Laelaspis angustiseta, Khalili-Moghadam & Saboori & Nemati & Golpayegani, 2018

Khalili-Moghadam, Arsalan, Saboori, Alireza, Nemati, Alireza & Golpayegani, Azadeh Zahedi, 2018, A new ant-associated species of Laelaspis (Acari: Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) from Iran, Persian Journal of Acarology 7 (3), pp. 221-234 : 223-227

Laelaspis angustiseta sp. nov. ( Figures 1–22 )

Type materials

Holotype, female, Lordegan county (31° 31' 03" N, 50° 29' 32" E, 1756 m a.s.l.), Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari Province , from nest of Tapinoma erraticum , coll., A. Khalili-Moghadam, 11 April 2017, deposited in the Acarological collection, Jalal Afshar Zoological Museum ( JAZM), Department of Plant Protection , Faculty of Agriculture , University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran . Paratypes: one female, same data as holotype, deposited in Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz Am Museum 1 02826 Görlitz, Germany ; two females, same data as holotype and two females, Kohrang County (32° 35' 15" N, 50° 12' 01" E, 2391 m a.s.l.), from nest of Tapinoma simrothi , coll., A. Khalili-Moghadam, 26 May 2017, deposited in the Acarological Laboratory, Plant Protection Department, Agricultural College, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord ( APAS) Iran .

Description of female (Four specimens measured)

Dorsal idiosoma ( Figs. 1–9 ) – Dorsal shield oval-shaped ( Fig. 1 ), covering entire idiosoma, with lateral strip bent in at level of s1 to S5 ( Fig. 9 ), faint polygonal ornamentation more distinct throughout opisthonotal region a little anterior to setae j6, reticulation similar to wider cells in most podonotal area and with lineate-reticulate ornamentation at its anterolateral part; shield 395–420 long, width at level of setae r5 298–315, shield with 39 pairs of thin and simple setae bearing a basal small knob ( Fig. 2 ), 22 pairs on podonotal area (j1–6; z1–6; s1–6; r2–5) and 17 pairs on opisthonotal region (J1–5, Z1–5, S1–5), two unpaired setae JX1 (located posterior to J1) and JX2 (between J4–J4) and including PX2 between J2 and Z2 and PX3 a little outside J3 and J4. Dorsal setae varies in thickness and length. The lengths of podonotal setae are as follows: j1 (18 – 20) slightly thicker than other setae in series ( Fig. 3 ), j2 (34–38) distinctly barbed ( Fig. 4 ), j3 (40–45) j4 (34–38) j5 (38–43) j6 (40–45); z1 (18–20) slightly barbed ( Fig. 5 ), z2 (34–38), z3 (36–40), z4 (41– 47), z5 (37–39), z6 (45–50); s1 (28–32), s2 (35–37), s3 (43–47), s4 (46–53), s5 (44–49), s6 (49–53); r2 (37–40), r3 (39–42), r4 (38–39), r5 (38–42) and r6 (18–22) located in ventral side opposite to coxae III,. Setae in r series barbed and thicker than all other podonotal setae. The shape of some dorsal setae (e.g. r, S and Z5 setae) were shown in Figures 6–8 . The lengths of opisthonotal setae are as follows: J1–4 (40–46), J5 (31–35), Z1–2 (45–49), Z3 (42–44), Z4 (37–38), Z5 (51–53); S1 (38–42), S2 (37–40), S3 (49–53), S4 (54–58), S5 (55–59), PX2–3 (44–48) and JX1–2 (42–46). Podonotal and opisthonotal regions with 11 pairs of pore-like structures, as shown in Figure 1 .

