ; Koyumdjieva, 1981: 21; Mašán, 1994b: 203;

Makarova, 1998: 115.

Diagnosis (adults). Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 34). Dorsal shield 730–855 µm long and 555–660 µm wide in females, 635–800 µm long and 455–605 µm wide in males, entire, suboval, completely covering dorsal idiosoma, almost completely smooth, small posterolateral areas weakly and irregularly reticulate. Dorsal shield with 30 pairs of setae, setae heterogeneous in length and form: nine pairs of marginal setae elongate and slightly spatulate (r2, r3, r5, s6, S1, S3, S4, S5, Z5), e.g. setae Z5 80–100 µm long; submarginal setae intermediate in length, central setae shortest, minute, 6–13 µm long. Vertical setae j1 27–38 µm long, thick and lanceolate, positioned dorsally on vertex. Setae z1 minute, short and thick, barely discernible on margin of vertex. In male, dorsal setae longer, e.g. j1 34–49 µm, Z5 90–115 µm.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 35). Presternal platelets present, weakly sclerotised, transversely striate. Sternal shield 170–200 µm long and 210–245 µm wide, well sclerotised, smooth, bearing three pairs of setae and two pairs of pores; first pair of sternal pores slit-like, oriented transversely, second pair oval. Endopodal platelets II–III completely fused to sternal shield. Endopodal platelets III–IV fused to metasternal platelets, metasternal setae st4 and adjacent pores situated on relatively large plates abutting epigynal shield. Epigynal shield 105– 118 µm wide, subrectangular, smooth, genital setae situated close to posterior margin; genital pores inserted in soft integument. Opisthogastric integument with four small post-genital sclerites; metapodal platelets subtriangular, well separated from peritrematal shields. Anal shield 157–192 µm long and 140–170 µm wide, smooth, subtriangular, with strongly rounded anterior margin and three circum-anal setae; post-anal seta thicker and longer than adanal setae. Exopodal platelets I–III absent, exopodals IV present, narrow and curved. Peritrematal shields well developed along the whole peritreme, smooth, post-stigmatic section greatly enlarged beyond posterior margin of coxa IV; hypertrophied post-stigmatic pores situated close to posterior margin of shields; peritremes long, anterior ends reaching to setae z1. All ventral setae simple, needle-like. Opisthogastric soft integument simply striated, with ten pairs of setae in female, nine pairs in male. Male with separate sterno-genital (285–328 µm long) and anal shield; posterior margin of sterno-genital shield adjacent to small, oval to rectangular ventral platelet (18–30 µm long), this platelet without setae or pores ( Fig. 45); peritrematal shields wider than those in female and with medial section closely abutting dorsal shield.

Gnathosoma . Palptrochanter with bifid anteroventral seta ( Fig. 41). Cheliceral segments elongate and thin ( Fig. 49), cheliceral digits slender, movable digit with two small subdistal teeth, fixed digit with three or four minute teeth ( Fig. 36). Spermatodactyl short and simple, tube-like ( Fig. 37). Epistome with elongate central projection and subtriangular base, finely serrate, without wing-like laterobasal elements ( Fig. 44).

Legs. All leg setae needle-like to spiniform, mostly acuminate, especially some subdistal setae on tarsus II apically rounded. Chaetotaxy of legs typical for genus ( Table 3). Legs of male not spurred, but some posterolateral setae thickened.

Remarks. Eight slides of this species are present in the Berlese Acaroteca. Berlese did not designate types, but the specimens can be clearly recognised. All the original specimens of C. pterophilus were collected on Copris hispanus , but Berlese (1886) reported this species from Copris lunaris . Six specimens were studied, 4 ♀♀ and 2 deutonymphs, on six slides (107/18–23), all from Copris hispanus from Italy, Rosignano, Pisa. The female on slide 107/18 is in good condition and clearly identifiable. These Italian specimens are in very good agreement with those collected in Slovakia, so we are confident of the identification of the latter. The illustrations of adults of C. pterophilus given by Berlese (1886) lack peritrematal and metapodal shields, but these are present as normal in the studied material.

Copriphis pterophilus is an insecticolous species living in close association with the dung beetle Copris lunaris , which is well known for the advanced parental care of its progeny ( Mašán & Halliday 2009b). Adults of C. pterophilus can be found under the elytra of the beetles, but we also obtained numerous specimens from subterranean nest chambers filled with cow dung, or from beetle pupae inside the beetle's maternal brood balls. Copris lunaris colonises usually warm and plain localities in southern part of Slovakia.

Occurrence in Slovakia. (a) Verified published data. Trnavská Pahorkatina Wold: Brunovce [7373] (published as Eviphis pterophilus by Mašán 1994b).

(b) New data. Muránska Planina Plateau: 5 ♀♀, 1 ♂, 21 May 2002, Muráň [7286]. Považský Inovec Mts. : 1 ♂, 7 June 1998, Lúka (nest) [7373]. Trnavská Pahorkatina Wold: 3 ♀♀, 4 ♂♂, 23 June 1991, Brunovce, Váh [7373]; 35 ♀♀, 30 ♂♂, 3 DN, 3 August 1994, Brunovce [7373] .