Cosmolaelaps oedipus, Oh & Joharchi & Lee & Jung, 2025

Cosmolaelaps oedipus sp. nov.

( Figures 53–67 View FIGURES 53–57 View FIGURES 58–63 View FIGURES 64–67 )

Specimens examined. Holotype. Female, San 44-1, Sansung-dong, Sangdang-gu, Chungju-si, CB, Republic of Korea, 36°38'58.1"N 127°32'02.7"E, 16 July 2020, M. Oh coll., on the body of Formicine ants ( Hymenoptera : Formicidae ).

Diagnosis (adult). Dorsal shield covered with scale-like reticulation throughout, with 38 pairs of spatulate setae (spatulate setiform with mucus-like granules) including two unpaired Jx setae; presternal area covered with lineate reticulation, sternal shield with lineate-reticulate and dotted ornamentation on surface, bearing three pairs of setae, ratio of shield length/width (at broadest level) ≃ 0.77; genital shield flask-shaped slightly expanded behind coxa IV, surface of shield with dotted reticulation as in sternal shield, shield ratio of length/width (at broadest level) ≃ 1.62, anal shield longer than wide, with ratio of length/width (at broadest level) ≃ 1.13; all opisthogastric setae spatulate, except Jv1, Jv2, Zv1, and Zv2. Hypostomal groove with five transverse rows of denticles, anterior margin of epistome with a pair of long lateral projections. Fixed digit of chelicera with six teeth of various sizes. Legs with swollen hump on anterior part of tibia I and basitarsus II–IV.

Description (adult female)

( Figures 53–67 View FIGURES 53–57 View FIGURES 58–63 View FIGURES 64–67 )

One specimen was measured.

Dorsal idiosoma ( Figure 53 View FIGURES 53–57 & 58 View FIGURES 58–63 ). Dorsal shield oval-shaped, 951 long, 596 wide, covering entire idiosoma dorsally; entire shield with distinct scale-like reticulation, bearing 38 pairs of spatulate setae including two pairs of Zx setae between J and Z series (spatulate setiform with mucus-like granules): 21 pairs of podonotal setae, 17 pairs of opisthonotal setae, and two unpaired supernumerary setae Jx between J1 and J4, dorsal setae mostly homogeneous in length, never reaching base of next posterior setae (54–76). Shield with three pairs of gland openings (gd1, gd8, and gd9).

Ventral idiosoma ( Figures 54 View FIGURES 53–57 & 59 View FIGURES 58–63 ). Tritosternum with paired pilose laciniae (112–115), columnar base 45 long × 19 wide; presternal area covered with lineate reticulation without sclerotised plates, sternal shield 149–175 long, narrowest between coxae II (171), widest at level of endopodal between coxae II and III (229), covered with lineate and dotted reticulation throughout, anterior margin of shield inconspicuous, anterolateral corners narrowly extending between coxae I–II, posterior margin slightly concave as usual. Shield bearing three pairs of smooth long setae (st1 75–75, st2 -, st3 78–79), not extending beyond of next posterior setae, and two pairs of poroids (iv1, thin rectangular-shaped and iv2, suboval-shaped), metasternal setae st4 (103–104) and metasternal poroids (iv3) located on soft integument; endopodal elements between coxae II–III fused with shield, endopodal elements III–IV elongated, curved. Genital shield flask-shaped, slightly expanded laterally behind setae st5, length 316, maximum width 195, posterior margin rounded, anterior margin of shield slightly convex, abutting posterior margin of sternal shield, surface with fine dotted reticulation, bearing a pair of simple setae st5 (93–102) inserted on lateral margins of shield, near level of posterior edge of coxae IV. Paragenital poroids iv5 located on soft cuticle lateral to shield near setae st5; anal shield pear-shaped, rounded anteriorly, 154 long, 136 wide, surface covered with fine punctuate reticulation, para-anal setae and post-anal seta simple and subequal in length (40–50), cribrum consisting of a terminal tuft with some irregular rows of spicules and a pair of anterior arms extending at level of between anal orifice and post-anal seta. Anal gland pores (gv3) on anterolateral margin of shield; soft opisthogastric cuticle surrounding genital, anal shields, and a pair of elongated metapodal plates (18–21 long× 4–4 wide), with two pairs of poroids (iv5, ivo) and 12–13 pairs of spatulate setae (32–63) (r6, R1–R4, UR2, UR3, Jv3, and Zv2–Zv5), except Jv1 (63), Jv2 (47), Zv1 (63), and Zv2 (47) setiform. Two exopodal platelets between coxae I–II and II–III small, subtriangular, those behind coxae III–IV and parapodal platelets fused, surrounding coxa IV and bearing gland pore (gv2); Peritrematal shield well developed laterad peritremes, post-stigmatic extension of shield relatively wide, with two pairs of poroids and one pair of gland pores. Anterior region of peritrematal shield fused to anterior margin of dorsal shield behind setae z1, peritremes long, extending to mid-level of coxa I (near s1).