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 10 ) – Tritosternum with tubular base and pilose laciniae (53–58). Presternal area with weakly lineate ornamentation, pre-sternal plates absent and probably fused to anterior margin of sternal shield. Sternal shield with thin reticulation in anterior and lateral surfaces, median surface smooth, 80–85 long, 130–135 wide (at level of projection between coxae II – III) and 80–84 at level of st2, with a notch anteromedially at level of tritosternum placement; posterior margin concave. Sternal setae smooth, st1 (34–38), st2 and st3 (32–36), iv1 and iv2 slit-like, located slightly behind setae st1 and st2 respectively. The distances between st1–st1 (45 – 48), st2–st2 (59– 65) and st3–st3 (98–100). Setae st4 (33–35) and pore-like iv3 located on integument on the surface of angulate endopodal III–IV near posterior margin of the sternal shield. Epigynal shield elongate and broad, 220–225 long from anterior to posterior margins, 120–125 wide at st5 level, 175–178 wide at broadest point nearly at level of ZV1–ZV1 and 155–157 wide at level of JV1–JV1; the ratio of length (L) to width (W) at three different points of epigynal shield (width at levels of st5, ZV1 and JV1 placement) are as follows: st5–st5 (L/ Wst 5-st5) 1.81, L/WZV 1-ZV1 1.27 and L/WJV 1-JV1 1.43–1.44, shield gradually narrowed from widest point, posteriorly rounded and covered anterior margin of anal shield, inverted-inner V stria with seven long, rather narrowly V-shaped ending in two irregular distal cells; setae st5 (38–41), two pairs of elongate setae ZV1 (51–53) and JV1 (57–60) inserted on lateral margins and on the surface of the epigynal shield.

Setae JV2 inserted adjacent to the lateral margins of epigynal shield off shield surface. Paragenital pores (iv5) located on soft integument between lateral margins of the epigynal shield and coxae IV. Subtriangular anal shield reticulated, 66–70 long, 84–85 wide, paranal setae (17–19) slightly shorter than post-anal seta (20–22), with one pair of pore-like structure (gv3) on lateral margins of angular portion. Cribrum extending around post-anal seta. Opisthogastric surface with one pair of elongate metapodal plates (40–42 × 7), 14 pairs of setae, R1–2 smooth and the others barbed, ZV4–5 with distinct barbs throughout, ZV2 (24–29), ZV3 (31–34), ZV4 (41–42), ZV5 (51– 52), JV2 (35–40), JV3 (25–30), JV4–JV5 (49–52), R1 (18–21), R2–R3 (24–26), R4 (32–34), R5 (39–42) and UR (32–36); and five pairs of pore-like structures. Peritreme long and narrow, extending almost to anterior margin of coxa I, peritrematal plate separated from the exopodal shield, wider in middle part, bearing two pore-like structures (ip and gp) on lateral margin of the shield at level between coxae II–III ( Fig. 10 ). Stigma located between coxae III–IV, surrounded by the nearly broad stigmatal plate and narrower apically poststigmatal plate that extending beyond coxa IV. The surface of poststigmatal plate bearing minute pore-like structures posterior to stigmatal opening, apparently a large glandular structure with two circular openings and another one at the distal end of the plate ( Fig. 10 ). Exopodal plates contiguous, fused anteriorly with anterolateral extensions of the sternal shield at the anterior part of coxa II and posteriorly with expanded podal plate behind coxa IV adjacent to iv5. Endopodals II–III fused with lateral margins of the sternal shield, III-IV wide angular with three pieces of platelets posteriorly as in Figure 10 .

Gnathosoma ( Figs. 11–16 ) – Hypostome ( Fig. 11 ) with three pairs of smooth simple setae; h1 (20), h2 (15–17) and h3 (35–39). Palpcoxal setae (pc) 18–20 long. Deutosternal groove with 6 denticulate rows of 6–9 denticles and one smooth row at anteriormost. Corniculi horn-like. Internal malae with two lateral extensions fringed one-third apically and two separated pilose median extensions, both laterals and median extensions extending well beyond the tip of curniculi. Labrum almost elongate and pilose. Epistome rounded with lateral of anterior margin smooth ( Fig. 12 ). Chelicerae ( Fig. 13 ) chelate dentate, moveable digit (24–28) with two teeth ( Fig. 14 ), middle article (90–100) ending in a fixed digit (23–27) ( Fig. 15 ), bearing a moderately enlarged tooth at level of setaceous pilus dentilis insertion, 2 teeth proximally and 2 distally ending in terminal hook, bears a slender acicular dorsal seta, arthrodial processes developed. Palp segment lengths: trochanter (22– 27), femur (23–26), genu (16–19), tibia (18–22), tarsus (15–19). Palp chaetotaxy normal, (sensu Evans and Till 1965), with simple setae; palp apotele two-tined ( Fig. 16 ) with 16–18 long from base to anterior tip of longer fork.

