Blattisocius (Acari, Blattisociidae) species from Brazil, with description of a new species, redescription of Blattisocius keegani and a key for the separation of the world species of the genus
Author
Britto, Erika P. J.
Author
Lopes, Paula C.
Author
De, Gilberto J.
text
Zootaxa
2012
3479
33
51
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.214695
53d52735-8cfa-424c-9b7c-31a0857168bb
1175-5326
214695
Blattisocius keegani
Fox
Blattiosocius
[sic]
keegani
Fox, 1947
: 599
.
Blattisocius keegani
.—
Haines, 1978
: 21
;
Treat, 1975
: 94
.
Melichares
(
Blattisocius
)
keegani
.—
Evans, 1958
: 209
.
Melichares keegani
.—
Hirschmann, 1962
: 30
.
Diagnosis
.
Adult females
: dorsal shield reticulate, with 33 pairs of setae (including
s2
). With eleven pairs of marginal (
r–R
) and six pairs of submarginal (
UR
) setae on unsclerotised cuticle. Sternal shield with sinuous longitudinal striae, with posterior margin truncate. Genital shield with longitudinal striae, truncate. With two pairs of metapodal plates. Ventrianal shield reticulated, approximately pentagonal and with three pairs of opisthogastric setae. Peritreme short, reaching only median level of coxa III. Fixed cheliceral digit much shorter than movable cheliceral digit, with three teeth in addition to apical tooth and setiform
pilus dentilis
; movable digit with one tooth in addition to apical tooth. Spermathecal calyx horn-like, variously constrict near vesicle; atrium globular.
Adult males
: ornamentation of dorsal shield, number of dorsal shield setae, insertion of
s2
, shape and relative lengths of dorsal shield setae, marginal and submarginal setae as in adult females. Sternogenital shield with scanty striae, with an indentation behind
st4
. Ventrianal shield approximately hemispherical, reticulate. Fixed cheliceral digit with two or three teeth in addition to apical tooth and setiform
pilus dentilis
; movable digit with one tooth in addition to apical tooth; spermatodactyl distally curved, with a membrane along dorsal surface, subterminal ventral spine–like projection and concave apex.
FIGURE 5.
Blattisocius keegani
, adult female. A. Dorsal view; B. Ventral view; C. Spermatheca; D. Chelicera; E. Epistome; F. Venter of gnathosoma; G. Tarsus of leg IV.
Adult females
(
Fig. 5
A–G) (five specimens examined).
Dorsum of idiossoma
(
Fig. 5
A): dorsal shield reticulate, 445 (420–470) long and 202 (193–210) wide at level of
s4
. Podonotal region of dorsal shield with 18 pairs of setae:
j1
17 (16–18),
j2
33 (30–35),
j3
41 (40–43),
j4
40 (38–42),
j5
40 (36–42),
j6
42 (40–43),
z1
18 (16–20),
z2
39 (35–43),
z3
42 (40–45),
z4
46 (44–48),
z5
40 (38–42),
z6
44 (43–45),
s1
29
(27–30),
s2
36
(35–38),
s3
42
(40–46),
s4
48
(45–50),
s5
47
(45–48),
s6
45
(43–47); with five pairs of lyrifissures and four pairs of pores. Opisthonotal region with 15 pairs of setae:
J1
44 (42–48),
J2
46 (43– 50),
J3
39 (37–40),
J4
38 (36–40),
J5
24 (22–25),
Z1
47 (45–50),
Z2
46 (44–47),
Z3
42 (39–43),
Z4
42 (40–43),
Z5
45 (44 – 45),
S1
44
(41–45),
S2
42
(40–45),
S3
42
(40–45),
S4
45
(44–48),
S5
35
(32–36); with nine pairs of lyrifissures and two pairs of pores. Unsclerotised cuticle along dorsal shield with 12 pairs of marginal setae [
r2
34 (32–38),
r3
38 (35–40),
r4
39 (36–43),
r5
41 (37–45),
r6
40 (37–44),
R1
37 (35–40),
R2
33 (30–35),
R3
34 (30– 35),
R4
34 (32–36),
R5
33 (30–36),
R6
33 (30–35), six pairs of submarginal setae [
UR1
33 (30–36),
UR2
33 (30– 36),
UR3
30,
UR4
29 (25–32),
UR5
30 (27–32),
UR6
31 (28–35)] and two pairs of lyrifissures. Dorsal shield setae of moderate lengths, nearly as long as distance between their bases and bases of corresponding subsequent setae, except
j1
,
J5
and
z1
, slightly shorter than others; setae smooth, except
J3–J5
and
Z5
, serrated.
