Molothrognathus shirazicus Khanjani, Bakhshi and Khanjani, 2016

Akyol, Mustafa, 2021, A new record for the mite fauna of Turkey: Molothrognathus shirazicus (Acari: Caligonellidae) and the first description of its protonymph, Acarological Studies 3 (1), pp. 43-47 : 43-46

Molothrognathus shirazicus Khanjani, Bakhshi and Khanjani, 2016

Diagnosis. Dorsum with smooth shield between setae vi and d 1; palp-tibia with three setae; setae sce longest; tarsi 15(+1ω)-10(+1ω)-9-9 ( Khanjani et al., 2016).

Female (n= 18) ( Figure 1 )

Length of body (excluding gnathosoma) 320 (315-325), width 190 (164-190).

Gnathosoma ( Figs 1 A,B,G,H ). Subcapitulum with two pairs of adoral setae (or 1-2) and one pair of subcapitular setae m 36 (36-42). Stylophore conical. Tibial claw of palp about as long as palp-tarsus. Length of palp 143 (143- 156). Number of setae and solenidia from palp-trochanter to palp-tarsus: 0, 1, 1, 3+1 well-developed claw, 3+1ω+4 eupathidia. Peritremes as depicted in Fig. 1H .

Dorsum of idiosoma ( Fig. 1A ). Dorsum with striae; 3 pairs of cupules present, ia behind posterior eye, im laterad of the setae d and ip laterad of setae f; prodorsum with smooth shield and two pair of eyes. All dorsal setae are simple. Length of dorsal setae: vi 26 (21-26), ve 21 (18- 21), sci 21 (21), sce 78 (78-91), c 1 16 (16), c 2 36 (34-36), d 1 16 (16), e 1 32 (18-23), f 1 26 (26), h 1 52 (52-55), h 2 49 (49-52). Distances between dorsal setae: vi-vi 44 (39-44), vi-ve 47 (47-49), ve-ve 55 (52-55), ve-sci 26 (26-29), sci-sci 107 (104-107), sci-sce 34 (31-34), sce-sce 151-172, sce-c 1 70 (62-70), c 2- c 2 104 (96-104), c 1- c 1 36 (34-36), c 1- d 1 52 (52), d 1- d 1 47 (39-47), d 1- e 1 47 (39-47), e 1- e 1 65 (52-65), e 1- f 1 47 (31-47), f 1- f 1 42 (36-42), f 1- h 1 26 (23- 26), h 1- h 1 29 (21-29), h 2- h 2 44 (36-44).

Venter of idiosoma ( Fig. 1B ). Ventral surface striated; endopodal shields absent; ventral setae three pairs: 1 a 36 (31-36), 3 a 42 (39-42) and 4 a 16 (16-18); 1 a located on coxae I, but 3 a and 4 a located on integument; aggenital region with three pairs of setae, ag 1 21 (21-26), ag 2 16 (16-18) and ag 3 8 (8-10); genital valves with one pair of setae g 13 (13-16); one pair of cupules (ih) located lateral to setae ag 1. Anal shields posteriorly with two pairs of setae (ps 1-2).

Legs ( Figs 1 C-F). Length of legs: I 234 (234-239), II 169 (169-174), III 198 (198-208), IV 216 (216-234). Setal formulae of leg segments I–IV (solenidia not included and in parentheses): coxae 3-1-1-1, trochanters 1-1-1-1, femora 2-2-2-2, genua 5(+1Κ)-5-2-2, tibiae 5(+1φ+ 1φρ)-5-4- 4, tarsi 15(+1ω)-10(+1ω)-9-9. Lengths of solenidia: Iω 6 (6-8), IIω 5 (5-6), Iφρ 7 (7), Iφ 3 (3-4), IΚ 4 (4).

Protonymph (n= 1) ( Figure 2 )

Length of body (excluding gnathosoma) 286, width 161.

Gnathosoma ( Figs 2 A,B,G,H ). Length of palp 112, palp chaetotaxy as in female. Subcapitulum one pair of subcapitular setae (m 39). Peritremes as depicted in Fig. 2H .

