Pedoniphis, Joharchi, Omid, Mašán, Peter & Babaeian, Esmaeil, 2014

Joharchi, Omid, Mašán, Peter & Babaeian, Esmaeil, 2014, A new genus and species of edaphic mite (Acari: Mesostigmata: Eviphididae) from Iran, Zootaxa 3774 (3), pp. 275-281 : 278-280

Key to the world genera of the family Eviphididae (females)

The key to the European genera of the family, presented by Mašán & Halliday (2010), is modified here to accommodate non-European genera, including the new genus Pedoniphis gen. nov.

1. Palpgenu with five setae; dorsal shield with 11–17 pairs of setae; sternal shield absent, reduced or fragmented; at least one pair of sternal setae inserted on soft integument.............................................. Thinoseius Halbert, 1920

- Palpgenu with six setae; dorsal shield with 22–33 pairs of setae (if present); sternal shield entire, with three pairs of sternal setae............................................................................................... 2

2. Dorsal shield expanded laterally, covering wide lateral strips of ventral idiosoma, and capturing three pairs of ventral setae; opisthogastric soft integument with three pairs of setae; central projection of epistome trifurcate............................................................................................... Rafaphis Skorupski & Błaszak, 1997

- Dorsal shield never expanded onto ventrolateral margins of idiosoma; all ventral setae inserted on soft or sclerotised integument; opisthogastric integument with more than three pairs of setae; central projection of epistome undivided or absent.................................................................................................... 3

3. Dorsal, endopodal, peritrematal and anal shields weakly outlined, not observable and apparently absent due to very light and even sclerotisation of idiosomal integument; anterior margin of epistome with several large spines on each side of central projection; pulvillus of legs II–IV with elongated and pointed lateral lobes, projecting well beyond claws................ 4

- Idiosomal integument well sclerotised, so dorsal and ventral shields clearly defined; anterior margin of epistome with small denticles or at most one spine on each side of central projection, or subtriangular and without central projection; pulvillus of legs II–IV with shorter and regularly rounded lateral lobes..................................................... 5

4. Sternal setae st1 and st2 well separated and inserted in flat sternal integument; metasternal setae st4 on small oval platelets; genital setae st5 on epigynal shield; genu I and tibia I with three ventral setae, tibia II and genu II with one anterolateral seta.................................................................................. Crassicheles Karg, 1963

- Sternal setae st1 and st2 adjacent and inserted in massive protuberance between coxae II; metasternal setae st4 on soft integument; genital setae st5 outside epigynal shield; genu I and tibia I with two ventral setae, tibia II and genu II with two anterolateral setae..................................................... Neocrassicheles Mašán & Halliday, 2010

5. Peritrematal shields reduced and lacking post-stigmatic extensions; poststigmatic gland pores gp2 on soft cuticle; peritremes relatively wider; dorsal shield hypotrichous and never with standard set of 30 pairs of setae.......................... 6

- Peritrematal shields well developed, with poststigmatic extensions bearing poststigmatic gland pores gp2; peritremes relatively narrower; dorsal shield with standard set of 30 pairs of setae................................................... 9

6. Epistome subtriangular, without lanceolate central projection on anterior margin; dorsal shield with 22–26 pairs of setae;

anterolateral margins of dorsal shield deeply incised to form band-shaped scutal elements bearing three pairs of podonotal setae (s2, r2 and r3); ventral setae JV3 and JV4 absent; exopodal platelets absent; seta av1 on tarsi II −IV modified, enlarged, thickened and tri-dentate at the tip; femora III, IV and genu IV with two ventral setae............................... 7 - Epistome with lanceolate central projection; dorsal shield with 27–29 pairs of setae; anterolateral incisions of dorsal shield absent or only inconspicuously developed, with at most short laterodorsal scutal elements bearing one pair of podonotal setae (s2); ventral setae JV3 and JV4 present; exopodal platelets present; seta av1 on tarsi II −IV normal, setiform; femora III, IV and genu IV with one ventral seta............................................................................ 8

7. Dorsal shield with 26 pairs of setae (J1, J3, Z2 and Z5 present); small metasternal platelets present, each with seta st4 and lyrifissure iv3; deutosternal groove with six rows of denticles.................... Metacryptoseius Kazemi & Moraza, 2008

- Dorsal shield with 22−23 pairs of setae (J3, Z2 and Z5 absent; J1 sometimes absent); metasternal platelets absent, setae st4 on soft integument and lyrifissures iv3 on posterior margin of sternal shield; deutosternal groove with eight rows of denticles................................................................................. Cryptoseius Makarova, 1998

8. Dorsal shield with 29 pairs of setae (J2 absent); peritremes long, with anterior tip reaching dorsolateral surface and well beyond insertion of podonotal setae s2; podonotal shield completely covering anterior dorsal surface and bearing all podonotal setae; femur II with ventral seta v1 modified into a robust spine................................ Pedoniphis gen. nov.