Venter of idiosoma
(
Fig. 5
B): all setae setiform; base of tritosternum 10 long and 15 (13–15) wide; laciniae free for approximately 45% of their total length of 72 (60–75). Sternal shield 87 (85–90) long and 71 (70–75) wide at level of
st2
, with sinuous longitudinal striae and narrow projections between coxae I–II bearing a pore at the end. Metasternal shield absent;
st4
and associated lyrifissure (
iv3
) on unsclerotised cuticle. Genital shield longitudinally striate, 171 (168–175) long (including membranous anterior region) and 88 (83–91) wide near posterior margin; posteriorly truncate; genital seta 27 (25–28); paragenital lyrifissures on unsclerotised cuticle, posterolaterally to genital setae. With a very narrow plate between genital and ventrianal shields. With two pairs of metapodal plates, the posterolateral of which longer. Ventrianal shield reticulate, approximately pentagonal, slightly concave near
Jv2
, 136 (128–150) long and 97 (90–105) of greater width; with a punctate area (cribrum) behind anal opening; with three pairs of opisthogastric setae [
JV1
28 (26 –30),
JV2
36 (32–40),
JV3
43 (42–47)], a pair of lyrifissures on the anterior margin, laterad of
JV1
, and a pair of pores on lateral margin, approximately in level with posterior margin of anal opening; para–anal seta about as long as the post–anal seta, 23 (22–25) and 25 (23–26), respectively. Unsclerotised cuticle around ventrianal shield with eight pairs of opisthogastric setae [
JV4
46 (45–50),
JV5
94 (86– 110),
ZV1
34 (31–37),
ZV2
38 (35–42),
ZV3
35 (32–37),
ZV4
36 (35–38),
ZV5
37 (35–40),
SV
33 (30–35) and three pairs of lyrifissures. Discrete endopodal shield absent. Exopodal shield narrow, extending from posterior region of coxa II to anterior region of coxa IV. Peritremal shield narrow, extending anteriorly to level of
s1
and posteriorly to region behind coxa IV; lyrifissure evident. Peritreme short, 31 (30–32) long, reaching posterior margin of coxa III.
Spermatheca
(
Fig.5
C): calyx horn–like, variously constricted near vesicle; atrium globular.
Gnathosoma
: Fixed cheliceral digit 20 (17–22) long, with three teeth in addition to apical tooth and setiform
pilus dentilis
(
Fig. 5
D); movable cheliceral digit 30 (30–31) long, distinctly longer than fixed digit, with a tooth in addition to apical tooth. Anterior margin of epistome smooth, with small rounded median lobe (
Fig. 5
E). Corniculi tapered and convergent. Deutosternal denticles not distinguishable (
Fig. 5
F). Numbers of setae on palpal segments normal for suborder
Gamasina (
Evans, 1964
)
, from trochanter to genu: 2, 5 and 6 setae; tibia and tarsus, not counted. Apotele bifurcate. Hypostomal and subcapitular setae setiform:
h1
19 (17–22),
h2
24 (22–25),
h3
27, subcapitular (
Sc
) 29 (28–30).
Legs
: pretarsi of legs I–IV consisting of elongate stalk, a pair of claws and pulvillum with three rounded lobes. Lengths of legs: I, 386 (360–400); II, 295 (280–320); III, 279 (270–290); IV, 345 (335–360). Numbers of setae on leg segments normal for suborder
Gamasina (
Evans, 1963
)
: coxa, 2, 2, 2 1; trochanter, 6, 5, 5, 5; femur, 12, 11, 6, 6; genu, 13, 11, 9, 9; tibia, 13, 10, 8, 10; tarsi II–IV, 18, 18, 18 (
Fig. 5
G). Tarsus I 2.7 times as long as tibia I. Macrosetae absent.
Adult males
(
Fig.6
A–F) (four specimens examined).
