NEW SPECIES OF THE GENUS LAUROPPIA SUBÍAS & MÍNGUEZ , 1986 ( ACARI , ORIBATIDA , OPPIIDAE ) FROM IRAN

Two new species of oribatid mites of the family Oppiidae Sellnick, 1937, Lauroppia iranica sp. nov. and Lauroppia persiangulfia sp. nov., are described from Mazandaran province, Northern Iran. These two new species are characterized by their long sensillus, with a bipectinate fusiform head and seven medium long barbs in L. iranica and a pectinate head and six long barbs in L. persiangulfia. Also an identification key to the Iranian species of Lauroppia is given.

In this paper we describe two new species of the genus Lauroppia, namely Lauroppia iranica sp.nov.and Lauroppia persiangulfia sp.nov.from Iran.The specimens are mounted in permanent slides on Hoyer's medium.All measurements are given in micrometers (µm).Prodorsum (fig.1).Rostrum pointed at tip; rostral setae (ro) long, situated far from each other, finely barbed; lamellar setae (le) thin, smooth, setiform and shorter than rostral setae; interlamellar setae (in) nearly as long as rostral setae, finely barbed; exobothridial setae (ex) medium long with some barbs; sensillus (ss) long, bipectinate fusiform, its head with seven medium long barbs; bothridia round; some muscle sigillae situated anterior to each bothridium; costulae present between each bothridium and interlamellar seta.
Notogaster (fig.1).Notogaster oval, dorsosejugal suture straight; crista present; ten pairs of notogastral setae thin and smooth (seta lm is broken and it is only depicted as insertion point on both sides), seta c 2 well developed, lm and la nearly situated at same level; lyrifissures ia and latero-opisthosomal gland (gla) openings well developed.
Ventral region (fig.2).Epimeral region with a few muscle sigillae; apodemes I, II, Sj and IV well developed; epimeral setal formula (I-IV) 3-1-3-3 (setae 1c and 3c are broken and it is only depicted as insertion point on both sides); epimeral setae 1b, 4b and 4c distinctly two branched; discidium (dis) well developed; genital plates with six pairs of setae, four arranged on inner margin and another two on outer margin of the plates, g 1 about twice as long as the other genital setae, one pair of aggenital (seta ag is broken and it is only depicted as insertion point on both sides), two pairs of anal and three pairs of adanal setae present; ano-genital region smooth; iad fissures paraanal and adjacent to anal plates.
ETYMOLOGY.The specific name "iranica" refers to the country of the type locality of this species, Iran.
Ventral region (fig.6).Epimeral region with a few muscle sigillae; apodemes I, II, Sj and IV well developed; epimeral setal formula (I-IV) 3-1-3-3; epimeral setae 1b and 4b distinctly two branched and epimeral setae 3c and 4c finely barbed; discidium (dis) well developed; genital plates with six pairs of setae, four arranged on inner margin and another two on outer margin of the plates, g 1 about twice as long as other genital setae, one pair of aggenital, two pairs of anal and three pairs of adanal setae present; ano-genital region smooth; iad fissures paraanal and adjacent to anal plates.
REMARKS.Because of the long sensillus and short lamellar costulae the new species resembles L. decempectinata (Fujikawa, 1986), from Japan, but its sensillus is setiform, the notogastral setae longer and falgelliform, and the genital plates have only five pairs of setae.