Copidognathus tabellio (Trouessart, 1894)

Durucan, Furkan, 2024, Three new records and some juveniles of the genus Copidognathus (Acari, Halacaridae) from Türkiye, Persian Journal of Acarology 13, pp. 771-796 : 779-780

Copidognathus tabellio (Trouessart, 1894) ( Figs. 10A–L , Table 4)

Morphology and notes

Integument of the specimens have brown pigmentation.

Female – Porose areolae on dorsal and ventral plates with typical rosette pores. AD with three porose areolae. OC with two corneae. PD with a pair of costae two rosette pores wide. Glp-1 on AD near anterolateral margin of the plate. Ds-1 on AD almost as same level as glp-1. Ds-2 on OC. Ds- 3 in margin of PD ( Fig. 10A ). GA truncate anteriorly with three pairs pgs and one pair of sgs. Ovipositor extending tip levels with pgs-1 ( Fig. 10B ). AE with a pair of epimeral pores and three pairs of ventral setae. PE with one dorsal and three ventral setae ( Fig. 10B ).

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 10G ) 1.7 times longer than wide. Rostrum triangular, extending beyond P2. Tectum triangular, Palps are slender and consist of four segments. P1 to P4 lengths 13, 34, 10, 40 respectively. P1 and P3 without setae, P2 with single seta, P4 with three setae at basal whorl. Leg I 185 long ( Fig. 10H ). Telofemur I laterally reticulated. Length: height ratio 2.0. Tibia IV has five smooth setae. Tarsi IV with 3 dorsal setae ( Fig. 10I ). All legs ( Figs. 2 I-O) slender and long but shorter than idiosoma. On the surface of telofemora, genua and tibiae I and II foveate with rosette pores. Leg chaetotaxy from trochanter to tarsus (bipectinated setae between parentheses, parambulacral setae and solenidia excluded): leg I: 1, 2, 5, 4, 7(2), 6 5; leg II: 1, 2, 5, 4, 6(2), 3; leg III: 1, 2, 3, 3, 5(1), 4; leg IV: 0, 2, 3, 3, 5(1), 3. Tibiae I to IV with 2, 2, 1, 1 bipectinate setae. Tarsi I to IV with 3, 3, 4, 3 dorsal setae and 3, 0, 0, 0 ventral setae. All legs with two lateral claws with accessory process but large pectines (oil immersion) and a small bidentate median claw.

Male – Male is similar to female except for the genital plate ( Fig. 10C ). GO surrounded by 24 pgs. Spermatopositor large (110), extending beyond ring of pgs. Four pairs of sgs are present; anterior pairs of sgs hair-like, posterior ones spur-like. GO 50 long, 30 wide. Distance between edges of GA and GO 82.

Protonymph – Idiosomal length of only one specimen 275. Porose areolae and a pair of costae of dorsal plates with rosette pores. AD with three porose areolae and glp-1 on lateral margin of the plate. OC longer than wide. PD anteriorly ovate. Ds-1 on anterior edge of porose areaolae on AD. Pairs of ds-2 and ds-3 on striated integument. Ds-4 and ds-5 on PD. AE with three setae and pair of epimeral pore. GP small, ovate, a genital acetabula. No setae on genital plate ( Fig. 10J, K ). Gnathosoma longer than wide ( Fig. 10G ). Solenidion on tarsi I 14 long ( Fig. 10L ). Legs with two lateral claws ( Fig. 10L ) with accessory process and a small bidentate median claw. Fossa membrane well-developed in tarsi I and II, while slender in tarsi III and IV. Leg chaetotaxy from trochanter to tarsus (bipectinated setae between parentheses, parambulacral setae and solenidia excluded): leg I: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5(1), 6; leg II: 1, 2, 3, 4, 4(1), 3; leg III: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5(1), 4; leg IV: 0, 1+2 (basifemur + telofemur), 3, 5(1), 3. Each of tibiae I to IV with one bipectinate setae. All legs with two lateral claws with accessory process but large pectines (oil immersion) and a small bidentate median claw .

Remarks

Copidognathus tabellio was previously reported from Antalya (Finike) in fine sand at a depth of 6 m, based on adult specimens ( Durucan 2019). In this study, the protonymph stage of the species is reported and illustrated for the first time from Antalya, Türkiye .

Figures

Figure 2. Copidognathus cribosoma (Police, 1909) (adults) – A. Idiosoma, dorsal view (female); B. Idiosoma, ventral view (female); C. Ocular plate; D. Epimera II; E. Ovipositor; F. Genitoanal plate (male); G. Spermatopositor; H. Gnathosoma, dorsal view (female); I. Leg I, medial view (female); J. Leg II, medial view (female); K. Leg III, medial view (female); L. Leg IV, medial view (female); M. Tarsus I, dorsomedial view (female); N. Tibia I, medial view (female); O. Tibia II, medial view (female). Scale bars: 50 µm.

Figure 10. Copidognathus tabellio (Trouessart, 1894) – A. Idiosoma, dorsal view (female); B. Idiosoma, ventral view (female); C. Idiosoma, ventral view (male); D. Left ocular plate; E. Part of posterior dorsal plate; F. Posterior epimeral plate, lateral view; G. Gnathosoma, ventral view; H. Leg I, lateral view; I. Tarsus and tibia IV, lateral view J Idiosoma, dorsal view (PN) K Idiosoma, ventral view (PN) L Leg I, lateral view (PN). Scale bars: A-C, J-L=50 µm; D, E, F, H, I = 50 µm; G = 100 µm.