Cunaxa capreolus (Berlese, 1890)

Heyer, Jacob den, Ueckermann, Edward A. & Khanjani, Mohammad, 2011, Iranian Cunaxidae (Acari: Prostigmata: Bdelloidea): Part 2. Subfamily Cunaxinae, Journal of Natural History 45 (27 - 28), pp. 1667-1678 : 1673-1676

Cunaxa capreolus (Berlese, 1890)

Figure 4

Scirus capreolus Berlese 1889, p.63 ; Berlese 1897, p.138; Trägårdh 1905, p. 6.

Cunaxa capreolus Thor and Willmann 1941, p.166 ; Baker and Hoffmann 1948, p. 231; Smiley 1992, p.162; Corpuz-Raros and Garcia 1995, p. 607.

Cunaxa capreola den Heyer 1979a, p.39 ; 2009, p.22

Material examined

Two females, one male, from Phaseolus vulgaris L., Nahavand (Shahrak), 11 July 1992, M. Khanjani ; one female, from P. vulgaris L., Hamadan-Arabla , 17 September 1994, M. Khanjani (Acc. 467-4) ; one female, from soil, Lordegan , 28 November 2002, M. Jalaeian ; one female, from soil, Chamran University , 25 May 2003, M. Baharloo .

Diagnosis

This species can be distinguished from the other members of the genus by the following: palp telofemur with a flattened uncinate (ploughshare-like) apophysis. In the female a very short attenuate solenidion is present proximally on genu I.

Female ( Figure 4A ) (n = 5)

Dimensions and description. Idiosoma: length 377 (327–424); width 246 (200–277); hypognathum: length 139 (123–162); width 89 (81–96); palp length ( Figure 4B ) 158 (135–185); chelicera length 146 (127–162); leg length: leg I 273 (200–308), leg II 250 (212–270), leg III 285 (258–300), leg IV 320 (277–347); length sensillae: vi 189 (173–208), sce 243 (223–270), ovum 181 × 116.

Dorsum like South African material. However, striae on anterolateral corners of propodosomal shield less pronounced. Ventral setae pcs on integument. Six hysterogastral setae. Gnathosomal components as in South African specimen ( Figure 4A,B , Iran). Leg chaetotaxy differs from South African material as follows: coxa IV 1 sts; genua I 2 asl,1 very short asl(1 asl, 1 sts), 4 sts; tarsi I–IV differs only in number of sts setae, namely 21–24–23–20.

Male ( Figure 4C–F ) (n = 1)

Dimensions and description. Idiosoma (rather distended): length 292; width 208; hypognathum: length 122; width 68; palp length 122; chelicera length 114 (113–116); leg length: leg I 260 (257–262), leg II 231 (230–232), leg III 256 (254–257), leg IV 275; sensillae length: vi 152 (151–153), sce 236 (230–243).

Idiosoma typical for males of genus. Dorsal shields poorly demarcated and weakly sclerotized. Hysterosomal shield bears seta pairs c1, c2, d1, e1 and f1 with c1 and f1 longest st-setae; setae h1 on integument. Coxal regions demarcated mainly by subcuticular apodemes. Only four (two pairs) hysterogastral setae and one pair each of propodogastral, paracoxal, paragenital and anal setae. Oval genital region with four pairs of g- setae. Male gnathosomal structures as in female; differs only in smaller dimensions.

Sequence of leg lengths is II-III-I-IV. Male leg chaetotaxy ( Figure 4C–F ) as follows: coxae I–IV 3 sts, 1 peg-1 sts-3 sts-1 sts; trochanters I–IV 1-1-2-1 sts; basifemur I–IV 4-4-3-1 sts; telofemur I–IV 4sts-4 sts-3sts, 1ms-3 sts,1 ms; genu I–IV (1 very long bsl, 1asl, 1 sts), 1 long asl, 1 asl, 4 sts-1 long bsl, 2 asl, 5 sts-1 long bsl, 5 sts-1 long bsl, 5 sts; tibiae I–IV (1 long bsl,1 sts, 1 long asl), 4 sts-1 asl, 5 sts-1 short bsl, 5 sts-1 T, 4 sts; tarsus I–IV 2 asl,(1 sts, 1 fmls, 1 long bsl), 1 asl, 1dtsl, 2tsl, 19 sts-1 long bsl, 1 dtsl, 1 tsl, 20sts-1 tsl, 19 sts-17 sts.

Remarks

This species was originally described by Berlese (1889) as Scirus capreolus . Many cunaxid acarologists retained the spelling of the species name provided by Berlese for his genus Scirus . There are also some authors that followed den Heyer (1979a), using the species name capreola . The senior author, not having a strong basic knowledge of Latin, has in the past consulted various well-known acarologists in this regard but with inconclusive results. He recently contacted both Dr Bruce Halliday and Prof. Dr Denis Brothers, committee members of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, and received independently the same recommendation to retain the species name as given by Berlese 1890. We, as authors, accept this recommendation.

A detailed species re-description on a South African female specimen was provided by den Heyer (1979a). den Heyer also recently re-described and figured this species from the United Arabian Emirates (den Heyer 2009). Distribution cosmopolitan. The above is an addition to those descriptions.

Key to the genera of the subfamily Cunaxinae of the world and the species from Iran

1. Tarsal lobes relatively small; para-anal setae lacking; palp telofemur mostly, but not always, with dorsal st-setae........... tribus Cunaxini ........... 2

Tarsal lobes prominent; para-anal setae present; palp telofemur with dorsal spine-like setae.................... tribus Armascirini .................... 4

2. Palp joint between genu and tibiotarsus articulating...................... 3

Palp joint between genu and tibiotarsus fused................................................................ Allocunaxa den Heyer and Castro, 2008

3. Dorsal plates never reticulated; integumental striae smooth; st setal formula for coxae II–IV 1-3-2............. Cunaxa Von Heyden, 1826 ............. 7 Dorsal plates usually reticulated; setal formula for coxae II–IV 1-3-1...... 4

4. Spine-like seta only on palp genu; st setal formula for coxae II–IV 1 (♂) or 2(♀)-3-3; famulus (pe organ) normal and small.......................................................................... Armascirus den Heyer, 1978 a

Spine-like seta on both palp telofemur and genu; st setal formula for coxae II–IV 3-3-3; famulus (pe organ) enlarged........ Dactyloscirus Berlese, 1916

5. Palp telofemur without apophyses; sensillae densely pilose................ 5

Palp telofemur with apophyses............... Rubroscirus den Heyer, 1978b

6. Trichobothrium tibiae IV present................... Riscus den Heyer, 2005

Trichobothrium tibiae IV lacking. Cunaxatricha Castro and den Heyer, 2008

7. Apophysis on palpal telofemur cylindrical................................ 8

Apophysis on palpal telofemur blade-(ploughshare-) like............................................................... Cunaxa capreolus Berlese, 1890

8. Palp telofemur with dorsal simple tactile seta; integumental striae smooth: genua I–IV solenidion formula in ♀♀ 3-2-1-1; in ♂♂ 4-2-2-2......................................................... Cunaxa g robleri den Heyer, 1979a

Palpal telofemur with stout simple tactile seta; solenidion formula for genua I–IV in female 3-1-1-1, males 4-2-1-1; middorsal integument with pronounced smooth striae, midventral integument with generally finely lobed striae.................................. Cunaxa setirostris ( Hermann, 1804)

Figures

Figure 4. Cunaxa capreolus (Berlese 1890), Iran. Female: (A) palp. Male: (B) gnathosoma; (C) leg I; (D) leg II; (E) leg III; (F) leg IV.