Cosmolaelaps longus

Cosmolaelaps longus (Hafez, Elbadry & Nasr)

Figures 6–27.

Hypoaspis (Cosmolaelaps) longus Hafez, Elbadry & Nasr, 1982: 8.

Cosmolaelaps longus.— Zaher, 1986: 201; Nasr & Nawar, 1989: 77; Soleimani & Joharchi, 2012: 411; Moreira et al., 2014: 319; Nasr & Momen, 2016: 263.

Specimens examined. Seven females, one male; 26°57’ N, 31°22’ E, Sedfa, Assiut; 22 December 2014; coll. A.S. Abdelgayed; ex. soil under mandarin trees.

Diagnosis (adult female and male). Dorsal shield not covering all of the idiosoma, with well reticulate ornamentation over whole surface, soft cuticle surrounding dorsal shield with ten pairs of simple setae (r6, R1–R6 and UR4–6) (Figs 6 & 11). Dorsal shield narrowing from level of setae r3, progressively tapering until rounded posteriorly, bearing 39 pairs of subequal scimitar-shaped setae (22 pairs of podonotal setae and 17 pairs of opisthonotal setae, including two pairs of Zx setae) except j1, z1 (Fig. 13). Adult female presternal area with faintly transverse lines and merged with sternal shield; sternal shield smooth medially (or faintly reticulated), reticulated laterally, posterior margin almost straight (Figs 7 & 16), bearing three pairs of setae and two pairs of slit shape pore-like structures, ratio of shield length/width (at broadest level) 0.85. Genital shield ratio of length/width (at broadest level) 2.72, almost tongue-shaped, shield reticulated with≃longitudinal irregular lines in anterior region, inverse Y-shaped≃ ornamentation medially and almost completely smooth (or faintly reticulated) posteriorly (Figs 7 & 15). Anal shield ratio of length/width (at broadest level) 1.1 and cribrum well developed. Peritreme long, reaching anterior of coxa I (near gd1) (Figs 6 & 7). Fixed digit of≃chelicera with seven various size of teeth (including gabelzhan) (Fig. 10). Some dorsal and ventral setae on femur–tibia of legs I–IV thickened and inserted on small tubercle (see Figs 18 & 19–22). Male with strongly sclerotised holoventral shield, except a longitudinally small median part between st2 level to st4 smooth (or faintly reticulated) (Figs 23 & 26); spermatodactyl very short (0.3× as long as movable digit) and curved (Fig. 24); ad1 and ad2 on femur of leg IV spur-shape, inserted on small tubercles (Fig. 27).

Redescription. Female (n=7).

Dorsal idiosoma (Figs 6, 11, 13 & 14). Body length 560–663 and width 328–349. Dorsal shield not covering all of the idiosoma, length 510–537, width 257–264, well reticulated over whole surface, narrowing from level of setae r3, progressively tapering until rounded posteriorly. Shield with 39 pairs of scimitarshaped setae, 22 pairs of podonotal setae (44–47) (j1–6; z1–6; s1–6; r2–5), and 17 pairs of opisthonotal setae (36–41) (J1–5; Z1–5; S1–5 and two pairs of Zx setae) except j1 (34–36), z1 (20–22) simple (Fig. 13) and two unpaired supernumerary setae (Jx) present (Figs 6, 11, 13 & 14), Z5 (26–29) slightly swollen at base (Fig. 14). A wide soft cuticle surrounding dorsal shield with ten pairs of simple setae (r6, R1–R6 and UR4–6) (Figs 6 & 11). Shield with about 21 pairs of discernible pore-like structures, including 15 poroids (id1–2, id4–6, idm1–6, idx, is1, idl1, idl3) and six gland openings (gd1, gd4, gd5, gd6, gd8, gd9), others indistinct (see Figs 6 & 11).

