Persicolaelaps hallidayi Kazemi & Beaulieu, 2016, new species

Persicolaelaps hallidayi new species (Figs 1–21) Diagnosis. In addition to attributes given in the genus diagnosis, the new species can be further distinguished from other Mesostigmata, including other laelapids: dorsal shield oval, extending slightly onto ventrolateral aspect of idiosoma; anteriorly smooth, finely reticulate in posterior half (posterad J2 and s6), bearing 2–3 unpaired setae Jx between level of J2 and J4; setae j1, z1 situated more or less ventrally, dorsal setae much shorter than distance to following setal base, mostly smooth and slender, except setae J4–5, Z5, S5 slightly thicker, sparsely barbed, and j1 stout, blunt apically. Sternal shield strongly concave posteriorly, bearing long setae; reticulate, except smooth posterior area covered by expansive epigynal shield, reaching almost half-way of sternal shield medially, and anterolaterally setae st3 and edges of acetabula III; epigynal shield 1.2 x as long as wide, reticulate, with lineae almost reaching anterior shield margin; with variably-shaped cells, well separated from anal shield, with setae JV2 in-between. Anal shield with two small projections anteriorly; shield slightly wider than long. Setae JV3 longer than circumanal setae, post-anal seta slightly longer than para-anals. Peritremes anteriorly reaching level of coxae I. Soft opisthogastric cuticle with eight pairs of setae, JV1–2 longest. Metapodal plates divided, primary metapodals narrow, elongate. Internal malae with pair of median projections, flanked by 3–4 pairs of longer, tentacle-like projections. Deutosternal groove narrowing posteriorly. Leg setae moderately long, with many setae thickened or spine-like. Female (n=3). (Figs 1–21). Dorsal idiosoma (Fig. 1). Dorsal shield length 847–922, width 615–672, broadest at level of setae s6–S1, extending slightly onto ventrolateral aspect of idiosoma, with j1, z1 and occasionally some marginal (r2–5) and lateral (s6, S1–3) setae inserted more or less ventrally; shield smooth anteriorly, with fine reticulate ornamentation posterad level of setae J2 medially and level of s6 laterally; 39 pairs of setae, 2–3 unpaired setae Jx, all setae relatively short, slender, mostly 26–38 long, j1 slightly thicker than other setae, apically blunt, 27–29 long, z1 shortest (21–23); J4, J5, Z5, S5 sparsely barbed. Adenotaxy and poroidotaxy as in genus description. Ventral idiosoma (Figs 5–6, 17, 19–20). Tritosternal base 38–41 long, 25–27 wide proximally and 13–15 apically, with two entirely free, pilose laciniae (96–108). A pair of relatively large (71– 73 x 15–17) and wellsclerotised presternal platelets flanking tritosternum base. Sternal shield length 98–106, width 156–164 (ratio of length/width = 0.65), anterior margin irregularly straight, posterior margin strongly concave, shield mostly reticulate, smooth posteriorly where epigynal shield overlaps, including a pair of putative gland openings gv1; sternal setae smooth and long, st1 82–86, st2 88–93, st3 94–98 long, poroids iv1–2 slit-like, iv1 aligned transversally, iv2 oblique (Figs 5, 17). Poroids iv3 ovoid, on soft cuticle, adjacent to endopodals between coxae III–IV. Endopodal element between coxae I–II fused to sternal shield, bearing gland pore gvb, and fused anteriorly to exopodal strip that flanks coxae I–IV; endopodal platelets between coxae III–IV well-developed, slightly overlapping posterolateral corners of sternal shield; parapodal element behind coxae IV relatively thick (Figs 5, 17). Epigynal shield expansive, length 304–319, width at level of st5 207–216, at broadest point behind coxae IV 252–263 (ratio of length/width at broadest point = 1.2), anterior hyaline margin of shield reaching beyond level of iv2 anteriorly and beyond st3 laterally, posterior margin rounded medially, angled posterolaterally; shield well removed from anal shield, lineate-reticulate, with variously shaped cells, Λ-shaped linea enclosing nine variouslyshaped cells (sometimes irregularly arranged in rows of two, Fig. 20); setae st5 (69–73) inserted on shield at midlevel of coxae IV (Fig. 5). Anal shield inversely subtriangular, length 112–120, width 122–128, anterior margin almost straight with two small projections medially, reticulate; setae on shield smooth, ventral setae JV3 (40–44) longer than circumanal setae, para-anal setae (34–36) inserted at posterior level of anal opening, slightly shorter than post-anal seta (25–28); cribrum well-developed, extending anterolaterally to level of post-anal seta; anal opening located midway of shield length; pair of gland pores gv3 on lateral shield margins at level near that of anterior margin of anus (Figs 5, 19). Peritrematal shields well-developed, broadly fused anteriorly to