Laelaspisella elsae, Joharchi, Omid, Babaeian, Esmaeil & Jalalizand, Alireza, 2016

Joharchi, Omid, Babaeian, Esmaeil & Jalalizand, Alireza, 2016, Review of the genus Laelaspisella Marais & Loots, with the description of a new species from Iran (Acari, Laelapidae), ZooKeys 549, pp. 13-22 : 15-16

Taxon classification Animalia Mesostigmata Laelapidae

Laelaspisella elsae sp. n. Figures 1-5, 6-9

Type material.

Holotype, female, Iran, Isfahan, March-April 2002, A. Jalalizand coll., from bark of elm trees (in YIAU). Paratypes, five females same data as holotype (in YIAU, JAZM and ANIC).

Description of the female.

Dorsal idiosoma (Fig. 1). Dorsal shield length 400-449, width 281-333 (n = 6). Shield oval shaped, convex, well-sclerotised, reticulated; with about 109-111 simple and long setae, with some unpaired and asymmetrical setae in opisthonotal area, setae similar in length (30-40) and thickness, most long enough to reach well past base of next posterior seta, except j1 and z1 (13-15) and some posterio-lateral setae (14-16). Shield with 12 pairs of pore-like structures, apparently including three pairs of gland pores and eight pairs of poroids; lyrifissures near the base of z1 large and slit-like, others smaller and ovoid.

Ventral idiosoma (Fig. 2). Tritosternum with paired pilose laciniae (33-36), columnar base (12-13 × 5-6 wide); presternal area with transverse lightly sclerotised presternal lines. Sternal shield (length 35-43) narrowest between coxae II (99-100), widest at level between coxae II and III (120-128), with convex anterior margin; posterior margin deeply concave; shield bearing three pairs of smooth pointed setae (st1 27-32, st2 35-40, st3 40-43) and two pairs of lyrifissures, one pair adjacent to setae st1 and the other between st2 and st3; surface with distinct reticulate ornamentation. Metasternal setae st4 apparently absent but metasternal poroids present on the posterolateral extensions of sternal shield; endopodal plates II/III fused to sternal shield, endopodal plates III/IV elongate, narrow, curved, but not fused to large triangular podal shields posterior to coxae IV. Genito-ventral shield broad, length 258-267, maximum width 188-195, posterior edge rounded, reticulate throughout, bearing genital setae st5 (50-55) and two additional pairs of setae on its surface, Jv1, Zv1 (50-62), paragenital poroids present. Anal shield oval, large (64-73 × 82-88 wide), reticulate throughout, anal pores indistinct, para-anal setae (12) shorter than post-anal seta (20), cribrum relatively narrow. Opisthogastric skin with eight pairs of smooth setae (55-65) and four pair of pores; elongate metapodal plates (34-37 × 9-11) close to genito-ventral shield. Peritreme extending from mid-coxa IV to anterior level of coxa I, peritrematal shield wide, with a very wide outer margin, bearing three pairs of discernible pore-like structures, two pairs of poroids opposite coxae II–III and another pair opposite coxae I–II.

Gnathosoma. Hypostomal groove with four rows of denticles each bearing 2-5 small teeth (Fig. 3). Corniculi robust and hornlike. Internal malae complex, with two pairs of lobes, inner lobes narrow and long, with smooth edges, outer lobes very short, narrow, branched. Hypostome with four pairs of setae, internal posterior hypostomal setae h3 longest (67-70), h1 (42-45), h2 (28-30), palpcoxal pc (32-35) (Fig. 3). Palp chaetotaxy: trochanter 2, femur 5, genu 6, tibia 14, tarsus 15, all setae smooth and needle-like; palp tarsal claw with two pointed tines of equal length, without any hyaline membranes (Fig. 3). Epistome somewhat subtriangular, with a smooth margin (Fig. 4). Fixed digit (40-41) of chelicera with two small pointed teeth (Fig. 5); pilus dentilis moderately thick, dorsal seta not detected, movable digit (36-38) with two large teeth; arthrodial membrane with a row of short filaments.

Legs. Legs II and III shorter (309-320, 302-310), I and IV longer (349-360, 431-447) (excluding pre-tarsus). Leg I: coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0, trochanter 1 0/2 1/1 1, femur 2 2/1 3/3 2, genu 2 3/2 3/1 2 (Fig. 6), tibia 2 3/2 3/1 2 (Fig. 6). Leg II: coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0, trochanter 1 0/2 0/1 1, femur 2 3/1 2/2 1, genu 2 3/1 2/1 2 (Fig. 7), tibia 2 2/1 2/1 2 (Fig. 7). Leg III: coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0, trochanter 1 0/2 0/1 1, femur 1 2/1 1/0 1, genu 2 2/0 2/1 0 (Fig. 8), tibia 2 1/1 2/1 1 (Fig. 8). Leg IV (Fig. 9): 0 0/1 0/0 0, trochanter 1 0/2 0/1 1, femur 1 2/1 1/0 1, genu 2 2/1 3/1 1, tibia 2 1/1 3/1 2; all setae fine and needle-like. Tarsi I-IV with 18 setae 3 3/2 3/2 3 + mv, md. All pre-tarsi with a pair of claws and a long thin membranous ambulacral stalk.

Insemination structures.

Not seen, apparently unsclerotised.

Etymology.

It is with great pleasure that we name this species after Elsa Joharchi, the new-born daughter of the first author.

Remarks.

Laelaspisella elsae sp. n. differs from all other species in the genus in having the genito-ventral shield broad and bearing genital setae st5 and two additional pairs of setae on its surface, hypostomal groove with four rows of denticles, genu I with seta pd3 (2 3/2 3/1 2) and two ventral setae on genu IV (2 2/1 3/1 1), also dorsal seta of chelicera absent.