Olopachys (Olopachys) hallidayi Özbek, 2014

Valizadeh, Saeid, Ahadiyat, Ali, Bagheri, Mohammad & Joharchi, Omid, 2019, Second world record of Olopachys hallidayi Özbek, 2014 (Mesostigmata: Pachylaelapidae) from Iran, Persian Journal of Acarology 8 (2), pp. 169-174 : 170-172

Olopachys (Olopachys) hallidayi Özbek, 2014

Olopachys (Olopachys) hallidayi Özbek, 2014: 328

Morphological observations of studied material

Female (n = 5) – Dorsal shield ovoid, 740–810 long (in one specimen: 875), 480–550 wide (in one specimen: 580) (length/width ratio: 1.47–1.54), well-reticulated throughout. Shield with two pairs of adjacent gland pores gdZ1 and gdS4 on posterolateral margins. Setae j1 and z1 and one pair of poroids idj1 located at the edge of the boundary connection between the dorsal and ventral idiosoma. Seta J5 minute as microseta. Ventral shields well-reticulated throughout, except the smooth or weakly reticulation in posterior margin of the sternal shield. Sternal shield 228–248 long, 120–128 wide (at the mid-level of coxae II) (length/width ratio: 1.90–1.93), 160–168 wide (at the level of setae st2) (length/width ratio: 1.42–1.48), bearing three pairs of poroids (iv1–3), and four pairs of smooth setae: st1 longest (100−120), st2-4 almost subequal (st2 82−86, st3 66−78, st4 74−85), with an arc-like line at the anterior section ( Fig. 1a, b ). Genitiventrianal shield 335–420 long (in one specimen: 450), 270–360 wide (in one specimen: 375) (length/width ratio: 1.07–1.27), with three pairs of smooth, subequal pre-anal setae st5 (84−92), JV1 (82−102) and JV2 (80−100), three circum-anal setae (para-anal setae = pa 46–55, post-anal seta = po 36–38), and 4–5 pairs of pore-like structures. A transverse, recurved linea posteriad the level of the setae JV2. Peritreme 365–385 long (in one specimen: 450), covered by aciculae, extending anteriorly almost to the level of the seta z1, with one gland pore (gp) located at the level of coxa II. Peritrematal shield wide, completely fused to the exopodal and metapodal platelets. Lateral and opisthogastric soft integument bearing 12 pairs of smooth setae, including five pairs of lateral and seven pairs of opisthogastric setae. Chelicera with movable digit with one subapical, conspicuous tooth, and fixed digit with one apical, minute tooth, followed by two subapical conspicuous teeth ( Fig. 2). Pilus dentilis located close to the upper subapical tooth. Epistome with a long neck, distinctly serrated apically; anterolateral margins finely denticulated. Sperm access system associated with coxae IV, with a relatively elongate and curve tube (105–130 long), slightly expanded distally ( Fig. 1a, b ). Tarsus II with two spur-like distal setae.

Lengths of dorsal and ventral setae: j1 23−42, j2 92−112, j3 104−115, j4 83−97, j5 68−85, j6 82−95, J1 88−105, J2 83−110, J3 100−113, J4 102−125, J5 6−10, z1 unavailable, z2 106−125, z4 104−115, z5 68−80, z6 96−117, Z1 104−125, Z2 102−115, Z3 102−114, s2 86−113, s4 102−126, s5 98−120, s6 68−85, S1 68−92, S3 68−83, S4 88−115, S5 98−125, r2 98−123, r3 88−108, r5 74−90, r6 35−47. Distances between some pairs of dorsal and ventral idiosomal setae: j1–j1 12–15, j2–j2 50–63, j3–j3 75–90, j4–j4 128–163, j5–j5 105–130, j6–j6 93–125, J1–J1 95–115, J2–J2 155–169, J3–J3 94–113, J4–J4 127–175, J5–J5 30–50, z1–z1 45–55, z2–z2 198–243, z4–z4 263–300, z5–z5 138–165, z6–z6 225–260, Z1–Z1 355–440, Z2–Z2 357–443, Z3–Z3 270–333, s2–s2 250–290, s4–s4 353–420, s5–s5 363–453, s6–s6 458–565, st1–st1 68–83, st2–st2 140–158, st3–st3 125–150, st4–st4 135–160, st5–st5 148–203, JV1–JV1 238–277, JV2–JV2 127–183.