dorsal shield at level of coxae I, bearing three pairs of poroids and two pairs of gland pores; poststigmatic region extending to posterior level of coxae IV. Peritremes long (171–175) and narrow (6 wide), extending to level of anterior margin of coxae I. Soft opisthogastric integument with two pairs of small paragenital platelets between ZV1 and JV1; pair of primary, outer metapodals long and narrow (61– 75 x 8–9), secondary, inner metapodals small (20– 22 x 7–8); eight pairs of smooth opisthogastric setae JV1 (55–59), JV2 (51–52), JV4–5 (25–29), ZV1 (41–43), ZV2 (44–46), ZV3 (30–31), ZV4 (26–26); seven pairs of poroids, including paragenital poroids iv5 (Fig. 5). Spermathecal apparatus not seen. Gnathosoma (Figs 3–4, 6–7, 21). Gnathotectum with broad triangular projection, with smooth median spike and minute denticles laterally (7–9 denticles on each side), lineate posteriorly (Figs 3, 21). Corniculi horn-like, relatively short (56–57); salivary stylets apically blunt. Internal malae longer than corniculi, comprising a pair of pilose median projections, and 3–4 lateral, longer, tentacle-like, smooth projections; labrum acuminate, considerably longer than internal malae, fringed; hypostomal and capitular setae smooth, h3 (75–78)> pc (61–63)> h1 (53–55)> h2 (43–46); deutosternal groove with six rows of 2–6 denticles each, and a smooth anterior ridge, narrowing posteriorly, anteriormost row slightly convex (Fig. 4). Basal cheliceral segment 75–76 long, second segment 237–247 long, 50–52 wide; fixed digit 57–58 long, with 4–6 small teeth, including a subapical, small offset tooth; movable digit 65–67 long, bidentate; dorsal cheliceral seta stout, relatively long (15–16), setiform; pilus dentilis apically curved (Fig. 6). Palpgenu setae al1 and al2 and palpfemur al slightly thickened and spatulate apically; palpfemur pl and pd2 thickened; palp tarsal claw with two tines (Fig. 7). Legs (Figs 8–16, 18). Leg chaetotaxy as in genus description, including two ventral setae on genu IV (Fig. 18), and six setae, including a small pd, on trochanter IV (Figs 15, 18). All legs with ambulacrum (ambulacral stalk, pretarsus and claws), that of leg I (40–43) shorter than those of legs II (53–55), III (57–61) and IV (62–65) (Figs 13–16). Lengths of legs I: 727–744, II 611–625, III 587–601, IV 837–852. Lengths of femora I 178–179, II 123–129, III 124–129, IV 173–185; genua I 107–113, II 94 –97, III 73 –81, IV 115–118; tibiae I 119–123, II 88 –94, III 79 –81, IV 118–120; tarsi I 194–200, II 168–170, III 179–185, IV 253–262. Setae simple, smooth, moderately long, except some shortened and many thickened setae: trochanter I with al, av and pl short and fine, ad spur-like, pv2 elongate; trochanter III–IV with ad thickened or spur-like; trochanter IV with pd short and fine. Femur I with al2, av and pl2 short and fine, all other setae except pl2 thickened, ad3 short; femur II with al1–2 and ad2–3 short, ad1, av, pd1–2, pv1–2 slightly thickened; femur III with al, ad1–2 thickened, av elongate, pd and pl shorter; femur IV with al, av, pd slightly thickened, ad1–2 thickened, pl short and fine. Genu I with av2 and pv slightly thickened; genu II with al2, ad2–3, av, pv thickened; genu III with av and pv spine-like, pd2 and pl slightly thickened; genu IV with al1–2, pd2–3 thickened, av and pv spine-like. Tibia I with av2 and pv thickened, pv longest; tibia II with ventral setae thickened; tibia III with al1–2, pl thickened, av, pv spine-like; tibia IV with al1–2, pd2 slightly thickened, pl1–2, av, pv thickened. Tarsi II–IV with nearly all setae thickened or spine-like, especially al1, pl1, and ventral setae of tarsus II; tarsus IV with longest setae, although not whip-like; ad1, pd1 as fine apical processes. Material examined. Holotype: female, from rotten wood, northern Iran, Golestan Province, Qarn-Abad Forest, (36°47' N; 54° 37' E), 522 m above sea level, 2 June 2012, coll. A. Katuli, deposited in Acarological Collection, Institute of Science and High Technology and Environmental Sciences, Graduate University of Advanced Technology, Kerman, Iran (ACISTE). Paratypes: one female with same collection data, deposited in ACISTE; two females collected in soil and litter, northern Iran, Mazandaran Province, Noor City (36° 34' N; 52° 03' E), - 22 m above sea level, summer 2013, coll. unknown, deposited in ACISTE. Etymology. The species is named in honour of Bruce Halliday, for his valuable work on Acari, especially Mesostigmata.Published as part of Kazemi, Shahrooz & Beaulieu, Frédéric, 2016, A new genus and species of Laelapidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Iran, pp. 487-500 in Zootaxa 4200 (4) on pages 491-496, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4200.4.2, http://zenodo.org/record/19155