Gnathosoma ( Figures 55–57 View FIGURES 53–57 & 60–62 View FIGURES 58–63 ). Anterior margin of epistome serrated square-shaped, with a pair of projections on both lateral margins ( Figures 56 View FIGURES 53–57 ); hypostomal groove considerably widened, with five transverse rows of denticles, each row with 22–42 tiny denticles, groove wider anteriorly, progressively narrowing from anterior to posterior ( Figures 55 View FIGURES 53–57 & 60 View FIGURES 58–63 ). Hypostome with four pair of smooth setae, h3 (100–121)> h1 (80–86)> pc (66–75)> h2 (42–44) ( Figures 55 View FIGURES 53–57 & 60 View FIGURES 58–63 ). Corniculi robust and horn-like, internal malae longer than corniculi, comprising a pair of pilose median projections and 10–13 lateral, longer, tentacle-like, smooth projections; labrum with pilose median surface, supralabral process indistinct; chaetotaxy of palps: trochanter 2, femur 5, genu 6, tibia 14, tarsus 15, all setae smooth, palpfemur with seta al thickened and blunt; palpgenu with al1 and al2 blunt, thickened. Palptarsal apotele two-tined ( Figure 61 View FIGURES 58–63 ); fixed digit of chelicera with an offset distal tooth (gabelzhan), followed by six various sized teeth, a setaceous pilus dentilis, and dorsal cheliceral seta small and prostrate. Arthrodial membrane with a rounded flap and normal filaments, dorsal and lateral lyrifissures indistinct, movable digit bidentate ( Figure 57 View FIGURES 53–57 & 62 View FIGURES 58–63 ).

Insemination structures. Not seen, apparently unsclerotised.

Legs ( Figures 63–67 View FIGURES 58–63 View FIGURES 64–67 ). Leg II (794–814) and III (792–834) short, I (1038–1095) and IV (1125–1144) longer. Chaetotaxy normal for free-living Laelapidae {additional pl setae on tibia III (9)}: Leg I ( Figure 64 View FIGURES 64–67 ): coxa 0-0/1, 0/1-0, trochanter 1-1/2, 0/1-1 (al spatulate), femur 2-2/1, 3/3-2 (al1, ad1, pd1, pd2 and pl1 spatulate), genu 2-3/2, 3/1-2 (ad1–ad3, pd1–pd3 and pl1–pl2 spatulate), tibia 2-3/2, 3/1-2. Leg II ( Figure 65 View FIGURES 64–67 ): coxa 0-0/1, 0/1-0, trochanter 1-1/1, 0/1-1, femur 2-3/1, 2/2-1 (ad1–ad3, pd1, pd2, and pl spatulate), genu 2-3/1, 2/1-2 (ad1–ad3, pd1, pd2, pl1, pl2, and pv spatulate), tibia 2-2/1, 2/1-2 (ad1, ad2, pd2, pl1, pl2 spatulate). Leg III ( Figure 66 View FIGURES 64–67 ): coxa 0-0/1, 0/1-0, trochanter 1-1/1, 0/1-1 (ad spatulate), femur 1-2/1, 1/0-1 (al, ad1, ad2, and pd spatulate), genu 2-2/1, 2/1-1 (al1, al2, ad1, ad2, pd1, pd2, and pl spatulate), tibia: 2-1/1, 2/1-2 (al1, al2, ad, pd1, pd2, and pl2 spatulate). Leg IV ( Figure 67 View FIGURES 64–67 ): coxa 0-0/1, 0/0-0, trochanter 1-1/1, 0/1-1 (ad spatulate), femur 1-2/1, 1/0-1 (al, ad1, ad2, pd spatulate), genu 2-2/1, 3/0-1 (all setae spatulate, except av), tibia 2-1/1, 3/1-2 (all setae spatulate, except ventral setae). Tarsi II–IV with 18 setae (3-3/2, 3/2-3 + mv, md); with some ventral and lateral setae thickened and spatulate, see Figure 65–67 View FIGURES 64–67 . All pretarsi with well-developed paired claws, rounded pulvilli, and normal ambulacral stalk. Anterior part of tibia I and basitarsus II–IV with swollen hump ( Figures 63–67 View FIGURES 58–63 View FIGURES 64–67 ).

Etymology. The name of the new species “ oedipus ”, from swollen foot in Greek, is derived from the swollen structures of the tibia I and basitarsus II–IV.

Differential diagnosis. The most distinctive characteristic of this new species with other Cosmolaelaps spp. is swollen humps on the anterior part of tibia I and basitarsus II–IV.