- Dorsal shield with 27 pairs of setae (J1 and S1 absent, s6 outside shield); peritremes reduced in length, with anterior tip not exceeding anterior margin of coxae II; podonotal shield narrowed posteriorly, not completely covering anterior dorsal surface (setae s6 on soft integument); femur II with all setae uniform, needle-like....................... Scamaphis Karg, 1976

9. Post-stigmatic section of peritrematal shields expanded and elongated, with tip reaching beyond level of posterior margin of epigynal shield...................................................................................... 10

- Post-stigmatic section of peritrematal shields short, reaching at most as far as posterior margin of coxae IV............. 12

10. Coxae II–IV on left side close to those on right side; sternal and epigynal shields anteriorly constricted; strips of soft integument between epigynal, peritrematal and anal shields very narrow; exopodal platelets II and III well developed; metapodal platelets and exopodals IV usually closely adjacent.................................. Evimirus Karg, 1963

- Coxae II–IV on left side well separated from those on right side; sternal and epigynal shields not constricted; epigynal, peritrematal and anal shields separated by wide strips of integument; exopodal platelets II and III absent; metapodals and exopodals IV well separated........................................................................... 11

11. Idiosoma highly domed, almost hemispherical; vertical setae j1 minute and needle-like; posterior ends of peritrematal shields greatly enlarged; metapodal platelets completely or partly fused with peritrematal shields, occasionally unfused but very narrowly separated from it; trochanter I with five setae, genu III with seven setae.................. Eviphis Berlese, 1903

- Idiosoma dorsoventrally flattened; vertical setae j1 stout and lance-like; posterior ends of peritrematal shields less enlarged; metapodal platelets widely separated from peritrematal shields by a strip of soft integument; trochanter I with six setae, genu III with eight setae................................................................. Copriphis Berlese, 1910

12. Coxae I and II with at least one ventral seta modified into flat oval disk-like protuberance; genital setae inserted outside epigynal shield................................................................ Scarabaspis Womersley, 1956

- Coxae I and II with normal needle-like setae; genital setae inserted on epigynal shield............................. 13

13. Soft integument with granular incrustation, at least on surface adjacent to dorsal shield; highly domed forms with some dorsal shield setae apically rounded; dorsal shield not completely covering dorsum; anterior hyaline margin of epigynal shield subtriangular and mostly pointed, anteriorly reaching beyond posterior margin of sternal shield; presternal platelets absent.... 14

- Soft integument striated, without additional granular incrustation; dorso-ventrally flattened forms with all dorsal shield setae pointed; dorsal shield almost completely covering dorsum; anterior hyaline margin of epigynal shield straight or rounded; presternal platelets usually present........................................................................ 16

14. Vertical setae j1 elongated and pointed, lanceolate; idiosoma widely oval, with regularly rounded caudal surface; most dorsal setae thickened, stick- or rod-shaped, with blunt or rounded tip; dorsolateral and opisthogastric integument with 14 pairs of setae; epistome with one point......................................................... Uroiphis Berlese, 1903

- Vertical setae j1 shortened and rounded, columnar; idiosoma lemon-shaped, with a caudal projection bearing a pair of marginal setae; most dorsal setae pointed, needle-like; dorsolateral and opisthogastric integument with ten pairs of setae; epistome with three points......................................................................................... 15

15. Dorsal shield with medial protuberance, suboval, sometimes slightly constricted medially, widest in anterior part, and with punctate-reticulate sculpture; anterior extension of dorsal shield expanded onto ventral surface beyond vertex, fused to anterior parts of peritrematal shields to form an ventral arch-shaped shield structure; setae j1 and z1 displaced ventrally; endopodal platelets II-III fused to sternal shield; each metasternal seta st4 and associated pore inserted together on small metasternal platelet................................................................... Alloseius Mašán & Halliday, 2009

- Dorsal shield flat, rectangular, with parallel lateral margins, widest in posterior part, with coarse rugose-verrucose sculpture; anterior end of dorsal shield not expanded ventrally beyond vertex, anterior sections of peritrematal shields not fused into conspicuous ventral arch-shaped shield structure; setae j1 and z 1 in normal dorsal positions; endopodal platelets II-III well separated from sternal shield; metasternal setae st4 and associated pores on soft integument.. Halolaspis Mašán & Halliday, 2009

16. Dorsal shield with punctate-reticulate sculpture; anterior extension of dorsal shield overlapping onto ventral surface beyond vertex, fused to anterior parts of peritrematal shields to form a ventral arch-shaped shield structure; setae j1 and z1 displaced ventrally; movable digit of chelicera bidentate; metasternal setae st4 on soft integument; endopodal platelets II-III almost free, fused to sternal shield only at their narrow anterior ends....................... Pseudoalliphis Mašán & Halliday, 2009

- Dorsal shield with smooth or finely reticulated surface; anterior end of dorsal shield not expanded ventrally beyond vertex, anterior sections of peritrematal shields not fused into conspicuous ventral arch-shaped shield structure; setae j1 and z 1 in normal dorsal position; movable digit of chelicera with one robust subdistal tooth; metasternal setae st4 on small metasternal

platelets; endopodal platelets II-III and sternal shield completely fused.......................................... 17 17. Dorsal shield setae with extreme variation in length, longest setae about ten times as long as shortest setae, S5 usually several times as long as Z5................................................................ Pelethiphis Berlese, 1911

- Dorsal shield setae without such extreme variation in length, longest setae at most three times as long as shortest setae, Z5 and S5 subequal in length................................................................................. 18

18. Peritrematal shield developed along whole length of peritreme; anterior section of peritrematal shield wide and completely fused to dorsal shield; setae j1 and z1 inserted dorsally; posterior dorsal shield setae subequal or only moderately varying in length; exopodal platelets I-II and II-III present............................................. Alliphis Halbert, 1923

- Peritrematal shield not reaching the anterior tip of peritremes; peritrematal shields or peritremes not connected to dorsal shield; setae j1 and z1 usually displaced ventrally; posterior marginal setae on dorsal shield (S- and Z-setae) conspicuously longer than medial J-setae; exopodal platelets I-II and II-III absent............................. Scarabacariphis Mašán, 1994