Ololaelaps sellnicki Bregetova & Koroleva, 1964

Figures 31–42.

Ololaelaps sellnicki Bregetova & Koroleva, 1964: 77 .

Ololaelaps sellnicki . — Bregetova, 1977: 538; Evans & Till, 1966: 231; Solomon, 1968: 672; Kavianpour et al., 2017: 164; Babaeian et al., 2019: 351; Beaulieu et al., 2019: 5.

Pseudoparasitus (Ololaelaps) sellnicki .— Karg, 1978: 209.

Specimens examined. Lectotype (here designated), female, Leningrad oblast, Russia, Bregetova and Koroleva coll. from moss in wet and alpine meadows, May to November, 1954–1961; slide number 4906 . Paralectotypes, eight females, same label data as lectotype; slide numbers 4906 and 4917, one male, Zakarpatskaya oblast, Ukraine, 13 July 1958, Vysotskaya coll. in nests of Apodemus sylvaticus; slide number 4936 .

Remarks. Bregetova & Koroleva (1964) proposed the name sellnicki as a replacement name for haemisphaericus. Beaulieu et al. (2019) have comprehensively discussed the confusion surrounding the name haemisphaericus. We here designate a lectotype in order to maintain the prevailing concept of the name sellnicki (as Beaulieu et al., 2019 suggested). This species is widely distributed in western parts of Eurasia (Beaulieu et al., 2019). We here provide additional morphological characters to complement the original description of Bregetova and Koroleva (1964) by examining type series specimens, all these observations were made on all specimens examined, unless specified: (1) dorsal shield essentially smooth, without reticulation (i.e. not reticulate, but completely micropunctate) over whole surface, bearing 37 pairs of setae (z1 and z3 absent in all examined specimens) (Fig. 31), a supernumerary seta Jx present between J -series, ventrolateral margins (epipleura) smooth and narrow, much less developed than in O. caucasicus and [whatever other spp. with broad epipleura] (Figs 32 & 33); (2) metasternal setae st4 and metasternal poroids obviously inserted on the sternal shield margin (Fig. 34); (3) fused peritrematal-hologastricparapodal shields by way of the metapodal platelet; hologastric shield strongly reticulated, anteriorly comprising polygonal cells, cells elongated transversally in region anterior to anus, bearing four pairs of slender setae, Jv3 and Zv2 off the shield (Figs 32, 33, 36, 37); (4) hypostomal groove with six transverse rows of denticles, each row with 4–7 small denticles, groove wider anteriorly, progressively narrowing from anterior to posterior (Fig. 35); (5) fixed digit of chelicera with an offset subapical tooth (gabelzahn), followed by two moderately large teeth; movable digit with two similarly large sized teeth (Fig. 38); (6) the pretarsal paradactyli on legs II–IV are elongated, with their tips projecting well beyond the claws (Fig. 39); (7) spermathecae well-sclerotised and with a distinctive subapical appendage (in four examined specimens) as showed in Figure 40; (8) spermatodactyl with a sinuous duct, and a subapical bend (Fig. 41); (9) tarsus II in male bearing a spine-like ventral seta (pv2) (see Fig. 42). Supplementary measurements (n=4): (1) almost all dorsal setae uniform in length 32–38; (2) sternal shield length 102–106, maximum width 200–219, between coxae II 115–120; (3) hologastric shield 390–395 long (4) sternal setae (st1–st4) 57–63, metasternal setae st5 & pre-anal setae (JV1–3, ZV1–2) 39–52; (5) legs: I (568–577), II (440–450), III (412–420), IV (548–568).