Legs – Tarsi I – IV with claws and ambulacra. leg I 315–337, coxa (46-53), trochanter (30–33), basi-femur (14–16), telo-femur (52–53), genu (37–39), tibia (46–49), tarsus (91–94); leg II 211– 228, coxa (22–26), trochanter (31–33), basi-femur (14), telo-femur (33–36), genu (28–30), tibia (27–29), tarsus (57–59); leg III 187–203, coxa (21–23), trochanter (27–34), basi-femur (14–16), telo-femur (25), genu (24–26), tibia (23–25), tarsus (54–55); leg IV 253–267, coxa (21–23), trochanter (38–41), basi-femur (15–17), telo-femur (38), genu (33–34), tibia (35–37), tarsus (75– 76). Legs I and IV longer than legs II and III. Chaetotaxy of all leg segments normal for Laelapidae (sensu Evans and till, 1965). All leg setae smooth and pointed. Chaetotaxy of legs is as follows: Leg I ( Fig. 17 ): coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0; trochanter 1 0/2 1/1 1(pd thicker than other setae on the segment; femur 2 2/1 3/3 2 (with conspicuous reticulated ventral surface as in Figure 18 , al2 thinner and smaller than other setae on the segment; ad1, pv1–3, pd3 and av thicker than the others on the segment); genu 2 3/2 3/1 2 (with pv ticker than other setae on the segment); tibia 2 3/2 3/1 2 (pv ticker than other setae on the segment). Leg II ( Fig. 19 ): coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0; trochanter 1 0/2 0/1 1; femur 2 3/1 2/2 1 (with conspicuous reticulated ventral surface as in Figure 20 , pv thicker than the other setae on the segment and al2 thinner and smaller than the others); genu 2 3/1 2/1 2; tibia 2 2/1 2/1 2; tarsus 3, 3/2, 3/2, 3 + mv, md. Leg III ( Fig. 21 ): coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0; trochanter 1 0/2 0/1 1; femur 1 2/1 1/0 1; genu 2 2/1 2/1 1; tibia 2 1/1 2/1 1; tarsus 3 3/2 3/2 3 + mv, md. Leg IV ( Fig. 22 ): coxa 0 0/1 0/0 0; trochanter 1 0/2 0/1 1(with al thicker than other setae on the segment; femur 1 2/1 1/0 1 (al1 and al2 thicker than other setae on the segment; genu 2 2/1 3/0 1; tibia 2 1/1 3/1 2; tarsus 3, 3/2, 3/2, 3 + mv, md. Ventral setae of all segments are slightly thicker than the others.

Figures

Figure 9. Laelaspis angustiseta sp. nov. (female) – Details of Lateral strip of dorsal shield.

Figure 10. Laelaspis angustiseta sp. nov. (female) – Ventral view of idiosoma.

Figures 1–8. Laelaspis angustiseta sp. nov. (female) – 1. Dorsal idiosoma; 2. Dorsal seta; 3. j1 seta; 4. j2 seta; 5. z1 seta; 6. r seta; 7. S seta; 8. Z5 seta.

Figures 11–16. Laelaspis angustiseta sp. nov. (female) – 11. Hypostome; 12. Epistome; 13. Chelicera; 14. Detail of moveable digit; 15. Fixed digit; 16. Palp.

Figures 17–20. Laelaspis angustiseta sp. nov. (female) – 17. Leg I; 18. Femur I; 19. Leg II; 20. Femur II. Figures were prepared from dorso-ventral view of right legs.

Figures 21–22. Laelaspis angustiseta sp. nov. (female) – 21. Leg III; 22. Leg IV. Figures were prepared from dorsoventral view of right legs.