Ventral idiosoma (Figs 7, 12, 15 & 16). Tritosternum with paired pilose laciniae (74–80), fused basally (7–9), columnar base 27–30 × 12–14 wide; presternal area with faint transverse lines and merged with sternal shield. Sternal shield (length 118–131) narrowest between coxae II (94–106), widest (143–153), posterior margin almost straight; with three pairs of smooth pointed setae (st1 38–40, st2 38–40, st3 33–35) and two pairs of slit-shaped pore-like structures (iv1 adjacent to setae st1; iv2 between st2 and st3); shield smooth medially (or faintly reticulated), reticulated laterally. Metasternal setae st4 (30–32) and metasternal poroids located on soft integument; metasternal platelets absent. Endopodal plates II/III completely fused to sternal shield, endopodal plates III/IV elongate, narrow and curved. Genital shield almost tongue-shaped, length 213–218, maximum width 74–80, shield reticulated with longitudinal irregular lines in anterior region, inverse Y-shaped ornamentation medially and almost completely smooth (or faintly reticulated) posteriorly; bearing a pair of simple setae st5 (28–30); paragenital poroids iv5 located on soft cuticle lateral to shield near seta st5. A pair of narrow paragenital platelets flanked genital shield. Anal shield subtriangular, rounded anteriorly, length 81–86, width 70–77, anterior half lineate-reticulate, para-anal setae (19–22) shorter than post-anal seta (19–22), cribrum developed, consisting of a terminal tuft and pair of anterior arms reaching about to mid-level of distance between post-anal and para-anal setae; anal poroids gv3 on anterolateral margin of anal shield. Soft opisthogastric cuticle surrounding genital and anal shields with eight pairs of subequal length setae (21–32) (Jv1–Jv5, Zv1–Zv3) and one pair of poroids (excluding iv5). One pair of narrow platelets laterad Zv1. Metapodal plates divided into two small platelets, primary metapodals (most lateral) larger (20–26), narrow, oriented, oblique, and secondary metapodals (more median) minute, oriented transversely. Exopodal and parapodal platelets fused, strip-like extending narrowly behind coxae IV. Peritreme long, reaching anterior level of coxa I (near gd1) (Figs 6 & 7); peritrematal shield narrow, free from exopodal shields, protrusion band of cuticle lateral to the peritreme at the level of coxae II–III, a lyrifissure ip and a gland pore gp at level of coxa II and post-stigmatic section bearing three pore-like structures, two lyrifissures ip and a gland pore gp (Fig. 7).

Gnathosoma (Figs 8–10 & 17). Hypostomal groove with six transverse rows of denticles, each row with about 11–25 small teeth (Figs 8 & 17), groove wider anteriorly. Hypostome with four pairs of setae, h1 (42–44), h2 (28–30), h3 (41–43), palpcoxal setae (pc) (30–32) (Figs 8 & 17). Epistome subtriangular and irregularly denticulate (Fig. 9). Corniculi robust and horn-like, extending slightly beyond palp trochanter. Internal malae with median and lateral projections, fringed, inner lobes touching with outer lobes; labrum with pilose surface. Chaetotaxy of palps: trochanter 2, femur 5, genu 6, tibia 14, tarsus 15, all setae smooth and needle-like, palp tarsal apotele two-tined. Fixed digit of chelicera with an offset and most distal large tooth (gabelzhan) followed by six variously sized teeth, a setaceous pilus dentilis, dorsal cheliceral setae prostrate, arthrodial membrane with a rounded flap and normal filaments and cheliceral lyrifissures indistinct, movable digit with two teeth (Fig. 10).

Legs (Figs 19–22). Legs II and III short (400–406, 402–388), I and IV longer (530–532, 575–569). Chaetotaxy normal for free-living Laelapidae: Leg I (Fig. 19): coxa 0-0/1, 0/1-0, trochanter 1-1/2, 0/1-1, femur 2-2/1, 3/3-2 (ad1, pd1-3 thickened, inserted on small tubercles), genu 2-3/2, 3/1-2 (al2 and all dorsal setae inserted on small tubercles), tibia 2-3/2, 3/1-2. Leg II (Fig. 20): coxa 0-0/1, 0/1-0, trochanter 1-0/1, 0/2-1, femur 2-3/1, 2/2-1 (ad1, ad3 & pd1 inserted on small tubercles), genu 2-3/1, 2/1-2 (av thick or spur-like, apically blunt) and ad2 inserted on small tubercles), tibia 2-2/1, 2/1-2 (ventral setae thickened (or spur-like)). Leg III (Fig. 21): coxa 0-0/1, 0/1-0, trochanter 1-1/1, 0/1-1, femur 1-2/1, 1/0-1 (pd thickened), genu 2-2/1, 2/1-1 (ad1 & pd1 thickened, inserted on small tubercles), tibia: 2-1/1, 2/1-1 (ventral setae thickened (or spur-like, apically blunt)). Leg IV (Figs 18 & 22): coxa 0-0/1, 0/0-0, trochanter 1-0/1, 1/1-1, femur 1-2/1, 1/0-1 (ad1 & ad2 thickened and apically spatulate and blunt, respectively, both including with av inserted on small tubercles), genu 2-2/1, 3/0-1 (ad1, ad2 & av inserted on small tubercles, av thick (or spur-like, apically blunt)), tibia 2-1/1, 3/1-2 (pl1 and all ventral setae thickened). Tarsi II–IV with 18 setae (3- 3/2, 3/2-3 + mv, md). All pretarsi with well-developed paired claws and rounded pulvilli and a long thin stalk, ventral and lateral setae on tarsus II–IV thickened.

