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FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 42 



Holotype. Female, ex Rattus hagopus. Mindanao: Mount McKin- 

 ley, 3100 ft. elevation, Davao, August 19, 1946 (H. Hoogstraal). In 

 the Chicago Natural History Museum collection. 



Laelaps nobilis, new species. Figure 30, A-C. 



The short medial setae, the wide, inverted V-shaped posterior 

 margin of the sternal plate, the long, slender setae on coxa II, and 



Fig. 30. Laelaps nobilis, female: A, anterior portion of dorsal plate; B, pos- 

 terior portion of dorsal plate; C, venter. 



the club-shaped metapodal plates are the distinctive features of this 

 species. 



FEMALE: Gnathosoma with posterior medial hypostomal setae three times 

 longer than lateral setae; chelae toothed; pilus den tills inflated at middle, knobbed 

 apically. Dorsal plate 658 n long, 396 n wide; two pairs of vertical setae strong, 

 moderately long, subequal; medial setae weak and short; posterior submarginal 

 setae subequal to medial setae. Sternal plate wider than long with a wide, inverted 

 V-shaped posterior margin ; sternal setae shorter than metasternal setae. Epigynial 

 plate drop-shaped, rounded posteriorly; the distance between setae I approximately 

 the same as the distance between setae IV. Anal plate about as long as wide, mod- 

 erately separated from epigynial plate; adanal setae on level of posterior margin of 

 anal opening and reaching base of postanal seta. Metapodal plates small, club- 

 shaped. Venter with 7 pairs of strong spinelike setae laterad to epigynial and anal 

 plates. Peritreme reaching beyond middle of coxa I. Proximal setae of coxae I 

 and II long and slender, not spinelike, of coxa III spinelike. 



