Biologia 64/6: 11571160, 2009 Section Zoology DOI: 10.

2478/s11756-009-0186-4

A new mite species of the genus Lasioseius (Acari: Gamasina: Ascidae) from Central Europe
Stanislav Kalz
Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dbravsk cesta 9, SK-84506 Bratislava, Slovakia; e-mail: stanislav.kaluz@savba.sk

Abstract: Lasioseius minor sp. n. (Acari: Gamasina: Ascidae) is described from the soil of thermophilic oak forest from south-western Slovakia. L. minor sp. n. belongs to the subgenus Crinidens having not reduced number of dorsal setae, separate metapodal platelets, epistomal margin with three well developed branches and only two small smooth pointed dorsal setae. Key words: Acari; Gamasina; Lasioseius; new species; soil

Introduction The worldwide-distributed genus Lasioseius is one of the most diverse genera of the Cohors Gamasina. Authors classied this genus among dierent families (Evans 1958; Karg 1993). According Halliday et al. (1998) Lasioseius belongs to the most morphologically disparate genus of the family Ascidae. Furthermore, this genus includes highly ecologically variable species (Bregetova 1977; Karg 1980, 1993), some of them common in the soil. It is not surprising that more than 80 new species of this genus have been described during the last 20 years, mainly from tropical and subtropical regions. After revision of this genus (Christian & Karg 2006) altogether 21 species are recently known from Europe. These authors placed the genus Lasioseius in the family Podocinidae, taking into account Kargs classication of Mesostigmata (Karg 1965, 1993). While the position of the genus Lasioseius in the family (Ascidae or Podocinidae) is still disputable, the majority of acarologists prefer the more complex family-level classication suggested by Halliday et al. (1998) based on wider set of characteristics supported by the information on leg chaetotaxy (Evans 1963). Despite of dierent understanding of classication of family-level characteristics, the morphological features and the classication of the genus Lasioseius is clear for most of the acarologists. The majority of Lasioseius species are known to occur in wet habitats and the nding of an unknown representative of the genus Lasioseius in a thermophilic oak forest was rather surprising. This paper brings the description of a new Lasioseius species from south-west Slovakia.

Mites on slides were cleared and preserved in Swann s solution, then elaborated using a light microscopy. All measurements in micrometers (m) used in the text and gures were taken from slide-mounted specimens with stage calibrated ocular micrometer. The anatomical nomenclature and morphological features of specimens in this paper follow the classication by Evans (1958, 1963) suggested for the family Ascidae, later used and completed by Lindquist & Evans (1965) and Halliday et al. (1998). The dierential diagnosis of the species reects the key for the genus Lasioseius given by Christian & Karg (2006). Abbreviations of leg segments in the text are as follows: Tr trochanter, Fe femur, Ge genu, Ti tibia, Ta tarsus.

Diagnosis Dorsal shield of adult female with 35 trispinate serrate setae and 1 short needle-shaped seta J5. Lateral soft integument of dorsum also bears very short smooth pointed r2, longer serrate r6 and R1R6 setae. Ventral side with peritrematal shield fused with exopodal shield posteriorly and with two pairs of separate metapodal plates. Broad ventri-anal shield bears 7 pairs of setae sensu Christian & Karg (2006) whose dened the number of ventri-anal setae including also par-anal setae; 1 pair of para-anal setae, Jv1Jv4 and Zv2Zv3. Hypostomal setae not enlarged. Sternal pores stp1 and stp2 on sternal shield, stp3 on anterior margin of meta-sternal plate, genital pores laterally on soft integument closed to epigynial shield. Legs IIIV with medial lobes of pulvillus blunt, genu III having 9 setae. Lasioseius minor sp. n belongs to Lasioseius-ometisimilis-complex having 67 pairs of ventral setae including para-anal setae. Lasioseius minor sp. n.

Material and methods

Description. Female. Dorsum (Fig. 1). Idiosoma

c 2009 Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences

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S. Kalz

Figs 15. Lasioseius minor (holotype): 1 idiosoma dorsal; 2 idiosoma ventral; 3 hypostome; 4 chelicerae; 5 epistome. Scales 100 m.

