Anystipalpus percicola Berlese

Lindquist, Evert E. & Moraza, María L., 2009, Anystipalpus, Antennoseius and Vitzthumia: a taxonomic and nomenclatural conundrum of genera (Acari: Mesostigmata: Dermanyssina), with description of four species of Anystipalpus, Zootaxa 2243, pp. 1-39 : 14-18

Anystipalpus percicola Berlese

( Figs 1–11 )

Anystipalpus percicola Berlese, 1911: 185 .

Antennoseius (Antennoseius) nataliae Eidelberg, 1990: 75 –77; new synonymy.

Diagnosis. ADULT FEMALE. Dorsal shield setae collectively similar in smooth, slightly stout, pointed form and length (about 0.4 to 0.6 as long as longitudinal intervals between their bases). Epigynal shield dropshaped, with lateral margins constricted anterior to genital setae and posterior margin evenly rounded. Peritrematal-exopodal shield without lines extending from stigma to posterior margin. Coxa I with both setae bluntly spinelike. Tarsus II with setae pl1, pl2, pl3 spinelike. Leg I with genual seta pd3 short, bluntly spinelike, and femoral seta pd2 longer, acutely spinelike.

Redescription. ADULT FEMALE. Dorsal shields together 360–380 long, reticulated over entire surfaces, except posteromedial face between setae J5 and Z5 primarily longitudinally lineate ( Fig. 1 ). Podonotal shield 215–216 long, 220–227 wide at level of setae r3, with 21 pairs of smooth setae (j1-j6, z1-z6, s1-s6, r2 and two extra pairs in s3-s6 area), none conspicuously spinelike. Opisthonotal shield 155–164 long, 185–193 wide at level of setae S1, evenly rounded posteriorly, with 15 pairs of setae (J1-J5, Z1-Z5, S1-S5). Setae j1 and z1 short (7–8), j1 slightly spinelike, sometimes slightly barbed ( Fig. 3 ); all other setae on dorsal shields slightly thickened basally, acutely pointed ( Fig. 3 ), smooth (except J5, Z4-Z5, S5 sometimes slightly barbed), about 0.4–0.6 as long as longitudinal intervals between their bases, the j -J and z -Z series (18–20) slightly longer than the s -S series (15–16); setae J5 (19) nearly as long as Z5 (20); transverse interval between setae J5 (38) slightly greater than those between J4 and Z5 (30). Lateral soft cuticle with 13 to15 pairs of smooth setae (11– 14), including r3-r6, R1-R7 and two to four pairs of UR setae.

Tritosternum with laciniae (70–75) free nearly to their bases, where fused for 5 µm and with denticulate fringe above apical margin of tritosternal base ( Fig. 5 ). Presternal area with pair of narrow indistinct platelets adhered to anterior margin of sternal shield. Sternal shield ca. 100 long from anterior presternal margin to irregularly concave posterior margin, 75 at narrowest width between coxae II; anterior part of sternal shield weakly sclerotized to level slightly behind insertions of setae st1, deeply emarginate medially to same level; sternal shield with three pairs of attenuate setae, these progressively slightly shorter from st1 (27) to st3 (20), and one pair of poroids, iv2; shield with pair of parallel longitudinal lines near mid-surface, between which surface more weakly sclerotized ( Fig. 7 ); endopodal extensions between coxae I and II, II and III united with sternal shield. Setae st4 (20) inserted on soft cuticle. Endopodal strips weakly developed between coxae III and IV. Epigynal shield lightly lineated laterally, 112 long from anterior margin of broadly rounded hyaline rim to evenly rounded posterior margin, 50 at widest level between setae st5, and 28 at narrowest width between legs IV. Opisthosomatic venter with two pairs of metapodal platelets (one smaller pair near posterior edge of peritrematal-exopodal shield and one larger oval pair (17 x 11) well removed behind peritrematalexopodal shields), and with one pair of small postgenital platelets. Anal shield faintly reticulate-lineate, with paranal setae (18) nearly as long as postanal seta (20); shield width (68–70) subequal to its length including cribrum. Soft cuticle with ten pairs of simple opisthogastric setae JV1-JV5, ZV1-ZV5 flanked by three or four pairs of simple submarginal UR and marginal R setae. Peritrematal-exopodal shield nearly smooth on surface behind stigma, with lines not extending from stigma to irregularly rounded or notched posterior margin ( Fig. 7 ); peritreme extends anteriorly to level between setae z1 and j1, where vertex curved ventrally ( Figs 1 , 7 ). Spermathecal structures indiscernible in specimens at hand.

