Cosmolaelaps markewitschi

Cosmolaelaps markewitschi (Pirianyk)

(Figures 26–34)

Laelaspis markewitschi Pirianyk, 1959: 97.

Laelaspis markewitschi.— Reitblat, 1963: 81; Lapina, 1976: 52; Bregetova, 1977: 547.

Hypoaspis markewitschi.— Shcherbak, 1971b: 29.

Gymnolaelaps markewitschi.— Joharchi et al., 2012: 2013; Moreira et al., 2014: 276.

Cosmolaelaps markewitschi.— Nemati & Gwiazdowicz, 2016: 545.

Specimens examined. Eight females and four males, Kostanay Region, Kazakhstan, 53°15ʹN, 66°26ʹE, 19 October 2019, A.K. Issakova coll., from soil (in TSUMZ).

Remarks. The different generic placement presented above shows that most authors could not decide on the correct generic placement of this species. Pirianyk (1959) described Laelaspis markewitschi as a new species from specimens collected on rodents in Ukraine and is now recorded from Kazakhstan for the first time, from soil. Shcherbak (1971b) considered this species belongs to Hypoaspis sensu lato. Then, Joharchi et al. (2012) excluded this species from Laelaspis due to the absence of the characteristic ornamentation of the genital shield, and transferred it to Gymnolaelaps. Nemati & Gwiazdowicz (2016) treated this species as a member of Cosmolaelaps due to shape of dorsal setae which all have a small basal protuberance. We also confirm this diagnostic character in newly collected specimens from Kazakhstan (Fig. 26), so we here follow Nemati & Gwiazdowicz (2016) since the species includes the diagnostic character states of Cosmolaelaps (see Moreira et al., 2014). Cosmolaelaps markewitschi is closely related to Cosmolaelaps lutegiensis (e.g. the reticulation pattern of the genital shield similar, genital shield extending close to anal shield; shape of dorsal setae are similar; anterior edge of epistome irregularly denticulate and palptarsal claw two-tined, etc.), but it differs from C. lutegiensis by the 40 pairs of dorsal setae (22 pairs of podonotal setae and 17 pairs of opisthonotal setae, including three pairs of Zx setae, see Fig. 26), while in C. lutegiensis the dorsal shield bears 38 pairs of setae (22 pairs of podonotal setae, and 16 pairs of opisthonotal setae, including just one pair of Zx setae); the genital shield is widened behind coxae IV in C. markewitschi (Fig. 27), while in C. lutegiensis it is not markedly widened; fixed digit of chelicera with 5–6 teeth in C. markewitschi (Fig. 32), while three in C. lutegiensis; insemination structures distinctive and apparently sclerotised (sacculus circular shape, the proximal ends of the tubulus slightly swollen at junction with ramus) in C. markewitschi (Fig. 28), while not distinctive in C. lutegiensis, apparently unsclerotised; posterior margin of genital shield more or less truncate in C. markewitschi (Fig. 27), while rounded in C. lutegiensis; posterior margin sternal shield concave in C. markewitschi (Fig. 27), while more or less straight in C. lutegiensis.