(holotype/minimalaveragemaximal in holotype and paratypes the same pattern also used in other characteristics in the text) 224/224247265 wide and 386/386404413 long, dorsal shield covers most of the dorsal part of idiosoma, with an exception of the area around r2, and the strip of skin carrying the setae r6R6. Dorsal shield 212/212219223 m wide and 386/386400411 m long at the level of humeral setae (s4). Shield anteriorly without an apparent ornamentation, opisthosomal medio-central part between the rows of setae J1J4 and Z1Z4 with ne-developed scale-shaped pattern. Altogether 10 pairs of pores on dorsal shield; pores situated between setae; j3z3, z4

j5, s5Z1, J1J2, J2J3, J4Z4, Z2Z3, Z3Z4, S3S4 and S4S5 respectively. Nearly all dorsal setae laterally broadened and apically tricarinate, with pectinate dorsal margin. Setae relatively short, not reaching the bases of following setae, except the longest caudal setae Z4, Z5 and S5. Setae r2, r6 and R1R6 on soft integument of dorsal margin, needle-like J5 setae very short. Length of dorsal setae: j1 = 20/202223, j2 = 26/2626.728, j3 = 24/2426.528, j4 = 28/262728, J1 = 28/2830.332, J2 = 29/2932.334, J3 = 28/28 30.331, J4 = 27/2730.534, J5 = 12/1214.316, Z1 = 28/2830.331, Z2 = 29/2932.334, Z3 = 31/31 32.534, Z4 = 43/4345.749, Z5 = 50/505456 m.

New species of Lasioseius from Europe

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Figs 69. Lasioseius minor (holotype): 1 leg I (A dorsal; B ventral); 7 leg II (A dorsal; B ventral); 8 leg III (A dorsal; B ventral); 9 leg IV (A dorsal; B ventral). Scales 100 m.

Distances between dorsal setae: j1j1 = 8/88.59, j2j2 = 37/3838.340, j3j3 = 42/4242.346, j4j4 = 31/3132.834, j5j5 = 31/3131.532, j1j2 = 38/38 42.345, j2j3 = 42/383942, j3j4 = 35/353840, j4 j5 = 52/5253.355, J1J1 = 28/2627.528, J2J2 = 31/3132.334, J3J3 = 29/293134, J4J4 = 31/31 34.837, J5J5 = 26/2628.831, J1J2 = 35/3536.5 37, J2J3 = 35/353637, J3J4 = 35/353637, J4J5 = 61/6163.566 m. Venter (Fig. 2). Peritremes long and narrow, reaching to j1. Stigmata situated at the level of anterior margin of coxae IV. Narrow peritrematal shield with a big pore on posterior part, shield fused with the exopodal plate posteriorly. All coxae with scale-shaped ornamentation. Sternal shield (excluding pre-sternal plates) 120/120128132 wide and 92/929395 long including anterior corners. Wide pre-sternal plates reaching nearly to the base of tritosternum. Sternal shield ne-reticulated laterally and dotted medio-posteriorly; bears three pairs of smooth pointed setae. Two pores stp1 and stp2 on sternal shield, stp3 on anterior margin of small oval metasternal shields. Fourth pair of nude sternal setae on metasternal plates. Female epigynial shield 100/100106109 long and 66/666871 wide, with a pair of genital setae, shield posteriorly truncate. Four narrow platelets situated between epigynial and ventri-anal shields. Reticulate ornamentation mainly on posterior part of epigynial shield. Genital pores laterally on soft integument, closed to epigynial shield. Spermathecal structures not visible. Two separate metapodal platelets on each side, internal platelets 67times smaller than external. Ventri-anal shield big, 135/135144154 long and 189/189203216 wide, with six pairs of smooth pointed setae (Jv1Jv4, Zv2Zv3)

