RAPHIGNATHUS AZARSHAHRIENSIS N. SP. (ACARI: TROMBIDIFORMES: RAPHIGNATHIDAE) FROM NORTHWEST IRAN

A new species of the genus Raphignathus Duges (Acari: Raphignathidae), Raphignathus azarshahriensis n. sp. is described and illustrated from Azarshahr, Northwest Iran. A key to all known species of Raphignathus in Iran is also given.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
Mites were extracted from soil of black cherry, walnut and almond orchards using a Berlese funnel. Collected specimens were cleared in Nesbitt's fluid and mounted in Hoyer's Medium (Walter et al. 2009). The gnathosomal length is measured from the proximal base of the chelicerae to the tip of the palptibial claw, and the length of idiosoma from the suture between gnathosoma and idiosoma to the posterior margin of idiosoma, the width of idiosoma at the broadest part. The setae were measured from their insertion base to the tip. Distances between setae were measured between the insertions. Dorsal setal designation followed Kethley (1990) and and leg setal are noted according to Grandjean (1944). All measurements are given in micrometers (µm).
Male and immature stages -Unknown.
Etymology -The new species name "azarshahriensis" refers to the type locality, Azarshahr, Iran.
Type material -Holotype female and seven female paratypes of Raphignathus azarshahriensis n. sp.
were collected from soil of black cherry, walnut and almond orchards, September 17, 2011, Pirchopan village, Azarshahr, East Azerbaijan province, Iran, by Mansoureh Ahaniazad. The holotype and one paratype female will be deposited in the Therefore each of these 50 species differs by the combination of these eight characters, and none of these combinations is specific to the Iranian species. Some of the species present in the Iranian fauna were originally described from South Africa, China and USA, (R. giselae, R. gracilis, R. zhaoi and R. collegiatus respectively). The presence in Iran of these species with wide distribution forbids to define characteristics of the Iranian species against other countries.
Anyway the new species is very close in body shape and in leg chaetotaxy to R. protaspus (Khanjani and Ueckermann, 2003), yet described from Iran. The number of tibial solenidia on the first pair of legs is the main character that discriminates these two species: two distinct solenidia in the new species (ϕ and ϕρ) vs an unique solenidion in R. protaspus (ϕρ). The new species (582 -690 µm) is also somewhat longer than R. protaspus (491 -516 µm).
The new species could be confused with R. collegiatus Atyeo, Baker and Crossley, described from U.S.A., by having 3 pairs of genital setae, 2 pairs of setae on interscutal membrance, 4 setae on femur IV and in having the same chaetotaxy. But R. collegiatus and the new species can be separated as follows: 1. the setae e 1 are well behind anterior margin of opisthosomal shield in the new species, 2. the cupule im is on opistosomal shield in new species but on integument in R. collegiatus,