Julolaelaps hallidayi, Nemati, Alireza, Riahi, Elham & Gwiazdowicz, Dariusz J., 2015

Nemati, Alireza, Riahi, Elham & Gwiazdowicz, Dariusz J., 2015, Description of a new species of Julolaelaps (Acari, Mesostigmata, Laelapidae) from Iran, ZooKeys 526, pp. 105-116 : 107-111

Taxon classification Animalia Mesostigmata Laelapidae

Julolaelaps hallidayi sp. n. Figures 1-2, 3-5, 6-9, 10-13

Specimens examined.

Holotype, female, Brujen region, Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province, Iran, soil, coll., B. Jalili, 2011; paratype, female (same data as holotype): deposited in Acarological Laboratory of Shahrekord University, Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province, Iran; paratype, female collected from soil, Shahreza, Esfahan province, coll., F. Shameli, 2014: deposited in the Senckenberg Museum fur Naturkunde Görlitz, Germany.

Note.

Some unknown arthropods species such as members of Thysanura , Microcoryphia , Diplopoda and Chilopoda were separated associated with the soil which contained specimens of Julolaelaps species.

Diagnosis.

Medium sized laelapid mite; with 33 pairs of simple acicular setae on dorsal shield, setae z1, z3, z6, r4, and r6 missing in podonotal part, without extra setae between J and Z series; pre-sternal area not sclerotized; genital shield with reticulated pattern possess seven closed cells with eight small indentations at their margins, cells surrounded antero-laterally by inverse V shaped lines; peritremes short, extending to posterior margin of coxae II; tibia I and III with two pl and one al respectively.

Dorsal idiosoma. Dorsal idiosoma oval-shaped (Fig. 1), dorsal shield covered all dorsal surface, polygonal reticulation distinct on whole dorsum except of small area around j4 and area between z5 and j6. Dorsal shield 489-567 long, 341-348 wide between of setae r3-5 (n = 3), with 33 pairs of simple acicular setae (Fig. 2), 18 pairs (j1-6, z2, z4-5, s1-6 and r2-3, r5) located on podonotum, z1, z3, z6, r4, and r6 missing on dorsal shield in podonotal part, and 15 pairs on opisthonotum (J1-5, Z1-5 and S1-5) without extra setae between J and Z series. Dorsal setae length: j1 (16-18), j2-6 (20-31), z2 and z4 (34-39), z5 (26), s1-6 (29-39), r2-3, r5 (29-36), J1-5 (20-34), Z1-5 (29- 42), S1-5 (34-39). Cuticle between dorsal and ventral side of body bent down on ventral side, and bearing R1 (18-21), R2 (21-23), R4 (23-29), R5 (23-26), R6 (26-29), and UR1-2 (23-26). Podonotal part with three and opisthonotal region with seven pairs of discernible pore-like structures, as shown in figure 1; however, it is acknowledged that some might have been overlooked.

Ventral idiosoma (Fig. 3). Tritosternum with columnar base, 18-21 long, and pilose laciniae (62). Pre-sternal area not sclerotized, with lines striation. Sternal shield with thin line reticulation in lateral surfaces, 96-99 long, 148-151 wide (at level of projection between coxae II-III) and 99 slightly above the insertion of st2 (narrowest point), antero-medially slightly concave, posterior margin irregular. Sternal setae very short, st1-3 (4), smooth, with conspicuous alveoli, iv1 slit-like, located slightly behind st1, iv2 slit-like, between st2-st3. Metasternal plates absent. Setae st4 (5) and pore-like iv 3 located on integument posterior to sternal shield and interior to endopodal plates III/IV. Tongue-shaped genital shield 205-211 µm long (excluding hyaline flap at base of posterior margin of sternal shield), 83-88 wide at level of st5, and 101 at widest part near para-genital platelets, the ratio of length to width (L/W) is 2.32 /2.53 (width at level of st5), bearing one pair of setae (st5 = 4-5) and reticulated pattern with seven closed cells with eight small indentations at their margins, cells surrounded antero-laterally by inverse V shaped lines (Fig. 3), genital shield separated from anal shield by about the length of the anal opening, paragenital pore-like opening on soft integument between genital seta and coxa IV. Subtriangular anal shield reticulated, anterior margin semi-circular, 78-83 long, and 73-75 wide, with one pair of minute adanal gland pores (gv3) on lateral margins, paranal setae (10) slightly smaller than post-anal seta (13). Cribrum extending laterally slightly upper than the level of post-anal seta insertion. Opisthogastric surface with one pair of suboval metapodal plates, one pairs of minute platelets (between metapodal plate and para-genital platelet), one pair of narrow, slightly elongate para-genital platelets, smooth setae Jv1-3 (6-8), Jv4 (18-23), Jv5 (26), Zv1 (5-7), Zv2 (8-10), Zv3 (13-16), Zv4 (23-26), Zv5 (26-29), (Figs 4-5), and five pairs of pore-like structures. Stigmata located in anterior level of coxa IV surrounded by nearly narrow stigmatal plate. Peritremes short, extending to posterior margin of coxae II, peritrematal plate wider in anterior part, and with one glandular poroid gp (Fig. 3), separated from exopodal shield. Small poststigmatal plate with two pores. Exopodal plates like a narrow crescent-shape strip expanded posteriad coxae IV. Endopodal plates II/III fused to lateral margins of sternal shield, and III-IV elongate, narrow and angular.