and a three circum-anal setae (a pair of para-anal and one postanal). Smooth pointed post-anal seta the longest. Ventri-anal shield anteriorly with an expressive line ornamentation and dotted posterior margin. Shield slightly concave at the level of para-anal setae. Posterolateral soft integument beside ventri-anal shield with three pairs of small smooth pointed setae and a pair of longer plumose Jv5 setae. Anal opening 14 m wide and 17 m long, with small anal valves. Gnathosoma (Fig. 3). Relatively narrow, 97/97 97.398 long and 71/717984 wide. Palpes 117/117 122124 long with number of setae on palp segments: Tr(2) Fe(5) Ge(6) Ti(12) Ta(10). Medio-lateral inner setae on palp femur and palp genu thickened, apically broadened, spade-shaped. Corniculi slender, apically sharp, reaching to one third of length of palp femur. Palp tarsal claw with two prongs. Chelicerae (Fig. 4) typical for the genus Lasioseius, 85/858992 long, movable digit 35/3434.835 long with 4 teeth. Fixed digit bears long row of small teeth (1013) and well developed pilus dentilis. Hypostome with 4 pairs of nude setae. Rostral hypostomal setae short, not reaching to distal half of palp femur. Ventral groove with 7 multidentate transverse rows, each with 611 denticles. Epistome (Fig. 5) small, produced into three processes, lateral processes with denticulate external margins. Legs (Figs 69). All legs terminating in ambulacra (with blunt median lobes of pulvillus on legs IIIV), legs with smooth pointed and relatively short setae. Number of setae on leg segments (leg formula): I: Tr (6) Fe (12) Ge (13) Ti (13) Ta (35); II: Tr (6) Fe (10) Ge (11) Ti (10) Ta (16); III: Tr (5) Fe (6) Ge (9) Ti (8) Ta (15); IV: Tr (5) Fe (6) Ge (9) Ti (10) Ta (16).

1160 The length of leg segments (holotype/minimalaverage-maximal in holotype and paratypes): Leg I: Tr 25/2527.531; Fe 54/545962; Ge 42/4245.35; Ti 46/465054; Ta 108/108111116; total length 277/277293305. Leg II: Tr 34/3739.350; Fe 38/384654; Ge 40/4041.542; Ti 38/3839.5 43; Ta 95/95103108; total length 245/245269 289. Leg III: Tr 38/384042; Fe 46/464750; Ge 34/3435.538; Ti 35/353535; Ta 92/9299104; total length 245/245257262. Leg IV: Tr 49/49 56.862; Fe 68/6874.877; Ge 46/464850; Ti 50/5052.358; Ta 138/138144.5151; total length 357/357376.5386.
Material examined. Holotype female: SW Slovakia, tiavnick vrchy Mts, Ladzany willage env. (48 06 23 N, 18 50 07 E), 183 m altitude, natural thermophile oak forest (Quercetum) on magmatic rocks, from soil samples and leaf litter, 26.VI.2005. Paratypes: The same locality, 3 females from soil samples and leaf litter, 9.VIII.2006. The type material is deposited in the Slovak National Museum, Bratislava (holotype No SZ6884, paratypes SZ No6885). Male is unknown.