Dorsum of idiosoma
(
Fig. 6
A): dorsal shield reticulate, 373 (360–383) long and 180 (172–188) wide at
s4
. Podonotal region of dorsal shield with 18 pairs of setae [
j1
14 (12–15),
j2
21 (20–25),
j3
31 (30–31),
j4
31 (30–33),
j5
31 (30–33),
j6
32 (31–33),
z1
14,
z2
32 (30–34),
z3
31 (30–32),
z4
37 (36–40),
z5
31 (30–31),
z6
31 (30–32),
s1
24
(23–25),
s2
29
(28–30),
s3
31
(30–32),
s4
37
(36–38),
s5
34
(32–36),
s6
34
(33–35)], five pairs of lyrifissures and four pairs of pores. Opisthonotal region with 15 pairs of setae [
J1
33 (31–35),
J2
34 (33–35),
J3
32 (30–34),
J4
34 (32–37),
J5
22 (21–24),
Z1
35 (33–36),
Z2
35 (33–35),
Z3
31 (30–32),
Z4
36 (35–38),
Z5
52 (50–55),
S1
32
(31– 32),
S2
33
(32–34),
S3
34
(30–36),
S4
34
(31–36),
S5
30
(28–31)], nine pairs of lyrifissures and two pairs of pores. Unsclerotised cuticle along dorsal shield with eleven pairs of marginal setae [
r2
28 (25–30),
r3
32,
r4
30 (29–31),
r5
33 (32–33),
r6
31 (29–33),
R1
31 (30–31),
R2
27,
R3
27 (25–28),
R4
29 (27–30),
R5
28 (25–30),
R6
29 (28–30)], six pairs of submarginal setae [
UR1
26 (25–26),
UR2
24 (22–25),
UR3
23 (22–23),
UR4
24 (23–25),
UR5
23 (21– 25),
UR6
24 (22–26)] and two pairs of lyrifissures.
FIGURE 6.
Blattisocius keegani
, adult male. A. Dorsal view; B. Ventral view; C. Chelicera and Spermatodactyl; D. Epistome; E. Venter of gnathosoma; F. Tarsus of leg IV.
Venter of the idiosoma
(
Fig. 6
B): all setae setiform. Base of tritosternum 7 long and 12 (10–12) wide; laciniae free for approximately 65% of their total length of 54 (50–60). Sternogenital shield 165 (164–168) long and 71 (70–75) wide at the level of
st2
, with scarce reticulation in the central region and with narrow projections between coxae I–II and III–III; with slight indentation behind
st4
, with four pairs of setae and three pairs of lyrifissures;
st5
on unsclerotised cuticle; lyrifissure near
st5
not distinguishable. Ventrianal shield approximately hemispherical, reticulate, 153 (150–160) long and 164 (158–165) wide anterolateral angles; with punctate area (cribrum) behind anal opening; with six pairs of opisthogastric setae (
JV1
,
JV2
,
JV3
;
ZV1
,
ZV2
,
ZV3
), three pairs of lyrifissures and a pair of pores on the lateral margin, approximately in level with the posterior margin of anal opening; para–anal seta [19 (18–20)] slightly shorter than post–anal seta [23 (21–25)]. Unsclerotised cuticle around ventrianal shield with three pairs of opisthogastric setae [
JV5
101 (95–105),
ZV4
39 (30–60),
ZV5
43 (40–50)] and three pairs of lyrifissures. Discrete endopodal shield absent. Exopodal shield narrow, extending from anterior region of coxa II to posterior region of coxa IV. Peritremal shield similar to that of adult females, but with a narrow, transversely ridged strip externally to the peritreme, which is 22 (21– 22) long.
Gnathosoma
: Fixed chelicera digit 21 (20–21) long, with two (most commonly) or three teeth in addition to apical tooth and setiform
pilus dentilis
(
Fig. 6
C); movable cheliceral digit 25 (24–25), with one tooth in addition to apical tooth. Spermatodactyl distally curved, with a membrane along dorsal surface, a ventral subterminal spine–like projection and concave apex, 20 (18–21) long. Epistome similar to adult females (
Fig. 6
D). Corniculi more widely spaced than in adult females, convergent. With seven rows of deutosternal denticles, with two teeth on each of the first 3 rows and one tooth on other rows (
Fig. 6
E). Numbers of setae on palpal segments, hypostomal and subcapitular setae, as in adult females. Setae
h1
14 (13–15),
h2
14,
h3
23,
Sc
25 (22– 26), setiform.
Legs
: pretarsi of legs I–IV as in adult females. Lengths of legs: I, 324 (310–330); II, 252 (240–260); III, 231 (215–240); IV, 303 (285–315) (
Fig. 6
F). Numbers of setae on leg segments as in adult females. Tarsus I 2.2 times as long as tibia I.