Dorsum of idiosoma ( Fig. 2A ). Dorsal setae, cupules, shield area and striae similar to that of adult female. Length of dorsal setae: vi 21, ve 18, sci 21, sce 78, c 1 16, c 2 36, d 1 16, e 1 23, f 1 26, h 1 52, h 2 49. Distances between dorsal setae: vi-vi 39, vi-ve 31, ve-ve 39, ve-sci 21, sci-sci 96, sci-sce 39, sce-sce 143, sce-c 1 65, c 2- c 2 96, c 1- c 1 36, c 1- d 1 42, d 1- d 1 39, d 1- e 1 42, e 1- e 1 52, e 1- f 1 42, f 1- f 1 36, f 1- h 1 26, h 1- h 1 26, h 2- h 2 36.

Venter of idiosoma ( Fig. 2B ). Ventral surface striated; endopodal shields absent; 1 a 31, 3 a 34; one pair of aggenital setae ag 13; setae 4 a, other aggenital setae, genital shields and its setae absent.

Legs ( Figs 2 C-F). Length of legs: I 192, II 143, III 161, IV 174. Setal formulae of legs I–IV (solenidia not included and in parentheses): coxae 3-1-1-0, trochanters 1-1-1-0, femora 2-2-2-1, genua 5(+1Κ)-4-2-1, tibiae 5(+1φ+ 1φρ)- 5-4-4, tarsi 15(+1ω)-10(+1ω)-9-8. Lengths of solenidia: Iω 6, IIω 4, Iφρ 6, Iφ 3, IΚ 4.

Male, deutonymph and larva. Unknown.

Material examined. Twelve females collected from litter and soil under the Pinus nigra, 1200 m a.s.l., Emirdağı mountains, B. Karabağ village, Bolvadin district, Afyonkarahisar province, 08 June 2019; one female from litter and soil under Verbascum sp. , 130 m a.s.l., Salihli district, 23 June 2019, two females from litter and soil under Paliurus spina-christi , and one female from litter and soil under Olea europaea , 71 m a.s.l., Muradiye area, Yunusemre district, Manisa province, 27 September and 22 October 2019; two females from litter and soil under Pistacia terebinthus , 10 m a.s.l., Patara Beach, Kaş district, Antalya province, 12 July 2019; one protonymph from litter and soil under Pinus brutia , 110 m. a.s.l., Gümüldür- Menderes road 7 km, Menderes district, İzmir province, 24 July 2019; Turkey, coll. M. Akyol.

Remarks

Molothrognathus shirazicus Khanjani, Bakhshi and Khanjani, 2016 was described for the first time from Iran and collected from soil under Populus euphratica (Salicaceae) and Platycladus orientalis (Cupressaceae) , in Shiraz (altitude 1552 m a.s.l.), Fars province, Iran ( Khanjani et al., 2016). In this study the samples collected from soil and litter under new host plants including Pinus brutia , P. nigra , Olea europaea , Paliurus spina-christi , Pistacia terebinthus and Verbascum sp. (altitude 10-1200 m a.s.l.) in Afyonkarahisar, Manisa, İzmir and Antalya provinces, Turkey.

Body size of 335 (278) long and 201 (120–136) wide in the Iranian specimens; 320 (315-325) long and 190 (164- 190) wide in the Turkish specimens. Body size of the Turkish specimens is almost similar to the Iranian specimens.

The Turkish specimens resemble the Iranian specimens, but some measurements of body setae (m 36-42, 4a 16, c 1 16, c 2 34-36, d 1 16 in the Turkish specimens) are different from the type specimens (m 45-50, 4a 23-28, c 1 17- 21, c 2 40-51, d 1 17-21 in the Iranian specimens).

Only female of M. shirazicus was found from the type locality ( Iran) ( Khanjani et al., 2016). This is the second report of this species and a new record for the Turkish fauna. Also, the protonymph stage of M. shirazicus is described for the first time in this study.

Figures

Figure 1. Molothrognathus shirazicus Khanjani, Bakhshi and Khanjani (Female) – A. Dorsal view of idiosoma, B. Ventral view of idiosoma, C. Leg I, D. Leg II, E. Leg III, F. Leg IV, G. Palp, H. Stylophore.

Figure 2. Molothrognathus shirazicus Khanjani, Bakhshi and Khanjani (Protonymph) – A. Dorsal view of idiosoma, B. Ventral view of idiosoma, C. Leg I, D. Leg II, E. Leg III, F. Leg IV, G. Palp, H. Stylophore.