Holostaspis montana (Berlese, 1904)

Babaeian, Esmaeil, Mašán, Peter & Halliday, Bruce, 2019, Review of the genus Holostaspis Kolenati, 1858 (Acari: Laelapidae), Zootaxa 4590 (3), pp. 301-341 : 320-323

Holostaspis montana (Berlese, 1904)

( Figs 44–56 )

Laelaps (Oolaelaps) montanus Berlese, 1904b: 430 .

Laelaps (Oolaelaps) montanus .— Halbert, 1915: 73.

Oolaelaps montanus .— Hull, 1918: 69.

Holostaspis montanus .— Vitzthum, 1929: 26; Schweizer, 1949: 40; Bregetova, 1977: 549; Keum et al., 2017: 490.

Gymnolaelaps viennensis Sellnick, 1935: 347 . Synonymy by Karg (1971) and Bregetova (1977).

Hypoaspis (Holostaspis) montana .— Evans & Till, 1966: 159, 206; Karg, 1971: 170, 171, Fig. 191e (in part).

Hypoaspis montana .— Shcherbak, 1971: 24; Lapina, 1976: 36.

Hypoaspis (Pneumolaelaps) montana .— Karg, 1979: 88 (in part); Karg, 1982: 244; Karg, 1993: 146, 156, Fig. 111e (in part); Huhta & Karg, 2010: 333.

Specimens examined. Twenty one females—SW Slovakia, Považský Inovec Mountains, Lúka Village, Srnia Dolina Valley (48°40'40" N, 17°53'03" E), edge of deciduous forest and meadow, in anthill of Formica pratensis , altitude 270 m, April 18, 1993 (12 ♀♀), April 9, 2006 (9 ♀♀), coll. P. Mašán; six males—NE Slovakia, Bukovské vrchy Hills, Nová Sedlica Village, Zbojský Potok Valley, meadow, in anthill of Formica pratensis , altitude 460 m, September 20, 1999, coll. P. Fenďa [these males from Nová Sedlica Village have been previously published under the name Hypoaspis (Pneumolaelaps) montana by Fenďa & Mašán (2003)]; three females—SW Slovakia, Považský Inovec Mountains, Hrádok Village, Hrádocká Dolina Valley (48°41'26" N, 17°56'49" E), meadow, in anthill of Formica pratensis , altitude 290 m, May 28, 1993, coll. P. Mašán; two females—SW Slovakia, Trnavská Pahorkatina Wold, Horná Streda Village (48°39'36" N, 17°50'49" E), garden, in anthill of Lasius flavus , altitude 165 m, October 15, 2006, coll. P. Mašán; two females—SW Slovakia, Borská Nížina Lowland, Borský Svätý Jur Village (48°37'23" N, 17°00'58" E), pine forest (with Pinus sylvestris ), in anthill of Formica sp., altitude 165 m, April 15, 2006, coll. P. Mašán.

Diagnosis (female). Dorsal shield oval, smooth medially, with weak reticulate ornamentation on margins, bearing 39 pairs of setae and 1–3 unpaired accessory setae between J3–J5; dorsal setae mostly short, smooth and similar in length, with tips not reaching bases of following posterior setae on whole surface; vertical setae (j1) thickened, longer than other dorsal setae (except Z5, and those in row S); setae Z5 longest, 2–3 times longer than other dorsal setae (Z5 = 3 x J5, Z5 = 2 x S5), pilose distally. Sternal shield slightly longer than wide, notched posteromedially, mostly smooth. Anal shield pear-shaped, with anterior margin slightly concave and anterolateral angles widely rounded; postanal seta slightly thicker and longer than adanals. Peritremes relatively long, anteriorly reaching level between z1–s1. Epistome subtriangular, pointed apically. Fixed digit of chelicera with two teeth, movable digit edentate. Internal malae well-developed, much longer than corniculi, with the lateral portions fleshy and with coarse, elongate fimbriae; corniculi short, apically blunt (fleshy).

Description. FEMALE (N=4) ( Figs 44–53 )