Material examined

2 ♀, East Azerbaijan Province, Maragheh region, Chekan village , 37° 21′ 8.2′′ N, 46° 19′ 24.3′′ E, altitude: 1747 m a.s.l., soil of walnut tree, 7 October 2016 ; 3 ♀, East Azerbaijan Province, Maragheh region, Chekan village , 37° 21′ 15.5′′ N, 46° 19′ 31.4′′ E, altitude: 1568 m a.s.l., soil of plum tree, 7 October 2016 ; 4 ♀, East Azerbaijan Province, Maragheh region, Chay Baghi village , 37° 19′ 44.5′′ N, 46° 16′ 15.6′′ E, altitude: 1457 m a.s.l., soil of walnut tree, 14 October 2016 ; 1 ♀, East Azerbaijan Province, Maragheh region, Agh Kand village , 37° 20′ 57.2′′ N, 46° 15′ 21.5′′ E, altitude: 1425 m a.s.l., leaf-litter, 14 October 2016 ; 2 ♀, East Azerbaijan Province, Maragheh region, Nova village , 37° 26′ 19.3′′ N, 46° 12′ 54.1′′ E, altitude: 1697 m a.s.l., soil of plum tree, 27 October 2016 ; 1 ♀, East Azerbaijan Province, Maragheh region, Alavian village , 37° 24′ 11.3′′ N, 46° 13′ 26.1′′ E, altitude: 1480 m a.s.l., soil of plum tree, 27 October 2016 ; 7 ♀, East Azerbaijan Province, Maragheh region, Tazeh Kand village , 37° 27′ 35.3′′ N, 46° 15′ 44.1′′ E, altitude: 1619 m a.s.l., soil of walnut tree, 6 November 2016 ; 1 ♀, East Azerbaijan Province, Maragheh region, Tazeh Kand village , 37° 27′ 36′′ N, 46° 15′ 44.8′′ E, altitude: 1622 m a.s.l., manure of almond tree, 6 November 2016 ; 1 ♀, East Azerbaijan Province, Maragheh region, Ozbak village , 37° 28′ 26.5′′ N, 46° 17′ 15.9′′ E, altitude: 1699 m a.s.l., soil of walnut tree, 6 November 2016 ; 3 ♀, East Azerbaijan Province, Maragheh region, Ashan village , 37° 30′ 48.4′′ N, 46° 18′ 43.9′′ E, altitude: 1751 m a.s.l., soil of sour cherry tree, 6 November 2016 ; 2 ♀, East Azerbaijan Province, Maragheh region, Kahaq village , 37° 28′ 40.7′′ N, 46° 13′ 29.1′′ E, altitude: 1767 m a.s.l., soil of walnut tree near river, 18 November 2016 ; 6 ♀, East Azerbaijan Province, Maragheh region, Kahaq village , 37° 28′ 4.1′′ N, 46° 13′ 45.6′′ E, altitude: 1764 m a.s.l., soil of apple tree, 18 November 2016 ; 4 ♀, East Azerbaijan Province, Maragheh region, Senowkesh village , 37° 28′ 20.9′′ N, 46° 14′ 26.8′′ E, altitude: 1729 m a.s.l., soil of quince tree, 18 November 2016 ; 2 ♀, East Azerbaijan Province, Maragheh region, Esfestanaj village , 37° 28′ 8.1′′ N, 46° 14′ 16′′ E, altitude: 1622 m a.s.l., soil of walnut tree, 18 November 2016 . All materials were collected by S. Valizadeh.

Notes

This species is reported for the first time from Iran and distributed in the Palaearctic region: Turkey ( Özbek 2014; Şahin and Özbek 2018) and Iran (this study). The species was found in moss, soil debris, litter of herbs, ornamental trees and shrubs and nest of an ant species ( Özbek 2014; Şahin and Özbek 2018). Özbek (2014) and Şahin and Özbek (2018) collected the species in a wide range of altitudes (1273−1880 and 1596−2455 m a.s.l., respectively). We found it in soil of fruit trees, manure and leaf-litter at the altitudes 1425−1767 m a.s.l. Therefore, it can live in medium- to high-land areas. The Iranian specimens of Olopachys hallidayi are very similar to the Turkish ones according to the morphometric characteristics and the original description prepared by Özbek (2014), but they have wide ranges for some characteristics. The Iranian specimens were larger than the Turkish ones in length and width of dorsal shield, although the ratio was smaller in the Iranian specimens [740−875 long, 480−580 wide, the ratio: 1.47−1.54 in the Iranian specimens; 700−780 long, 430−470 wide, the ratio: 1.54−1.69 in the Turkish specimens ( Özbek 2014)]. Therefore, the length and width of dorsal shield and their ratio for the species can be expanded as 700−875, 430−580 and 1.47−1.69, respectively. The length and width of genitiventrianal shield and its ratio have wider ranges in the Iranian specimens (the Turkish specimens in the parentheses), which are 335−450 (350−400), 270−375 (300−350) and 1.07−1.27 (1.11−1.19), respectively. The lengths of setae j 4 in the Iranian specimens are slightly shorter than the Turkish ones (83−97 compared with 100−110). During the study, we were confronted with a few specimens collected from another province in Iran, which were very similar to O. hallidayi (based on the shape of the spermathecal apparatus) but with 13 pairs of setae on lateral and opisthogastric soft integument, although Özbek (2014) had mentioned that 12 pairs of setae exist on the soft integument. Özbek (personal communications, October 2017) stated that some Turkish specimens bear a range of 12–14 pairs of setae on lateral and opisthogastric soft integument (mostly 12 pairs, rarely 13–14 pairs).

Figures

Figure 1. Olopachys hallidayi (female) – a, b. Reticulation of the sternal shield and the spermathecal apparatus.