Tectum with anterior margin sparsely denticulate, irregularly convex, and its mid surface with transverse line of denticles weakly defined laterally but obliterated medially ( Fig. 4 ). Cheliceral shaft, excluding basal section, 140 long, with slender digits; dorsal face of fixed digit with lateral ridge extended, tapering, nearly to apex, seeming to cover movable digit in repose ( Fig. 10 a); fixed digit with row of 10–14 very fine teeth and a slightly larger offset subapical tooth along apical third and sometimes a tiny proximal tooth on masticatory margin ( Fig. 10 b); movable digit (50) bidentate, sometimes with a tiny subapical denticle, and with nearly imperceptible vestige of process on midventral surface ( Fig. 10 c). Subcapitulum slender, elongate, its greatest width (57–62) at base about 0.6 its length (100–108) from capitular base to apex of corniculi ( Fig. 6 ); hypostome on a neck-like projection, such that longitudinal distance between hp3 and pc (38) nearly five times that between hp1 and hp3 (8). Deutosternum with seven transverse rows of denticles, all connected laterally, similar in width, each with a single median denticle but sixth and sometimes seventh row with one or two denticles on either side. Corniculi normal in form, slightly longer than internal malae; subcapitular setae simple, hp1 (17) about as long as capitular seta pc, but hp3 short (8–9), scarcely longer than hp2 (6). Palpus elongate (175–185), about 0.54 as long as leg I ( Fig. 11 ), each of palpal trochanter (40–48), femur (40–42), genu (34–38), tibia (40–45) similarly elongated, each about 2.0–2.5 times as long as palptarsus (17–20); palptibia four times as long as wide; palptrochanter with more basal seta (9) half as long as more distal seta (18); apical pd seta of palptibia curved, blunt (10) in distinction to adjacent setae.

Legs I (308–335) nearly 0.9 as long as collective length of the two dorsal shields; other leg lengths (excluding pretarsi): II (248–293), III (232–278), IV (284–331). Leg I length ratios, genu: tibia: tarsus, about 1.0: 0.9: 1.5–1.7; tarsus (75–79) equally as long as femur (75–78). Coxae I–IV lineate on posterior inner surfaces ( Fig. 7 ); both setae of coxa I and posterior seta of coxa II modified as thick, blunt spines (9–12); av of coxa II and setae of coxae III–IV normal, slender. Legs I to IV with chaetotactic formulae of femora, genua, tibiae as described for genus. Leg I with setae d (15) of trochanter and pd2 (17) of femur stout, pointed, spinelike, and with pd 3 of genu stout, short (5), blunt, spinelike ( Fig. 9 ); other setae normal, slender. Leg II with tarsal setae pl1, pl2, pl3 thick, bluntly pointed, spinelike; other setae normal ( Fig. 8 ). Legs III–IV without modified setae.

ADULT MALE and IMMATURES. Unknown.

Material examined. Type material: slides 123/28 with one adult female and 123/29 with four adult females (both slides denoted “tipico”), Rosignano, Livorno Province, ITALY, ex. Percus sp. ( Carabidae ), base of elytra (probably meaning under the elytra); deposited in the Berlese Collection, Stazione di Agricultura Agraria, Florence. Other material: four adult females, IRAN, North Khorasan Province, from Mane and Samalghan towns (37° 07' N, 56° 04' E) elevation 2,365 m, 30 July 2006, coll. S. Kazemi, ex. under elytra of carabid beetle Ophonus (Hesperophonus) rebellus (Schauberger) collected under stones (two deposited in the MZUNAV, Pamplona, one in the CNCI, Ottawa, one in the AETMU, Tehran).

Remarks. Dr. Olga Makarova has recently examined type material of Antennoseius nataliae Eidelberg , and conveyed notes, measurements, and sketches which confirm our proposed synonymy of that species under Anystipalpus percicola . Her measurements largely overlap ours and are included in the ranges given above for the lengths of idiosoma, legs I–IV, the palpus and its segments, and the subcapitular dimensions.

Other of her notes are in full accord with our redescription presented above. Eidelberg (1990) recorded adult females of A. nataliae from localities in the Crimean Peninsula of the Ukraine (Kerch Subpeninsula, Simferopol, Sevastopol, Belogorsk, Yaltainsk ranges) where they were found under the elytra of the carabid beetles Broscus semistriatus (Dejean) , Poecilus crenuliger Chaudoir , Calathus ambiguus (Paykull) , Calathus distinguendus Chaudoir , Ophonus rupicola (Sturm) , Ophonus sabulicola (Panzer) , Ophonus subquadratus (Dejean) , Harpalus caspius (Sturm) , Chlaenius aenocephalus (Dejean) , and Cymindis variolosa (Fabricius) (= C. miliaris (Fabricius)) . Evidently, this species may be widely distributed across west central and east central Europe where associated with a diversity of beetles representing at least five different tribes of Carabidae .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Anystipalpus percicola Berlese, adult female: 1, idiosoma, dorsal aspect; 2, area of union of peritrematal and podonotal shields; 3, enlarged separate views of dorsal setae denoted; 4, variant anterior margins of tectum (upper one showing interrupted serrated ridge across mid-dorsal face of tectum); 5, basal section of tritosternum, showing denticulate fringe at union of laciniae; 6, subcapitulum.

FIGURES 7 – 10. Anystipalpus percicola Berlese, adult female: 7, idiosoma, ventral aspect; 8, tarsus II excluding pretarsus, dorsal view; 9, leg I excluding coxa and tarsus, dorsal view; 10 a, chelicera, dorsal view; 10 b, separate ventral view of distal part of fixed digit; 10 c, separate antiaxial view of movable digit.

FIGURES 11 – 12. Anystipalpus spp., adult females, palpi. Fig. 11: A. percicola Berlese, 11 a, palpus excluding tarsus, lateral view; 11 b, palptarsus, paraxial view. Fig. 12: A. livshitsi (Eidelberg), 12 a, palpus excluding tarsus, dorsolateral view; 12 b, palptarsus, paraxial view.