Pavania setiformis Loghmani & Hajiqanbar

Loghmani, Amir, Hajiqanbar, Hamidreza & Talebi, Ali Asghar, 2013, A new species group and species of the genus Pavania (Acari: Dolichocybidae), phoretic on Onthophagus vitulus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from Iran, Zootaxa 3693 (3), pp. 320-328 : 321-325

Pavania setiformis Loghmani & Hajiqanbar sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–9)

Differential diagnosis. The new species is readily distinguished from all other species of the genus by prodorsal seta sc 1 being setiform instead of capitate and bothridial. Disregarding the shape of the trichobothria (sc 1), the new species is similar to Pavania tadjikistanica Sevastianov, 1980 but differs from it by setae d not reaching to bases of setae e (setae d tangent to bases of setae e in P. tadjikistanica ); by setae h 2 about 6 times longer than h 1 (setae h 2 about 4 times longer than h 1 in P. tadjikistanica ).

Description. Female. Length of idiosoma 136 (138–140), width 90 (87–93). Gnathosoma ( Figs. 1–2). Length of gnathosoma 28 (29–31), width 27 (29–32). Gnathosomal capsule rounded subhexagonal in dorsal aspect, as long as wide. Cheliceral setae ch 1 16 (16–16) and ch 2 11 (10–11) weakly barbed. Dorsomedian apodeme obvious. Cheliceral stylets 13 (13–14) falciform. Subcapitulum with subcapitular setae su 11 (10–12) smooth, located on anterior half. Pharynx ( Figs. 2 , 8 ) almost visible in comparison to the congeners, in ribbed muscular form with four conspicuous lobes. Palpi exceeding apex of gnathosomal capsule, femorogenu with setae dGe 11 (10–12) and dFe 4 (5–5) weakly barbed; palpcoxal setae pp minute and rod-shape, inserted near to articulation of each palp with gnathosomal capsule.

Idiosomal dorsum ( Fig. 1). Ovoid in shape. All dorsal shields ornamented with sparse and fairly deep dimples; at least the posterior margins of tergites C and D with backward undulating projections. Dorsal idiosomal setae weakly barbed and distinctly blunt-ended except v 2, sc 1, sc 2 and h 2 which are pointed. Prodorsal shield semicircular, its anterior margin curved and posterior margin almost straight, with setae v 1 13 (14–16), v 2 5 (5–6), sc 1 4 (4–5) setiform and stiff ( Figs. 1, 7 ), sc 2 32 (31–34), setae v 1 shorter than distance between their bases, v 2 and sc 1 subequal and located posterolaterally to v 1, setae v 2 reaching to base of setae sc 1. Median shield of tergite C with setae c 1 18 (15–17) and each lateral shield with seta c 2 21 (19–23), c 2 approximately 1.3 times longer than c 1. Tergite D with setae d 15 (15–17) and cupuli ia situated posterior to seta d. Tergite EF with setae e 12 (12–13) and f 14 (14–15), cupuli im not evident. Tergite H with setae h 1 10 (10–12) and h 2 60 (61–64), seta h 2 attenuated and almost 5.5 times longer than h 1. Relative length of some dorsal setae h 1 <e <f <d <c1 <c2. Distances between dorsal idiosomal setae: v 1– v 1 23 (23–25), v 2– v 2 38 (38–42), v 1– v 2 10 (7–8), v 2 – sc 1 4 (3–4), sc 1– sc 1 45 (42–43), sc 2– sc 2 35 (35–37), sc 1– sc 2 14 (14–17), c 1– c 1 28 (24–29), d – d 41 (42–42), e – e 44 (43–47), f – f 32 (31–32), e – f 11 (12– 14), h 1– h 1 11 (12–13), h 2– h 2 26 (25–29), h 1– h 2 8 (7–9).

