Tycherobius ueckermanni Khanjani, Yazyanpanah, Ostovan & Fayaz, 2012, sp. nov.

Tycherobius ueckermanni sp. nov.

(Figs. 17–33)

Diagnosis. Dorsal idiosoma without pdx seta; palp tarsus with one simple seta; peritreme with one loop; dorsal seta c1 190 (180–185 [183]; femoral formula I–IV 4-3 -2-2. The ratio dorsal setae c1: d1: e1: f1 as follows: 2.3(2.17–2.7)[2.4]:2.12(2.12–2.4)[2.28]:1.1(1.18–1.19)[1.18]:1.0(1.0)[1.0].; tarsus I–II with 10(ω)–9(ω).

Female (n=4). Length of body (excluding gnathosoma) 342 (290–320) [303], width 280 (230–245) [237].

Gnathosoma (Figs. 20–22). Gnathosoma 101 (75–95) [86] long (from base of subcapitulum to tip of palp) and 79 (68–95) [78] wide. Peritreme with one loop (Fig. 20). Chelicerae fused 36 (27–28) [28] long (Fig. 20). Palpi five segmented with following setal pattern (Fig. 21): tarsus with one eupathidium, one simple seta, and one small solenidion; tibia with three smooth setae and one long claw 25 (21–25) [23] long; genu with one long and slender seta 36 (34–35) [35]; femur with two serrated setae 16 (17–19) [18], 38 (35–38) [37]. Subcapitulum with setae m 25 (24) [24] and two pairs of adoral setae (or1–2), or1 8 (6–8) [7], or2 10 (8) [8]; m-m 25 (26–28) [27] (Fig. 22). Palp coxa with one supra-coxal seta 4 (4) [4] long (Fig. 22).

Dorsum (Figs 17–19). Dorsal idiosoma region with 14 pairs of long and thick serrated setae set on tubercles (Fig. 17–19). Length of dorsal setae as follows: vi 83 (73–85) [81], ve 62 (47–51) [49], sci 69 (48–66) [58], sce 35 (25–33) [29], c1 190 (180–185 [183], c2 64 (50–65) [56], d1 174 (160–180) [173], d2 55 (40–44) [42], e1 90 (80–100) [90], e2 58 (40–55) [47], f1 82 (67–85) [76], f2 42 (43–45) [44], h1 45 (39–41) [40], h2 31 (35–39) [37]. Distances between setae: vi-vi 36 (35–38) [36], ve–ve 86 (85–90) [87], vi–ve 30 (30)[30], ve-sci 43 (35–40) [38], sci-sci 145 (130–140) [133], sce–sce 210 (180–195) [188], sci–sce 60 (51–60) [55], c1-c1 20(20–25) [25], c1-c2 105 (104–120) [115], c2–c2 240 (200–220) [207], c1–d1 41 (50–60) [55], c2–d2 71 (61–70) [65], d1–d1 33 (27–33) [28], d1–d2 98 (77–100) [90], d2–d2 200 (151–190) [167], d2– e 2 65 (55–60) [58], d1– e 1 47 (40–60) [50], e1- e 1 27 (20–22) [21], e1– e 2 80 (80–85) [83], e2–e2 150 (130–150) [140], e1–f1 50 (55–58) [57], e2–f2 42 (26–50) [37], f1–f1 15 (15–18) [17], f1–f2 52 (45–58) [51], f2–f2 110 (94–95) [95], f1–h1 50 (44–45) [45], f2–h2 30 (25–26) [26], h1-h1 10 (11–15) [13], h1–h2 16 (16–17) [17], h2-h2 50 (50) [50]. Seta c1 the longest while seta h2 the smallest. The ratio of dorsal setae as follows: vi / c1 0.44 (0.41–0.46)[0.44]; c1 / d1 1.09 (1.03–1.13)[1.06]; d1 / e1 1.93 (1.80–2.0)[1.92]; e1 / f1 1.1 (1.17–1.19)[1.18]; f1 / h1 1.82 (1.72–2.07)[1.90]; vi / ve 1.34 (1.55–1.67)[1.65]; sci / sce 1.97 (1.92–2.0)[2.0]; c1 / c2 2.97 (2.84–3.6)[3.27]; d1 / d2 3.16(4.0–4.01)[4.12]; e1 / e2 1.55 (1.81–2.0)[1.91]; f1 / f2 1.95 (1.56–1.89)[1.73]; h1 / h2 1.45 (1.05–1.11)[1.08]; c1: d1: e1: f1: 2.3(2.17–2.7)[2.4]:2.12(2.12–2.4)[2.28]:1.1(1.18–1.19)[1.18]:1.0(1.0)[1.0]. Two pairs of eyes above the seta sce present, 8 (6–8) [7] and 15 (11–14) [13] diameter (Fig. 17).

