Reticulolaelaps Costa, 1968

Joharchi, O. & Babaeian, E., 2015, A new species of Reticulolaelaps Costa (Acari: Laelapidae) associated with Tapinoma sp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Iran, with a review of the world species, Acarologia 55 (1), pp. 33-40 : 34

Genus Reticulolaelaps Costa

Reticulolaelaps Costa, 1968: 26 .

Type species: Reticulolaelaps faini Costa, 1968 .

Diagnosis — The genus is characterised by a well sclerotised hypertrichous holodorsal shield, convex dorsal shield and flat venter, and a large genito-ventral shield, strongly expanded posterior to coxae IV, abutting the anal shield, bearing six pairs of setae, with strong reticulated ornamentation. Pre-sternal absent; female sternal shield deeply concave in posterior margin and lateral corners extended to the posterior 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 apparently absent; poroids iv3 present on the posterolateral extensions of sternal shield; exopodal plate behind coxa IV large and triangular, more or less contiguous with but separate from peritrematal shields and genitoventral shield; peritrematal shield extending posteriorly well past coxae IV; anal shield large and nearly twice as wide as long, cribrum relatively broad; opisthogastric membrane with five pairs of smooth setae; surface of epistome faintly reticulated, its anterior margin smooth, curved and well extended; chelicera with small and robust digits with few teeth. Hypostomal groove relatively narrow, with four rows of denticles on the anterior half of the groove, each bearing 2-5 small teeth; hypostome with two large membranous flaps near the insertion of corniculi. Corniculi relatively short, and somewhat membranous. All the sclerotised parts of the body are well ornamented throughout, including the legs. Legs significantly shorter than idiosoma, genu III (2 2/1 2/0 1) and IV (2 2/1 3/1 1) with eight and ten setae respectively. Male with sterno-genitiventral shield with ten pairs of setae, with separate anal shield similar to that of the female.