Idiosomal venter ( Fig. 2 ). All ventral idiosomal setae needle-like, setae 1 c, 2 c, 3 c, 4 a, 4 b, 4c, g 1, g 2 and ag smooth, other setae weakly barbed. Apodemes 2 (ap2) and apodemes 3 (ap3) not reaching to presternal apodeme (appr) and poststernal apodeme (appo) respectively, apodemes 4 (ap4) almost joined to poststernal apodeme. Coxal field I: 1 a 7 (6–7), 1 b 8 (5–7), 1 c 5 (6–7). Coxal field II: 2 a 11 (10–11), 2 b 6 (6–6), 2 c 10 (9–11), setae 2 a and 2c subequal and longer than 2 b. Coxal field III: 3 a 8 (7–9), 3 b 9 (9–9), 3 c 9 (9–10), all subequal. Coxal field IV: setae 4 a 8 (8–9), 4 b 8 (9–10), 4 c 8 (7–8), all subequal. Genital plate with setae g 1 3 (3–4) and g 2 3 (3–4). Aggenital plates including 1 small porous area and 1 seta ag 7 (7–8) each. Pseudanal plate with bifurcate anal slit and setae ps 7 (7–10).

Legs ( Figs. 3–6 ). Leg I ( Fig. 3 ): setal formula: 4-2-6(2)-11(2). Tarsus with 4 slightly blunt-ended eupathidial setae p’, p”, ft’ and ft”, other setae seta-like and pointed; seta tc’ longest, setae tc’, tc”, pl’ and pv’ weakly barbed; solenidion ω 1 7 (6-6) finger-shaped and prominent; solenidion ω 2 3 (3-3) finger-shaped. Tibia with eupathidium k stiff; solenidion φ 1 10 (9–10) stalked and finger-shaped, longer than φ 2 4 (4–5); setae l’ and v” weakly barbed. Genu with setae v’ weakly barbed and shorter than l’. Seta d on femur more than two times longer than l”, both barbed; seta l” longer than v”. Leg II ( Fig. 4 ). Setal formula: 2-1-4(1)-6(1). All setae weakly barbed, except u’ and pv” on tarsus and v’ on genu; seta tc’ shortest on tarsus, solenidion ω 4 (4-5) finger-shaped; solenidion φ 4 (4-5) almost similar to ω but thinner; seta d on femur bluntly tipped, not reaching to base of tarsus and about 1.5 times as long as seta v”. Leg III ( Fig. 5 ). Setal formula: 1-1-4-5. All setae of leg weakly barbed except pv” on tarsus and v’ on genu; seta pl” shortest on tarsus; setae d shortest on tibia; seta d on femur shortest on leg III and reaching to base of seta v’ on genu. Leg IV ( Fig. 6 ). Setal formula: 1-1-4-5. All setae of leg weakly barbed except pv’ on tarsus and v’ and v” on tibia; seta pl” shortest on tarsus; seta d shortest on tibia; seta d of femur shortest on leg IV and not reaching to the midpoint of genu.

Male. Unknown.

Type material. Female holotype (AL- 20121204 -1) and more than 100 paratypes, phoretic on Onthophagus (Palaeonthophagus) vitulus Fabricius ( Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae ) ( Fig. 9 ). The host beetle was collected from excrement in and around the nest of the ground squirrel Spermophilus fulvus ( Lichtenstein) , Northeastern Iran, Razavi Khorasan province, farmlands near Quchan town, 37.11°N, 58.53 °E, altitude 1,350 m., 14 May 2012, leg. A. Loghmani.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to seta-like shape of the trichobothria (sc 1).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Pavania setiformis sp. nov., female. body in ventral view. Scale bar for ventral view 50 µm. Scale bar for pharynx 10 µm.

FIGURE 9. Pavania setiformis sp. nov., female. Position of mite colony on the body of the beetle host.

FIGURES 7 – 8. Pavania setiformis sp. nov., female: 7, Prodorsal setae on prodorsum; 8, Pharynx.

FIGURES 3 – 6. Pavania setiformis sp. nov., female: legs I – IV in dorsal view, respectively. Scale bars 20 µm.