Protzia alborziensis Bader & Sepasgozarian, 1980

Pesic, Vladimir, 2005, Water mites of the genus Protzia Piersig, 1896 (Acari, Hydrachnidia: Hydryphantidae) from Iran, Zootaxa 1019 (1), pp. 53-64 : 56-59

Protzia alborziensis Bader & Sepasgozarian, 1980

Type series: Lectotype, male, here designated: dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid. NHMB 1978­09­08 _1[78/78), Gebiet Karadj; Quellen 15 km hinter Karadj Strasse. Haft Tscheschmeh, leg. Schw & Sepas.; Paralectotypes: 10 males, 39 females, same data as lectotype, 1 male and 4 female of them dissected and slide mounted on Hoyer's fluid.

New records: NHMB 1977­04­30­1 _[0] Teheran area, waterfall on Teheran­Amol road, N from mountain pass, in moss , T =11.5 Cº, 2280 m asl., leg. Bader (1/4/0) ; NHMB 1975­06­13 _1[17], Chalus area , 2 stream on Chalus ­ ?? road, leg. Bader & Kheiry (3/6/0) ; NHMB 1977­05­24­4 [15], Chalus area, stream, Chalus­Karadj road, on the left side, Vali­ Abad, 1700 m asl., leg. Bader (1/4/0) ; NHMB 1978­08­02 _1[8] Elburs Mountain area , captured spring (Tscheschmeh), under Karaj­Tchalus road, leg. Sepasgozarian (7/8/0) ; NHMB 1978­09­08 _2[78/57] Karadj area , between spring and artificial waterfall of captured spring–stream, 15 km behind Karadj, leg. Schwoerbel & Sepasgosarian (0/1/0) ; NHMB 1978­05­15 _1[13] Elburs Mountain area , captured spring on Karadj­Tschalus road (Probe nr. doubtful), leg. Sepasgosarian (6/9/0) ; NHMB 1978­08­02 _2[40] Elburs Mountain area , captured spring on Karadj­Chalus road, leg. Sepasgosarian (0/4/0) ; NHMB 1977­05­24 _2[13] Chalus area, little stream, Chalus–Karadj road on the left side towards the curve, 1550 m asl., leg. Bader (2/12/0) ; IR2 Mazandaran Province, Elbrus Mt., 75 km from Chalus, upper part of Chalus river (ca. 36°10'N, 51°24'E), ca. 2180 m asl ., T =11º, 17.07.2003, leg. Pesic, Asadi, Saboori & Akrami (1/1/0) ; IR6 Mazandaran Province, Elburs Mt., the hygropetric stream near Kandelous (on Kojor road, 35° 53'N, 52° 12'E) , T =14º, 1603 m asl., 18.07.2003, leg. Pesic, Asadi, Saboori & Akrami (14/28/0) ; IR7 Mazandaran Province, Elbrus Mt., Div spring near Kandelous (on the Kojor road, 35°53'N, 52°12'E) , T =14º, 1600 m asl., 18.07.2003, leg. Pesic, Asadi, Saboori & Akrami (1/2/0).

Diagnosis: Characters of the eximia species group; genital field with 16–21 Ac, caudal Ac on relatively short stalks (L 10–18 µm, ratio caudal stalk length/Ac length 0.5–0.71), chelicera slender (L/H 5.0–5.5); gnathosoma relatively long (L/ W 2.0 –2.3); ratio L/H P­2 1.9–2.2, P­4 3.7–4.1; egg diameter 124–138 µm; genital skeleton 147 µm.

Description: Variability given as mean (minimum­maximum); Males (n=2): leg claws with 4–5 Lcl and 5–6 Mcl; genital field ( Fig. 5 ) with 19–20 Ac; CAc L 21–26.5, CAc W 17.7 –21, ratio L/ W 1.13 –1.27; CAc stalk L 14–18, stalk L/L of CAc 0.6–0.71; genital skeletonL 147; gnathosoma L 185–214, W 80–94, L/W ratio 2.28–2.3; chelicera L 220– 238, ratio basal segment/claw 2.16–2.17, ratio L/H 5.37–5.5; palp ( Fig. 7 ) total L 298– 305, dorsal length and L/H ratio (in parentheses): P­1 22–23.5 (0.55–0.63), P­2 73.5–75 (1.89–2.17), P­3 44–48.5 (1.0), P­4 122–123 (3.8–3.95), P­5 35–37 (2.67–3.1), relative length (given as % of total length): P­1 7.4–7.7, P­2 24.6, P­3 14.8–15.9, P­4 40.3–40.9, P­5 11.6–12.3; L ratio P­2/P­4 0.6–0.61.

Females (n=4): leg claws with 5 (4–5) Lcl and Mcl 6 (5–7); genital field ( Fig.6 ) with 17 (16–19) Ac; CAc L 22 (16–29), CAc W 18 (14–21), ratio L/ W 1.24 (1.0–1.43); CAc stalk L 14 (10–17), stalk L/L of CAc 0.59 (0.5–0.67); gnathosoma ( Fig. 8 ) (n =10) L 202 (191–221), W 95 (83–103), L/W ratio 2.16 (2.0–2.3); chelicera ( Fig. 9 ) L 232 (216–241), ratio basal segment/claw 2.04 (1.9–2.1), ratio L/H 5.1 (5.04–5.29); palp total L 302 (285– 308), dorsal length: P­1 24.3 (22–26.5), P­2 72 (67.6–76.5), P­3 47 (44–48.5), P­4121 (116–125), P­5 35 (34–37), L/H ratio: P­1 0.51 (0.5–0.52), P­2 2.0 (1.9–2.19), P­3 1.04 (1.0–1.07), P­4 3.85 (3.77–4.1), P­5 3.2 (3.0–3.5), relative length (given as % of total length): P­1 8.02 (7.4–8.6), P­2 24.1 (23.1–25.1), P­3 15.6 (15.5–15.8), P­4 40.6 (40.1– 41.3), P­5 11.7 (11.2–12.4); L ratio P­2/P­4 0.59 (0.57–0.63); egg diameter (n =10) 130 (124–138).

Remarks: Due to the longish gnathosoma (L/W ca. 2.0), genital field with 16–21 Ac, caudal Ac on relatively short stalks (length 17 µm, ratio caudal stalk length/Ac length 0.6), P. alborziensis shows a general conformity with P. caucasica Sokolow, 1927 . The differences found compared with P. caucasica (in parentheses, from Gerecke 1996a) concern the more slender chelicera (L/H 4.4), P­4 (L/H 3.6), and to a minor extent P­2 (L/H 1.4).

However, to clarify the taxonomic status of P. alborziensis , more specimens of P. caucasica from the Caucasus area must be studied.

Distribution: Iran

Figures

FIGURES 5–9. Protzia alborziensis Bader & Sepasgozarian, 1980. 5, 7, lectotype male; 6, 8, 9 paralectotype female: 5 = coxae and genital field; 6 = genital field; 7 = palp, medial view; 8 = gnathosoma; 9 = chelicera. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.