A new species of Laelaspis Berlese (Acari: Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) from Iran, with a revised generic concept and notes on significant morphological attributes in the genus Author Kazemi, Shahrooz text Zootaxa 2015 4044 3 411 428 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.4044.3.5 e5b142bf-3e99-4661-b884-c406fd63a081 1175-5326 241842 6806D618-3110-45B7-9736-A0B8316AA2E0 Laelaspis morazae sp. nov. ( Figs 15–28 ) Diagnosis (adult female and male). Dorsal shield in female with 40 pairs of setae including three pairs of setae Px , and two unpaired Jx (39 pairs of setae in male, with only two pairs of Px , and three unpaired setae Jx ); setae mostly subequal and relatively short, not reaching to following setal base; j1 shortest, slightly shorter than z1 ; Z5 longer than J5 , ratio of Z5 / J5 length≈ 1.6; marginal setae (except vertical setae j1 ) sparsely barbed. Sternal shield of female with lineate-reticulate ornamentation on anterior and lateral area, posterior margin of shield concave, sternal setae st1–3 subequal, short. Genitiventral shield of female longer than wide, gradually tapered from broadest point, ratio of length/width of shield≈1.5, posterior edge of shield rounded. Anal shield slightly longer than wide, anterior margin of shield slightly convex, shield surface with spares lineate-reticulation; postanal seta barbed in apical half length. Holoventral shield of male with 10 pairs of relatively short setae, opisthogastric setae JV1–3 , ZV2–3 longer. Opisthogastric membrane in female with 17 pairs of mostly barbed setae (except smooth setae JV2–3 , ZV2 ), and 12 pairs of barbed setae in male. Peritrematal shields posteriorly not reaching hind edge of parapodals, and developed along peritremes, wider in male. Peritremes long, reaching to anterior level of coxae I in female, and slightly shorter in male. Epistome subtriangular, with almost smooth anterior margin. Hypostomal setae h3 > h1 > pc > h2 . Female cheliceral movable digit bidentate, fixed digit with six denticles; movable and fixed digits of male chelicerae edentate, apex of movable digit not reaching to apex of fixed digit; spermatodactyl fingerlike, almost as long as movable digit. Leg chaetotaxy standard for Laelapidae , except genua IV with 10 setae (2 2/ 1 3/0 2). Leg setae mostly slender and relatively short, except slightly thickened setae ad on trochanter I, ad1 , ad3 on femur I, ad1 on femur II, av on tibia III, ad on trochanter IV, ad1–2 on femur IV, av on genu IV, pv on tibia IV, pv1–2 on tarsus IV, also seta al2 on femur I very short; setae ad1 on femora II-IV relatively slender, and not close to distal margin of leg segment. Description. Female (n=3). Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 15 ). Idiosoma 583–607 long, 456–469 wide, completely covered by dorsal shield, shield surface with lineate-reticulate throughout, bearing 40 pairs of setae, including three pairs of setae Px and two unpaired Jx , setae z1 (20–25) and j1 (21–27) subequal in length, setae J5 (36–43) shorter than Z5 (54–65), setae S3–5 and Z5 longest (58–74), others shorter (36–55). Adenotaxy and poroidotaxy as genus standard, gland pores gd5 present. FIGURES 15–17 . Laelaspis morazae sp. nov. Female. 15. Dorsal idiosoma; 16. Epistome; 17. Palp. Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 18 ). Tritosternum with a short, trapezoidal base, 14–16 long, 16–17 wide at base, 7–8 wide at apex, and two pilose laciniae, total length 71–75, fused for 15 Μm. Sternal shield length 118–123, width 108–118 at st2 level, 145–149 at st3 level, reticulate on anterior half surface and laterally, fused anterolaterally to narrow endopodal platelets between coxae I-II, bearing gland pores gvb ; shield mostly lineate-reticulate; sternal setae smooth, st1 (35–37), st2–3 (39–44); two pairs of slit-like poroids. Metasternal setae (37–40) inserted on free endopodal platelets between coxae II-III; poroids iv3 on soft cuticle. Genitiventral shield 319–336 long, 212–218 wide, anterior hyaline margin of shield irregularly convex, covering posterior area of sternal shield to anterior level of setae st3 ; shield gradually narrowed past widest point, posterior edge narrowly convex; interior Ʌ-shape lines flanking 9–10 irregular cells; with two pairs of setae, st5 (43–51) shorter than opisthogasteric setae JV1 (57–67). Anal shield subtriangular, anterior margin of shield slightly convex, 102–121 long, 98–101 wide, lineate-reticulate