Gnathosoma. Hypostome (Fig. 6) with three pairs of smooth simple setae; h1-3 (8-10), palpcoxal setae 8-9 long. Deutosternal groove with six rows of multi-dentate (6-8 teeth), the denticles tend to be smaller from anterior to posterior rows. Corniculi normal (30-32), horn-like. Epistome with nearly smooth rounded anterior margin (Fig. 7). Cheliceral arthrodial processes crownet-like (Fig. 8), movable digit (26-29) with two teeth in addition to apical tooth, middle article 75-78 long, ending in fixed digit (29-31), bearing two teeth in addition to terminal tooth and very short setaceous pilus dentilis. Palp chaetotaxy normal for the free-living forms (sensu Evans and Till 1965), with simple and thin setae except al on femur, and al1 and al2 on genu slightly thickened; palp-tarsal claw two-tined, basal tine smaller (Fig. 9).

Legs. Tarsi I-IV with small and not well sclerotized claws, the sclerotization status is more distinct in their tips (Figs 10-13). Leg I 374, coxa (70-73), trochanter (29-34), basi-femur (18-21), telo-femur (42), genu (42-47), tibia (55-60), tarsus (107-112); leg II 278-302 coxa (34-47), trochanter (31-39), basi-femur (16), telo-femur (34-39), genu (36-44), tibia (39), tarsus (75-91); leg III 307, coxa (36-39), trochanter (52), basi-femur (23), telo-femur (34), genu (31-36), tibia (34-36), tarsus (91); leg IV 359-385, coxa (39-47), trochanter (65-70), basi-femur (18-23), telo-femur (47-52), genu (39), tibia (44), tarsus (107-109). Legs I and IV longer than legs II and III. All leg setae smooth and pointed. Chaetotaxy of legs is as follows: Leg I: coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0; trochanter 1 0/2 1/1 1 (pl and pv slightly thickened); femur 2 3/12/2 2 (ad2, pd1 and pl2 slightly thickened); genu 2 3/1 3/1 2; tibia 2 3/1 3/1 2 (Fig. 10). Leg II: coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0; trochanter 1 0/2 0/1 1; femur 2 3/1 2/2 1 (ad1, ad3, pd1-2 and pl slightly thickened); genu 2 3/1 2/1 1; tibia 2 2/1 2/1 1; tarsus 3,3/2,3/2,3 + mv, md (al1, av1-2, pl1 and pv1-2 more thickened than the others) (Fig. 11). Leg III: coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0; trochanter 1 0/2 0/1 1; femur 1 2/1 1/0 1(ad1 thickened and ad2 slightly thickened); genu 2 2/1 2/1 1; tibia 1 1/1 2/1 1; tarsus 3 3/2 3/2 3 + mv, md (al1, pv1 and pl1 thickened). Leg IV: coxa 0 0/1 0/0 0; trochanter 1 0/2 0/1 1 (av2 slightly thickened); femur 1 2/1 1/0 1 (ad1 slightly thickened) (Fig. 13); genu 2 2/1 3/0 1; tibia 2 1/1 3/1 2; tarsus 33/23/23 + mv, md (al1 and pl1 slightly thickened).

Insemination structures. Not discernible.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology.

This species is named in honour of Dr. Bruce Halliday (CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Canberra, Australia).

Remarks.

The species of the genus Julolaelaps having been reported so far can be divided into two groups: the first group consisting of 14 species with reduced number of setae on dorsal shield than Julolaelaps hallidayi sp. n. (9-23 pairs), and the other with more than 29 pairs of dorsal setae (sensu Moraza and Kazemi 2012), which comprises seven species including Julolaelaps luctator Berlese, 1916, Julolaelaps dispar Berlese, 1916, Julolaelaps pararotundatus Ryke, 1959, Julolaelaps spirostrepti Oudemans, 1914, Julolaelaps tritosternalis Moraza and Kazemi 2012, Julolaelaps moseri Hunter & Rosario, 1986, and Julolaelaps hallidayi sp. n. Except for Julolaelaps tritosternalis , the number of dorsal setae in the above-mentioned species is higher than in Julolaelaps hallidayi sp. n. The two latter species are different from each other in that the former has 32 pairs of dorsal setae, while the latter has 33 pairs. Furthermore, the main discrepancy between them refers to the presence of S1 in Julolaelaps hallidayi sp. n., and absence of these structures in Julolaelaps tritosternalis . In addition, Julolaelaps tritosternalis has a disc-like structure on the base of tritosternum, while that structure is not present in Julolaelaps hallidayi sp. n. Leg chaetotaxy of Julolaelaps hallidayi sp. n., is different from that of Julolaelaps tritosternalis Moraza & Kazemi, 2012: tibia I and III in Julolaelaps hallidayi sp. n. bears two pl and one al while in Julolaelaps tritosternalis tibia I and III are with one pl and two al.