Protaphorura iranica Arbea, Yahyapour & Shayanmehr 2020, sp. nov.

Protaphorura iranica Arbea, Yahyapour & Shayanmehr sp. nov.

Figs 44–49, Table 4

Type locality. Iran, Mazandaran Province, Tonekabon county, Dohezar forest, 443 m a.s.l. (36º40ʹ21.7ʺ, 50º49ʹ28.5ʺ E).

Type material. Holotype female, Mazandaran Province, Tonekabon county, Dohezar forest, soil and leaf litter, 10 November 2016, leg. Eliye Yahyapour. Paratypes: All specimens from same locality as holotype, 1 female and 9 juveniles. Holotype and 1 paratype female deposited in MNCN, 9 paratypes in SANRU.

Etymology. The name is derived from current name of Iran country.

Description. Holotype (female) length without antennae 1.3 mm, length of paratypes: 1.1 mm (female), 0.6–1.0 mm (juveniles). Shape of body typical of the genus: cylindrical, with strong AS on distinct papillae (Figs 44 and 45). Colour in alcohol yellowish-white. Granulation more or less uniform, distinct.

Antennae slightly shorter than head, their base well marked. Ant. I–III with 10, 16, 17 chaetae respectively. AIIIO consisting of 5 guard chaetae, 5 papillae, 2 smooth sensory rods, 2 straight and granulated sensory clubs, ventro-lateral ms present. Ant. IV with subapical organite in unprotected cavity without clear cuticular papilla, and ms in usual position, above second proximal row of chaetae. Sensillae indistinct on Ant. IV.

PAO large, consisting of 33–38 simple vesicles (Fig. 48). Labral formula of chaetae: 4/342. Maxillary outer lobe with simple palp, basal chaeta and with two sublobal hairs. Labial palp of type A. Labium with 7 proximal, 4 basomedian and 6 basolateral chaetae. Papillae A–E with 1, 4, 0, 3, 3 guard chaetae respectively.

Pso formula dorsally: 32/022/33343, ventrally: 10/000/0000 (Figs 44–46). Subcoxae 1 of I–III legs with 1,0,0 pso, respectively.

Dorsal chaetotaxy, usually slightly asymmetrical, well differentiated into macro- meso- and microchaetae (Figs 44 and 45). Sensory chaetae indistinct on body. On head p2 chaetae on the same level as p1 and p3. Th. I with 11–12+11–12 chaetae, 1 m chaeta and 1 i chaeta present (chaetotaxy type i 2m). Both Th. II and III with lateral ms and with 4+4 axial microchaetae. Chaetae s’ absent on Abd. I–III and V. On Abd. IV, 7 chaetae located in axial area between M2 and P2 macrochaetae, medial chaeta m0 present. Abd. V with one unpaired microchaeta p0 (Fig. 49). Abd. VI with medial chaetae m0. Relative position of prespinal microchaetae of convergent type (Fig. 49). M/s ratio on Abd. V as 15–18/11–12 (AS = 10). AS 0.9–1.4× length inner edge of claw and 3.5–4× longer than their basal diameter.

Chaetotaxy of ventral side of head as in Fig. 46. Perilabial area with 4+4 chaetae. Postlabial chaetae 5+5 along ventral groove. Th. I–III sternites with 1+1, 2+2, 2+2 chaetae, respectively. VT with ca. 11+11 chaetae, and 2 chaetae at base. Furcal rudiment: cuticular fold with 2+2 dental microchaetae in 2 rows. Chaetotaxy of manubrial field: 2–4 chaetae present in ma-row, 4 chaetae in mm-row, 4–6 chaetae in mp-row (external ones as macrochaetae). Each lateral anal valves with a0 and 2a1; upper anal valve with chaetae a0, 2a1, 2b1, 2b2, c0, 2c1 and 2c2. Males unknown.

Legs: Subcoxae 1 of I–III legs with 4–5, 4–5, 5 chaetae, subcoxae 2 with 1, 4, 4, coxae with 2, 6, 9–13, trochanters with 9, 9, 9, femora with 13, 15, 20, tibiotarsi with 21(11+8+2), 22(11+8+3), 21(11+7+3) chaetae, respectively. Claw with small denticle in 1/2 of inner edge of claw. Empodial appendage as long as the claw, without basal lamella (Fig. 47).

Discussion. According to identification key presented in Parimuchová & Kováč (2016) Protaphorura iranica sp. nov. is similar to the group of Protaphorura species with 3 pso on antennal base, 2+2 pso on Th. II, subcoxae 1 of legs II and III without pso, and head ventrally with 1+1 pso: P. stogovi Pomorski, 1993, P. microcellata (Dunger, 1978), P. islandica (Bödvarsson, 1959) sensu Fjellberg 1998, P. bicampata (Gisin, 1956) sensu Fjellberg 1998 and P. pseudovanderdrifti (Gisin, 1957) sensu Pomorski (1998a). These species can easily be distinguished by the dorsal pso formula (see Table 4). The new species is similar to P. stogovi in having one pso on subcoxa 1 of leg I vs no pso in other species, but they differ by the different formula of dorsal pso and by the combined characters in Table 4.