Graptoppia ( Stenoppia ) italica ( Bernini, 1973 )

Graptoppia ( Stenoppia) italica ( Bernini, 1973) View in CoL

Oppia heterotricha Bernini, 1969 , 51:1–3, Holotype & Paratype. – Bernini Collection, Italy, Ravenna (Preoccupied - Balogh, 1983). Oppia italica Bernini, 1973 , 3(1):421. (replacment name by Bernini, 1973)

Graptoppia ( Stenoppia) italica Bernini, 1973 View in CoL . (new combination by Balogh, 1983)

Material examined. Four specimens: Zahak county , Chah-Nimeh recreational, Sistan-o Baluchestan province, southeastern Iran, soil under berry tree ( Morus sp. ), 30°50'39"N, 61°43'07"E, 483 m a.s.l., 11-V-2018 GoogleMaps ; one specimen: Zabol county , Campus of the University of Zabol , Sistan-o Baluchestan province ( Southeastern Iran) soil under tamarisk ( Tamarix sp. ), 31°02'26"N, 61°32'07"E, 475 m a.s.l., 22- VI-2021, coll.: F. Ordouni GoogleMaps ; one specimen: Birjand county , Waterfall Chahardeh village, South Khorasan province ( Central-Eastern Iran), the soil under waterfall, 32°48'35"N, 59°14'26"E, 1686 m a.s.l., 7-V-2020, coll.: M. Kohansal. GoogleMaps

Diagnosis. Body size: 196–285 (length) × 92–184 (width). Rostrum rounded and not incised, costulae and transcostula present, well-developed, basal part of costulae not developed. Rostral, lamellar, interlamellar and exobothridial setae setiform with 3, 2, 2, and 1 cilia respectively. Rostral setae slightly thicker and longer than lamellar and interlamellar setae. Bothridial setae fusiform with long ten branches. Interbothridial region with two pairs of clear muscle sigillae. Interbothridial tubercles absent. Longitudinal rows, comprising four pairs of muscle sigillae, present in front of the bothridia, nine pairs long, setiform with one branch notogastral setae, one pair ( c) of minute, needle form without branch setae. Epimeral and anogenital setae thin and setiform and epimeral border IV semi-oval. Long lyrifissures ia, im, iad, ad 1 and ad 2 setae thicker and longer than other ano-adanal setae, ad 1 setae with one branch and the others smooth, solenidion φ of tibia I very long, whip-like.

Complementary description ( Figs 1–8)

Measurments. Body length: 196–285; notogaster width: 92–184 (n=6).

Integument ( Figs 1). Body colour light brownish. Body surface smooth but transcostular regions densely microgranulate.

Prodorsum ( Figs 1). Prodorsum with rostrum rounded, undivided, costulae and transcostula. Lamella and translamella well-developed, basal part not developed. Rostral setae ( ro, 19–21) setiform, with 3 cilia, lamellar ( le, 10–15) and interlamellar ( in, 10–13) setae setiform, slightly thinner than rostral setae, each with 2 ciliae; rostral setae far from each other, longer than their mutual distance, le subequal to their mutual distance ( le–le), interlamellar setae shorter than their mutual distance. Setae le nearer to setae in than to setae ro, originating on transcostula line. Exobothridial setae ( ex, 9–15) setiform, thin with one cilium and inserted anterolateral to funnel-shaped bothridia. Bothridial setae ( bs, 30) fusiform and unilaterally ciliate with long 10 branches to make the heads of the branches converge towards each other. Two pairs of interbothridial and four pairs of muscle sigillae present in front of the bothridia. Relative distances: ( ex–ex)> ( in–in)> ( le–le) = ( ro–ro).

Notogaster ( Figs 1). Smooth with 10 pairs of setae developed. Setae c needle-form and much shorter than the others, directed laterally, other setae long, setiform with one short branch towards the apex (12–17). Opisthonotal gland openings and notogastral lyrifissures ia, im well visible; ip, ih and ips not observed. Circumgastric scissure and circumgastric sigillar band visible.

Gnathosoma ( Figs 2–4). Subcapitulum shorter than wide. Three pairs of subcapitular setae ( a, m, h) setiform, slightly barbed, h shorter than m and a. Two pairs of adoral setae ( or 1, or 2,) setiform, thin, smooth. Palps with typical setation 0-2-1-3-9(+1 ω). Chelicerae with two setiform, barbed and ciliated setae, cha longer than chb. Trägårdh’s organ ( Tg) of chelicerae narrowly triangular.

Epimeral regions ( Fig. 2). With a number of round muscle sigillae. Epimeralsetal formula 3-1-3-3. Setae setiform, thin, short, epimers III and IV fused and epimeral I and II narrower than epimers III and IV, epimeral border IV distinct, semi-oval. Discidia triangular, rounded distally.

Anogenital region ( Fig. 2). Genital plates (21–30 × 20–40) with four pairs of genital ( g 1 –g 4) and one pair of aggenital ( ag) plates, two pairs of anal ( an 1, an 2) and three pairs of adanal setae ( ad 1 –ad 3) setiform and thin; both genital and aggenital plates smaller than anal plates (30–51×30–52). Adanal setae longer than anal setae. Three pairs of well-developed genital papillae present. Long lyrifissures iad located close and parallel to anal plates, setae ad 1 in postanal and setae ad 3 in preanal position. Setae ad 1 and ad 2 thicker and longer than other ano-adanal setae. Setae ad1 with one branch and ad 2 smooth.

Legs ( Figs 5–8). All legs monodactylous, claws slender and smooth. Porose areas on femora and trochanters III and IV not observed. Formulas of leg setation and solenidia: I (1-5-2-4-20) [1-2-2], II (1- 5-2-4-16) [1-1-2], III (2-3-1-3-15) [1-1-0], IV (1-2-2-3-12) [0-1-0]. Homology of setae and solenidia listed in Table 1. Famulus of tarsi I erect, blunt-ended, inserted posterior to solenidion ω 1. Solenidion φ 1 of tibia I very long, whip-like. Solenidia ω 1 on tarsus I, ω 1 and ω 2 on tarsus II and φ on tibia II, III and IV and σ on genu III bacilliform, Solenidia ω 2 on tarsus I, φ 2 on tibia I, σ on genua I and II, slightly thickened, slightly blunt-ended.

Distribution. Western Mediterranean, Germany, Vietnam ( Subías, 2022) and Iran (present study).

Remarks. Iranian specimens of this species differ from Italian, Spanish and Portuguese specimens ( Bernini, 1969; Subías & Arillo, 1991) by having lamellar, interlamellar, exobothridial and notogaster setae with 2, 2, 1 and 1 branch respectively, adanal setae longer than anal setae, longer lyrifissures ia, im and iad, setae ad 1 and ad 2 thicker and longer than other ano-adanal setae and setae ad 1 with one branch.