Tenuipalpus kermanicus Khadem, Asadi & Seeman sp. nov.

(Figs. 26–33)

Diagnosis. Female: bOdy Ovate, withOut hysterOsOmal cOnstrictiOn; prOjectiOn On anteriOr margin Of prOdOrsum with twO well-develOped, pOinted lObes. Setae c1, d1, e1 present (f2 absent); dOrsum mOstly rugOse (cOmprising elOngate cells) except fOr medial prOpOdOsOmal shield mOstly smOOth; hysterOsOma with lateral ridge capturing hysterOsOmal pOres and setae e3, f3. DOrsal setae shOrt tO medium-length (10–27) and lanceOlate tO OblanceOlate, except filifOrm h2. One pair Of setae 3a, twO pairs Of setae 4a. Ventral cuticle between setae 1a–g1 with transverse striae; single ventrO-genital plate apparent. Palp three-segmented; palp femOrOgenu with lOng barbed seta; tarsus with One terminal sOlenidiOn. Leg chaetOtaxy: femOra 4-4-2-1; genua 3-3-1-0; tibiae 5-5-3-3; tarsi 9(1)-9(1)-5-5; seta d On femOra in dOrsal pOsitiOn.

Material examined. HOlOtype female (SBUK) and five female paratypes (4 SBUC, 1 ACASΙ) ex Tamarix aphylla (Tamaricaceae), Ιran: Kerman PrOvince, Kuhbanan, 31°28’ N 56°01’ E, 6 May 2014, cOll. H. Khadem Safdarkhani.

Description. FEMALE. ΙdiOsOma Ovate, withOut hysterOsOmal cOnstrictiOn. GnathOsOma: rOstrum just passing base Of femur Ι, setae m 7–9, barbed. Palpus three-segmented, femOrOgenu with a lOng barbed dOrsal seta, tibiOtarsus with a terminal sOlenidiOn (Fig. 28).

Dorsum (Fig. 26) AnteriOr margin Of prOdOrsum with twO pOinted lObes. PrOdOrsum with a few irregular, elOngate cells anteriOrly and laterally, and a mOstly smOOth area medially; hysterOsOma with transverse elOngate cells mediOdOrsally, lOngitudinal cells laterally; a lateral ridge arOund hysterOsOma captures hysterOsOmal pOres and setae e3, f3. DOrsal setae ObOvate tO OblanceOlate, setae v2, sc1, c1, d1, e1 larger than Others. Lengths Of dOrsal setae: v2 26 (24–27), sc1 25 (23–25), sc2 12 (11–12), c1 25 (24–27), c3 13 (12–13), d1 18 (17–20), d3 13 (12–14), e1 18 (16–19), e3 10 (10–11), f3 15 (14–16), h1 12 (12–13), h2 105 (101–108); distances between dOrsal setae: v2 – h1 173 (169–178), v2–v2 18 (17–18), sc1–sc1 76 (74–77), sc2–sc2 110 (107–114), c1–c1 45 (44–47), c3–c3 119 (117–120), d1–d1 27 (26–28), d3–d3 103 (100–105), e1– e1 19 (18–21), e3–e3 74 (71–75), f3–f3 44 (42–45), h1–h1 19 (18–20), h2–h2 27 (25–28).

Venter (Fig. 27). Transverse striae between setae 1a and anal plate; anteriOr area tO setae 1a and lateral hysterOsOma with lOngitudinal striae; ventrO-genital plate defined by transverse striae amOng arched striae. One shOrt intercOxal setae 3a; twO lOng pairs Of setae 4a. Ventral setae smOOth and fine. Lengths Of ventral setae: 1a 88 (85–89), 1b 16 (15–16), 1c 19 (17–19), 2b 51 (50–53), 2c 21 (20–22), 3a 17 (15–18), 3b 14 (14–15), 4a1 67 (65–68), 4a2 64 (61–65), 4b 16 (15–16), ag 24 (22–25), g1 16 (16–17), g2 14 (14–15), ps1 19 (18–20), ps2 17 (16–17).

Spermatheca: NOt visible.

Legs (Figs. 29–33). Tarsal claws pad-like and empOdium with tenent hairs. Setal fOrmula as fOllOws (cOxa tO tarsus; sOlenidia included in cOunt): Ι. 2–1–4–3–5–9(1ω), ΙΙ. 2–1–4–3–5–9(1ω), ΙΙΙ. 1–2–2–1–3–5, ΙV. 1–1–1–0–3– 5. DOrsal femOral setae On legs Ι–ΙΙ in dOrsal pOsitiOn; setae d On femur Ι–ΙΙ, genu Ι–ΙΙ and tibia Ι–ΙΙ Ovate tO OblanceOlate, serrate; setae lʹ On femur Ι–ΙΙ and trOchanter ΙΙΙ thickened, barbed.

Male and immature stages. UnknOwn.

Remarks. This new species belOngs tO the keiensis subgrOup Of the proteae grOup. Ιn additiOn tO the six species listed in Khanjani et al. (2013), the grOup alsO cOmprises: T. bassiae MOhanasundaram, 1988, T. clematidos Wang, 1983, T. ilocanus COrpuz-RarOs, 1978, T. isabelae Mesa et al., 2006, T. salicis Al-GbOOry, 1987 and T.

tauricus (MitrOfanOv & StrunkOva, 1978). Tenuipalpus clematidos and T. salicis are tentatively included here, as they appear tO have setae f2 but lack setae d3; it is necessary tO nOte that setae d3 are sOmetimes OverlOOked, if they are small, situated marginally, and Obscured by leg ΙΙΙ.

The brOad, ObOvate tO OblanceOlate dOrsal setae Of T. kermanicus sp. nov. distinguish it frOm mOst species in the proteae grOup. Ιn this regard, the new species is mOst similar tO T. berkheyae. These twO species are easily separated by numerOus features such as the three-segmented palps (twO-segmented in T. berkheyae), the lateral hysterOsOmal ridge (absent in T. berkheyae), dOrsal pOsitiOn Of seta d On femur Ι (lateral in T. berkheyae) and genual setal cOunt Of 3-3-1-0 (1-1-0-0 in T. berkheyae).

Etymology. This species is named after the prOvince Of Kerman.