anteriorly; postanal seta (37–42) thicker and longer than fine, smooth para-anals (20–25) situated almost at midlevel of anal opening; gland pores gv3 inserted on shield margins, slightly anteriad of para-anals level; cribrum developed, without lateral para-anal extensions. Peritrematal shields slightly developed, narrowly fused to dorsal shield behind setae z1 , bearing two pairs of almost adjacent pore-like structures ( ip1 , gp2 ) on lateral margin of shield, poststigmatic area of shield smooth, with two pairs of poroids and one pair of gland pores. Peritremes long (256–260), reaching anteriorly to mid-level of coxae I. Exopodal platelets between coxae II-IV narrow, those anterolaterad of coxae II fused to endopodals between coxae I-II anteriorly, exopodals laterad coxae II-III free, those laterad of coxae IV fused to slightly developed and posteriorly tapered parapodals. Opisthogastric soft integument with seven pairs of poroids, including one pair of paragenital poroids iv5 , idR3 , pvo and four pairs of ivo ; inguinal gland pores gv2 on soft cuticle between genitiventral shield and parapodals; one pair of primary metapodal platelets narrow, laterad of genitiventral shield, 43–58 long, 5–6 wide, with two paragenital minute platelets between primary metapodals and genitiventral shield, bearing 17 pairs of setae, JV2–3 (46–57) and ZV2 (27–42) smooth, others barbed (29–68). FIGURES 18–19 . Laelaspis morazae sp. nov. Female. 18. Ventral idiosoma; 19. Chelicera. Gnathosoma ( Figs 16–17 , 19 ). Epistome subtriangular, anterior margin smooth, occasionally with 1–2 small denticles ( Fig. 16 ). Corniculi horn-like, 22–23 long. Internal malae fringed, with a pair of smooth adjacent median prongs, flanked by shorter and thinner lateral projections. Labrum acuminate, pilose, considerably longer than internal malae. Hypostomal and capitular setae smooth, h3 (41–43)> h1 (28–30)> pc (25–27)> h2 (22–24). Deutosternal groove with six rows of denticles, four basal rows slightly narrower, with 6–10 denticles, anterior rows slightly wider, with 12–15 denticles. Second segment of chelicera 128–131 long, 19–21 wide; fixed digit of chelicera 24–25 long, with six denticles, pilus dentilis short and setiform; movable digit bidentate, 33–34 long; dorsal seta short and setiform ( Fig. 19 ). Palpi 103–117 long, palp chaetotaxy as standard for genus, all setae smooth, al1 and al2 on palpgenu and al on palpfemur slightly thickened and subspatulate, v1 on palptrochanter slightly thickened, somewhat spine-like, palptarsus apotele 2-tined, basal tine shorter ( Fig. 17 ). FIGURES 20–23. Laelaspis morazae sp. nov. Male. 20. Subcapitulum; 21. Dorsal idiosoma, part of posterior region; 22. Ventral idiosoma; 23. Chelicera. Legs ( Figs 24–28 ). Leg chaetotaxy normal for Laelapidae , except genu IV with two setae pl . Ambulacra of legs II-IV with developed claws and pulvilli, pretarsus I 38 –42 long, II 38 –39, III 37 –41, IV 38 –40, ambulacral stalk broad. Lengths of legs I-IV 597–618, 404–422, 387–405, 492–497, respectively. Lengths of femora I 108–118, II 79 –97, III 74 –88, IV 94 –103; genua I 85 –93, II 62 –65, III 54 –57, IV 71 –78; tibiae I 94 –103, II 62 –65, III 53 –59, IV 74 –81; tarsi I 178–202, II 115–121, III 118–121, IV 139–144. Leg setae mostly slender and relatively short, as diagnosis of the species. FIGURES 24–28. Laelaspis morazae sp. nov. Female. 24. Ambulacrum I; 25–28. Legs I–IV, dorsal view. Male (n=1) ( Figs 20–23 ). Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 21 ). Idiosoma 389 long, 301 wide, completely covered by dorsal shield. Dorsal shield bearing 39 pairs of setae, including two pairs of setae Px ( Px2–3 ), and three unpaired setae Jx ; j1 (19) shorter than z1 (26), J5 21 long, Z5 / J5 ratio≈ 2, setae S3–5 , Z5 longest (41–49), other setae 24–36 long. Other characters similar to female. Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 22 ). Tritosternum with a short trapzoidal base, 10 long, 12 and 5 wide at base and apex, respectively, and two sparsely pilose laciniae, free for 45, fused for 7 µm basally. Sternigenital shield fused to ventrianal shield, 338 long, 85 wide at level of st2 , 103 at st3 level, 187 at broadest point; shield fused to endopodals between coxae I-IV, bearing gland pores gvb ; shield surface lineate-reticulate except on median region between setae st2–4 , bearing five pairs of smooth subequal sternal steae st1–5 (23–28), and five pairs of smooth ventral setae, JV1 (32), JV2–3 (39–41), ZV2–3 (30–33), in addition to circumanal setae; para-anals (11) smooth, shorter than thicker and barbed postanal seta (22); with five pairs of poroids, iv1–2 slit-like, iv2 larger, and a pair of gland pores gv3 on lateral margins of shield at anterior level of anal opening; cribrum developed posteriorly. Soft integument with 13 pairs of mostly barbed setae (17–43), and five pairs of poroids. Peritrematal shields well developed along peritremes and posteriorly, fused to dorsal shield behind setae z1 ; shields bearing five pairs of discernible pore-like structures, including three pairs of poroids and two pairs of gland pores. Peritremes long, with different length: left peritreme 168 long, right peritreme 146 long. Gnathosoma ( Figs 20, 23 ). Epistome, subcapitulum and palp characters similar to those in female, relatively smaller in size, palps 89 long. Hypostomal and capitular setae smooth, h1 20, h2 10, h3 28, pc 15 long; corniculi 18 long. Second segment of chelicera 87 long, 20 wide; dorsal cheliceral seta needle-like; fixed digit (21) edentate, pilus dentilis short and setiform; movable digit 23 long, apically not reaching to fixed digit apex; spermatodactyl finger-like, shorter than movable digit ( Fig. 23 ). Legs . Leg chaetotaxy and characters similar to those in female. Lengths of legs I-IV 351, 262, 276 and 324, respectively. Lengths of femora I 68 , II 56 , III 53 , IV 68 ; genua I 49 , II 36 , III 35 , IV 44 ; tibiae I 54 , II 36 , III 35 , IV 47 ; tarsi I 106, II 74 , III 81 , IV 97 . Material examined. Holotype : female, Northeastern Iran , Khorasan Razavi Province, Mashad County (59˚ 58' N; 36˚ 24' E), 1023 m above sea level, from Lepisiota semenovi (Ruzsky) ( Formicinae : Plagiolepidini ), 5 June 2007 , coll. H. Hajiqanbar, deposited in ACISTE. Paratypes : one female and one male with same data, deposited in ACISTE; 28 females , Centre Iran , Isfahan Province, Shahreza County, Chaqad Region (32˚ 02' N; 51˚ 51' E), 1859 m above sea level, nest of unknown ant, 13 April 2014 , coll. F. Shameli, deposited in APAS . Etymology. The species is named in honour of Professor Maria Lordes Moraza for her valuable works on Acari, especially Mesostigmata . Remarks. Laelaspis morazae is unique in Laelaspis by the presence of two setae pl on genu IV vs. only one seta pl in previously described species of the genus for which we have information about their leg chaetotaxy. This contrasts with L . persicus which has no pl on genu IV. It can further be distinguished from other members of the genus, except for L . latanalis and L . imitatus , by the presence of 40 pairs of setae on dorsal shield in female, including three pairs of setae Px and only two unpaired setae Jx . Note that the male of L . morazae has 39 pairs of setae on the dorsal shield, lacking Px4 , and has three Jx . The new species, L . morazae , differs from L . latanalis by the shape of genitiventral and anal shields (genitiventral shield of L . morazae is conspicuously narrower than L . latanalis and also posteriorly widely tapered, instead of wider subrectangular shield past coxae IV in L . latanalis ); the anal shield in L . morazae is slightly longer than wide, but anal shield of L . latanalis is almost twice broader than long, also there are 12 pairs of setae on opisthogastric soft integument in L . latanalis instead of 17 in the new species. The new species can be easily distinguished from L . imitatus by its shorter dorsal setae (dorsal setae in L . imitatus usually reach or pass the following setal base), shape of the genitiventral shield, its median cells and location of setae JV1 , as the shield is posteriorly widely rounded in L . imitatus , but gradually tapered past widest point and posteriorly subtriangular in L . morazae . The median cells in the news species are irregular in shape and size, but in L . imitatus they are as normal for the genus; setae JV1 situated at the broadest point in L . imitatus vs. behind it in L . morazae , postanal seta in L . morazae is barbed vs. smooth in L . imitatus , hind edge of peritrematal shields do not reach to posterior edge of parapodals in L . morazae , vs. past the posterior edge of parapodals in L . imitatus , in L . morazae length/width ratio of anal shield≈ 1/1–1.3 vs. L/W ratio in L . imitatus ≈ 0.8–0.85, setae ad1 on femora II-IV in L . morazae not thickened and also not close to distal margin of leg segment, vs. thickened and close to the margin in L . imitatus .