Laelaspisella Marais & Loots, 1969

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 : 14

Taxon classification Animalia Mesostigmata Laelapidae

Genus Laelaspisella Marais & Loots, 1969

Laelaspisella Marais & Loots, 1969: 1.

Type species.

Laelaspisella epigynalis Marais & Loots, 1969, by original designation.

Notes on the genus.

The presence of pre-sternal plates and an expanded epigynal shield suggests a superficial similarity to Gymnolaelaps . However, Laelaspisella has a hypertrichous dorsal shield, two ventral setae on genu IV, and lacks metasternal setae st4. Gymnolaelaps has a normal complement of 40 pairs of setae on the dorsal shield, one ventral seta on genu IV, and the metasternal setae are always present.

Diagnosis.

The genus is characterised by a well sclerotised hypertrichous holodorsal shield, (podonotal area hypertrichous or with normal chaetotaxy), convex dorsal shield and flat venter, and a large genito-ventral shield, expanded posterior to the genital setae, with strong reticulated ornamentation. Pre-sternal plates present (lightly sclerotised in the new species); female sternal shield deeply concave in posterior margin and lateral corners extended to the level of coxa III, with three pairs of simple sternal setae; endopodal shields between coxae II and III fused with sternal shield. Metasternal setae st4 always absent; pores iv3 present on the posterolateral extensions of sternal shield; exopodal plate behind coxa IV triangular, more or less contiguous with but separate from peritrematal shields; peritrematal shield extending posteriorly well past coxae IV; genito-ventral shield with rounded posterior margin separate from anal shield, or with straight posterior margin touching anal shield; opisthogastric membrane with eight to nine pairs of smooth setae (r6 is not included), setae Jv5 and Zv5 longer than other opisthogastric area setae or normal (not longer than the other dorsal setae); anterior margin of epistome smooth or with irregular minute denticulation; chelicera with small and robust digits with few teeth, dorsal seta sometimes absent. Hypostomal groove with four to six rows of denticles. Corniculi well-sclerotised; palp tarsal claw with two pointed tines. Legs shorter than idiosoma, genu IV with ten setae (2 2/1 3/1 1), genu I with seta pd3 absent (2 3/2 2/1 2) or present (2 3/2 3/1 2).

These characters are variable within the genus Laelaspisella : (1) dorsal seta of chelicera present or absent; (2) podonotal shield hypertrichous or with normal chaetotaxy; (3) setae Jv5 and Zv5 expanded or normal; (4) seta pd3 on genu I present or absent; (5) extra opisthogastric setae present or absent; (6) genito-ventral shield with rounded posterior margin separate from anal shield, or with straight posterior margin touching anal shield; (7) Anterior margin of epistome smooth or with irregular minute denticulation.

To separate Laelaspisella from Gymnolaelaps , the following characters can be used: Laelaspisella has (1) opisthonotal area of dorsal shield hypertrichous; (2) metasternal setae absent; (3) genu IV with two ventral setae; (4) pore iv3 on sternal shield. Gymnolaelaps has (1) opisthonotal area of dorsal shield not hypertrichous; (2) metasternal setae present; (3) genu IV with one ventral seta; (4) pore iv3 in soft skin.