Iranotrichus crassisetosus gen. nov., sp. nov. (Acari: Oribatida: Zetomotrichidae) from central Iran

Abstract

A new genus and species of oribatid mites (Oribatida) of the family Zetomotrichidae are described from soil in the Central Plateau of Iran, Yazd Province. Iranotrichus gen. nov., with type species Iranotrichus crassisetosus sp. nov., differs from all other genera of the family by a combination of the following character states: large body size; denticulate rostrum; dorsosejugal furrow medially interrupted; divided posterior margin of notogaster; prodorsal, notogastral and ventral plates ornamented with fine, fragmented longitudinal striae; large, thick notogastral seta c2; presence of notogastral lyrifissures ia and im, humeral sac and pyriform organ; absence of custodium; barbed epimeral setae, 1a and 1c longer than others, 1a longest; four pairs of genital, two pairs of anal and three pairs of adanal setae; tarsus I with 20 setae; presence of thick setae on genua I and II, tibia II and tarsi II–IV, with seta tc″ on tarsus IV slightly enlarged but not a thick spine; leg IV enlarged, acetabulum not dorsally displaced. Leg IV representing an intermediate stage between the genera with a well-developed jumping leg and those without a jumping leg. In addition, data on geographic distribution and some information about all known genera of Zetomotrichidae are given.