Insemination structures: Not seen, apparently unsclerotised.

Male (n=1). (Figs 23–27).

Dorsal idiosoma. Dorsal shield (400) long, (232) wide; ornamentation and chaetotaxy as in female (Fig. 25).

Ventral idiosoma (Figs 23 & 26). Sternal, genital, endopodal, ventral and anal shields fused into holoventral shield, strongly sclerotised, except a longitudinally small median part between st2 level to st4 smooth (or faintly reticulated), bearing st1-5, five pairs of opisthogastric setae (Jv1–Jv3, Zv2, Zv3) in addition to circumanal setae; six pairs of poroids and a pore-like (gv3) laterad para-anal setae, gland pore gv2 behind coxa IV not discerned, cribrum with 3-4 irregular rows of spicules and a pair of anterior arms reaching about to mid-level of distance between postanal and para-anal setae. Soft opisthogastric cuticle with five pairs of setae.

Gnathosoma. Epistome and subcapitulum similar to female. Fixed digit of chelicera with large distal hook and slender pilus dentilis. Movable digit of chelicera with one median tooth, spermatodactyl very short (0.3× as long as movable digit) and curved dorsally, with round tip, fringed hyaline arthrodial process at base of movable digit (Fig. 24). Palps similar to those of female.

Legs. Chaetotaxy as in female. Setae ad1 and ad2 on femur of leg IV spur-like, inserted on small tubercles (Fig. 27).

Remarks. Cosmolaelaps longus was described from debris of West Indian Lantana at Giza Governorate, Egypt (Hafez et al., 1982). Cosmolaelaps longus is closely related to C. weeversi (Oudemans, 1926) and C. panniculus (Karg, 1981) in the shape of the dorsal setae. Cosmolaelaps longus differs from both species easily by the 39 pairs of dorsal setae (22 pairs of podonotal setae and 17 pairs of opisthonotal setae, including with two pairs of Zx setae), while in C. weeversi and C. panniculus dorsal shield with 37 (21 pairs of podonotal setae (s6 missing), and 16 pairs of opisthonotal setae, including just one pair of Zx setae) and 35 (19 pairs of podonotal setae and 16 pairs of opistho- notal setae, missing a pair of Z series setae, including two pairs of Zx setae) pairs of setae, respectively. In the classification of Karg (1981), Cosmolaelaps longus falls into the nasoseta species group of Hypoaspis (Cosmolaelaps), because almost all dorsal shield setae are swollen at the base and pointed at the tip (scimitar-shape), all dorsal setae are the same shape and sub-equal in length except setae j1, z1 and Z5, but C. longus is distinguished easily from all species in nasoseta species group and also from C. weeversi and C. panniculus by following combination of unique character states: (1) dorsal shield with well reticulate ornamentation over whole surface and narrowing from level of setae r3, progressively tapering until rounded posteriorly, bearing 39 pairs of scimitar-shaped setae and almost all setae uniform in length and thickness except j1, z1 and Z5 shorter; (2) setae J3 located far from J4, distance of J3–J4 95–100; (3) sternal shield smooth medially (or faintly reticulated), reticulated laterally; (4) genital shield reticulated with longitudinal irregular lines in anterior region, inverse Y-shaped ornamentation medially and almost completely smooth (or faintly reticulated) posteriorly; (5) distance between genital and anal shield is longer than (about 1.3x) length of anal shield; (6) fixed digit of chelicera with seven various size of teeth (including gabelzhan); (7) leg I shorter than length of idiosoma; (8) male with very short spermatodactyl and curved dorsally, free portion of spermatodactyl much shorter than movable digit (0.3× as long as movable digit). Cosmolaelaps paulista Freire & Moraes, 2007 shares almost all above-mentioned character states with C. longus. We have not had the opportunity to examine type specimens of C. paulista, but by comparing the description and figures provided by Freire & Moraes (2007) we could not find any distinguishing authentic morphological differences. So, we suspect that C. paulista may be a junior synonym of C. longus.