Venter (Figs. 23–25). Ve n tra l sur fac e striated coxae with soft reticulation, coxal setae stout and serrate, ventral setae 1a, 3a and 4a slender and slightly serrate (1a set on coxa I). Endopodal shields absent. Anogenital area with one pair of aggenital setae (ag), genital valve with one pair of genital seta (g1) and three pairs of small and smooth anal setae (ps1–3). Length of ventral setae: 1a 32 (31) [31], 1b 32 (24–29) [27], 1c 63 (61–61) [61], 2b 45 (39) [39], 3a 31 (30–33) [32], 3b 44 (34–35) [35], 3c 34 (40) [40], 4a 25 (23–28) [26], 4b 16 (15–18) [17], 4c 26 (23–25) [24], ag 19 (15–16) [16], g 15 (15) [15], ps1 15 (15–17) [16], ps2 15 (15) [15], ps3 16 (14–16) [15]. (Figs. 23–25).

Legs (Figs. 26–33). Measurements of leg I 658 (635–645) [640], leg II 570 (513–537) [525], leg III 628 (580–583) [582], leg IV 719 (665–667) [666]. Chaetotaxy of leg segments as follows (solenidia in parentheses and not included in setal counts): coxae 3–1–2–2, trochanters 1–1–1–1, femora 4–3–2–2, genua 1(κ)–1(κ)–1–1, tibiae 9(φ)–8(φ)–7(φ)–7(φ), tarsi 10(ω)–9(ω)–7–7 (Figs. 26–33). Number of tenent hairs in tarsi I–IV as follows: 6–8; 9; 6–8; 2–6 (Figs. 30–33). Genua I–IV with one long, serrated seta, genual setae III–IV longer than I–II. Genual setae length as follows: I – IV 74 (60–65) [62]–133 (115–125) [119]–150 (128–155) [142]–163 (150–158) [154] (Figs. 26–29). Solenidia of legs I–IV length as follows: I κ 3 (3) [3], II κ 3 (3–4) [4], I φ 20 (18–19) [19], II φ 14 (10–12) [11], III φ 8 (11–12) [12], IV φ 9 (10–12) [11], I ω 11 (8–11) [10], II ω 7 (5–7) [6]. Coxa I with one supra-coxal seta 4 (3–4) [4] long (Fig. 25).

Male. Unknown.

Remarks. Tycherobius ueckermanni sp. nov. is similar to T. superbus (Canestrini, 1889) in having two setae on femur III however differs from the latter by: 1) femur I with four setae in T. ueckermanni whereas three in T. superbus; 2) length of dorsal setae c1 180–190 and d1 160–180 in the former vs. 140 and 115 in the latter. The new species also resembles T. farsiensis sp. nov. in lacking dorsal setae pdx and the same tibial setae and tarsal chaetotaxy but can be distinguished from the latter by: 1) femur III with two setae in T. ueckermanni sp. nov. instead of three in T. farsiensis; 2) palp tarsus with one simple seta (plus one eupathidion, one ω) in the former whereas two simple setae (plus one eupathidion, one ω) in the latter; 3) the longest and smallest dorsal setae c1 and h2 respectively in T. ueckermanni instead of d1 and c 1 in T. farsiensis; 4) length of dorsal seta c1 180–190 whereas 27–31 in the latter; 5) ventral surface of coxae I–IV with soft reticulation plus striation in the new species opposed to without reticulation pattern in T. farsiensis; 6) the ratio dorsal setae as follows: c1: d1: e1: f1 2.17–2.7:2.12–2.4:1.10–1.19:1.0; vi / c1 0.41–0.46; c1 / c2 2.84–3.6 versus 0.39–0.45:2.29–2.53:0.97–1.14:1.0; vi / c1 2.90–3.16; c1 / c2 0.40–0.55.

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Prof. Edward A. Ueckermann, who kindly assisted the senior author through excellent collaborations and has helped other Iranian Acarologists in last two decades.

Type materials. Holotype from soil and rotten leaves under oak tree (Quercus brantii Lindl, Fagaceae), Koohmare Sorkhi region, Fars province, Iran (29° 28' 41'' N, 52° 10' 08'' E, 1688 m a.s.l.), 31 xii 2010. Three paratypes (P1–3) from same host respectively: P1, Koohmare Sorkhi region, Fars province, Iran (29° 32 ' 05'' N, 52° 12' 56'' E, 1916 m a.s.l.), 0 1 ix 2010. P2 from soil & rotten leaves under oak tree, Koohmare Sorkhi region, Fars province, Iran (29° 31' 41'' N, 52° 12' 24'' E, 1843 m a.s.l.), 0 4 x 2010. P3, Koohmare Sorkhi region, Fars province, Iran (29° 31' 40'' N, 52° 12' 17'' E, 1827 m a.s.l.), 0 1 iii 2010, S. Yazdanpanah. The type materials are preserved as slide mounted specimens and the holotype female and two paratypes are deposited in the Acari Collection of the Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bu-Ali Sina, Hamedan, Iran and one paratype female will be deposited in the Mite Collection of Arachnida, Biosystematic Division, ARC-Plant Protection Research Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.