S. Kalz De Leon, 1963. Lasioseius minor sp. n. bears the rst pair of sternal setae on sternal shield and this feature distinguishes it from L. epicriodopsis De Leon, 1963 and L. tomokoae Ishikawa, 1969, having the rst pair of setae anteriorly to the sternal shield. The most similar species Lasioseius cochlearis Christian et Karg, 2006, L. postanalis Christian et Karg, 2006, L. laciniatus Christian et Karg, 2006 and L. tricuspidis Christian et Karg, 2006 dier from Lasioseius minor sp. n. having both other shape of epistome and dorsal setae. These South-American species have very ne dorsal setae and very thin medial epirostral process compared to L. minor. Moreover, in L. cochlearis the external metapodal plates are two times smaller than internal metapodal plates, while in L. minor sp. n. the external plates are 67 times bigger. Besides the size, separate metapodal plates in L. postanalis, L. laciniatus and L. tricuspidis are situated longitudinally while in L. minor sp. n. transversally. Remaining species in Lasioseius ometisimilis-complex have three epistomal branches (11 species). They dier from L. minor sp. n., having other shape both of epistome and dorsal setae.
Acknowledgements This paper contributes to the results of research project VEGA No. 2/6156/26 dealing with the arthropod fauna of relict oak forests. References
Bregetova N.G. 1977. Seme stvo Aceosejidae Baker et Wharton, 1952 (sensu Evans, 1958), pp. 169226. In: Gilyarov M.S. & Bregetova N.G. (eds), Opredelite obitayushchikh v pochve kleshche (Mesostigmata), Izdatelstvo Nauka, Leningrad. Christian A. & Karg W. 2006. The predatory mite genus Lasioseius Berlese, 1916 (Acari, Gamasina). Abh. Ber. Naturkundemus. Grlitz 77: 99250. o Evans G.O. 1958. A revision of the British Aceosejinae (Acarina: Mesostigmata). Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 131: 177229. Evans G.O. 1963. Observation on the chaetotaxy of the legs in the free-living Gamasina (Acari: Mesostigmata). Bull. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Zool. 10 (5): 275303. Halliday R.B., Walter D.E. & Lindquist E.E. 1998. Revision of the Australian Ascidae (Acarina: Mesostigmata). Invertebr. Taxon. 12: 154. Karg W. 1965. Larvalsystematische und phylogenetische Untersuchung sowie Revision des Systems der Gamasina Leach, 1915 (Acarina: Parasitiformes). Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berl. 41: 193340. Karg W. 1980. Die Raubmilbengattung Lasioseius Berlese, 1916. Zool. Jahrb. Abt. Syst. Oekol. Geogr. Tiere 107: 344367. Karg W. 1993. Acari (Acarina), Milben, Parasitiformes (Anactinochaeta) Cohors Gamasina Leach, Raubmilben. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands 59. Gustav Fischer Verlag, JenaStuttgart-New York, 523 pp. Lindquist E.E. & Evans G.O. 1965. Taxonomic concepts in the Ascidae with a modied setal nomenclature for the idiosoma of the Gamasina (Acarina: Mesostigmata). Mem. Entomol. Soc. Can. 47: 164. Received March 31, 2008 Accepted June 20, 2009

Etymology. The specic name (minor) reects the small body size of mite. Dierential diagnosis. The species in the genus Lasioseius are morphologically dierent and some authors included morphologically similar species into several subgenera. Christian & Karg (2006) suggested the ve subgenera (Endopodalius, Lasioseius, Borinquolaelaps, Crinidens and Cuspiacus), taking into account mainly the shape and position of metapodal plates, the size of anus, number of ventri-anal setae and the shape of dorsal setae. As such, the morphological characters of Lasioseius minor sp. n. enable to place this species into the subgenus Crinidens, having not fused endopodal plates, metapodal plates divided into two smaller platelets, not enlarged anus, ventri-anal shield with 57 setae and trispinate dorsal setae. More detailed distinguishing features separating the complexes of species in this subgenus reect the number of setae on ventri-anal shield and the length of legs I. Lasioseius minor sp. n. can be included into Lasioseius ometisimilis-complex of species bearing 7 pairs of ventri-anal setae. Altogether 22 species are involved in this species complex; 10 come from America (mainly South and Central), 3 from Asia, 2 from Africa and 7 species are occurring in Europe. Small body size and weakly sclerotized cuticle of Lasioseius minor sp. n. resemble some immature stages of other groups of gamasid mites. Lasioseius minor sp. n. belongs to group of species with not reduced number of dorsal setae, clearly separate metapodal plates, margin of epistome with three well developed branches and only two small nude dorsal setae (Christian & Karg 2006). Not reduced number of dorsal setae and clearly separate metapodal plates divide Lasioseius minor sp. n. from L. breviacutus Christian et Karg, 2006, L. peritremus Nasr et Abou-Awad, 1987, L. sagittarius Ishikawa, 1976 and L. spectabilis