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 44 ). Idiosoma 463–515 µm long and 275–330 µm wide; dorsal shield oval, 450–510 µm long and 265–325 µm wide, smooth medially, with uneven lineate-reticulate ornamentation on marginal surface; bearing 39 pairs of setae: 22 pairs (j1–j6, z1–z6, s1–s6, r2–r5) in podonotal area and 17 pairs (J1–J5, Z1–Z5, Px2–Px3, S1–S5) in opisthonotal area and 1–3 unpaired accessory setae between J1–J5; with at least 20 pairs of discernible pore-like structures (four pairs of gland pores and 16 pairs of lyrifissures). All dorsal shield setae simple, smooth and short, except S3–S5 slightly longer, and Z5 longest. Lengths of some dorsal shield setae: j 1 23–26 µm, J 4 19–25 µm, J 5 16–21 µm, Z5 47–56 µm, S 4 23–30 µm, S 5 24–31 µm.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 45 ). Tritosternum with short columniform base (15–20 µm) and pilose laciniae (59–65 µm). Sternal shield subrectangular, 110–121 µm long and 94–97 µm wide, widest at level of coxae II–III (140–145 µm), with shallow medial concavity on convex anterior and posterior margins; whole surface smooth, without sculptural ornamentation, except small area between st1 bearing weak pattern of reticulation; setae short, with tips not reaching bases of following ones (st 1 27–32 µm, st2 and st 3 27–30 µm); lyrifissures iv1 and iv2 slit-like. Metasternal setae (st 4 22–25 µm) and associated lyrifissures iv3 placed on soft integument; endopodal platelets III–IV subtriangular, narrow and free from posterolateral margins of sternal shield. Epigynal shield tongue-shaped, elongate, 193–198 µm long and 101–106 µm wide (89–93 µm at level of st5); anterior hyaline margin usually curved, rarely pointed, extending close to level of sternal setae st2; posterior portion with rounded margin and lineate ornamentation pattern forming usually eight elongate cells; genital setae (st 5 25–27 µm) placed on mediolateral margins and associated lyrifissures iv5 on soft integument; soft integument between iv5 and Zv1 each with a pair of minute and narrow adgenital sclerites. Metapodal platelets suboval, 27–30 µm long. Anal shield 64–68 µm long and 64–71 µm wide, pear-shaped, with lineate-reticulate pattern (predominated by semicircular lines) on anterior portion; postanal seta 30–32 µm long, negligibly thickened and slightly longer than adanal setae (23–27 µm); cribrum with narrow band of spicules. Lateral and opisthogastric soft integument with 17 pairs of setae. Poststigmatic section of peritrematal shield narrow, tapered posteriorly.

Gnathosoma ( Figs 46–49 ). Epistome ( Fig. 46 ) subtriangular, with anterior margin pointed. Corniculi short and stout, with bilobed apex; internal malae abutting each other, projecting medially, with laterobasal wing-like structures having their inner margins conspicuously fimbriate; labrum blade-like ( Fig. 47 ). Deutosternal furrow on ventral subcapitulum narrowed posteriorly, with six transverse rows of denticles, each with 7–13 denticles. Lengths of hypostomal and palpcoxal setae: h 1 17–20 µm, h 2 10–12 µm, h 3 30–37 µm, pc 15–17 µm. Palp setation 2-5-6- 14 -15, as in Fig. 48 . Shape and dentition of chelicera as in Fig. 49 ; lengths of cheliceral articles: the second segment 74–79 µm, fixed digit 22–25 µm, movable digit 19–21 µm.

Legs ( Figs 50–53 ). Tarsi I–IV each with a pair of claws and pulvillus. Lengths of legs: leg I 371–401 µm, leg II 272–297 µm, leg III 260–285 µm, leg IV 354–396 µm. Seta al on trochanter II, al on trochanter III, pd2 on femur II, ad on femur III, and ad1 and ad2 on femur IV slightly thickened; seta ad on trochanter IV thickened.

MALE (N=4) ( Figs 54–56 )

Idiosoma. Dorsal shield suboval, 345–380 µm long and 220–250 µm wide ( Fig. 54 ). Presternal shield absent. Holoventral shield present ( Fig. 55 ), 275–305 µm long and 105–120 µm wide, not connected with posterior ends of peritrematal shields behind coxa IV, bearing 10 pairs of setae (st1–st5, Jv1–Jv3, Zv1, and Zv2) in addition to three circum-anal setae, and six pairs of poroid structures; sternal portion with smooth surface, posterior portion with weak and uneven reticulation predominated by transverse lines close to anal portion; sometimes anal portion of the shield indicated by small lateral incisions on its margins. Other idiosomal characters similar to those in female.

Gnathosoma . Fixed digit of chelicera short, edentate, without terminal hook, pilus dentilis not discernible; movable digit well developed, usually with 1–2 teeth, thin and pointed terminal hook and long and robust spermatodactyl ( Fig. 56 ); spermatodactyl 6 7–74 µm long, sinuous, slightly S-shaped and slightly narrowed in apical region; dorsal seta not seen. Other gnathosomal structures similar to those in female.

Remarks. Herein, we follow Evans & Till’s (1966) concept of Holostaspis montana . The original description and illustrations of H. montana by Berlese (1904b) are not detailed enough to allow unambiguous species recognition. The type material will need to be examined. Note that whereas Evans & Till’s concept (and our illustration) shows Z5 setae twice as long as S5, the illustration by Berlese (1904b) present Z5 and S5 similar in length, which is more in line with the description of other congeners such as H. collina or H. submontana .

Figures

FIGURES 44–49. Holostaspis montana, female. 44. Dorsal idiosoma; 45. Ventral idiosoma; 46. Epistome; 47. Ventral gnathosoma; 48. Palp, left side, dorsal view; 49. Chelicera.

FIGURES 50–53. Holostaspis montana, female. 50. Leg I; 51. Leg II; 52. Leg III; 53. Leg IV.

FIGURES 54–56. Holostaspis montana, male. 54. Dorsal idiosoma, right portion; 55. Holoventral shield with peritrematal shield; 56. Chelicera.