Cretaceoushormiops undetermined
Creators: name: Xuan, Qiang
name: Cai, Chen-Yang
name: Huang, Di-Ying
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Scorpiones
Protoischnuridae
Cretaceoushormiops
Cretaceoushormiops undetermined

description: Cretaceoushormiops sp.
Figs 1–4
Material. NIGP 201697, possible sub-adult, likely a female based on the pectine morphology. Pedipalp partially damaged; metasoma and telson absent.
Description. Carapace: Surfaces relatively smooth with few small granules (Figs 1C, 2A). Anterior margin of carapace with a strongly to moderately marked median concavity; length of anterior margin close to half of length of posterior margin; posterolateral margins of carapace gently curved; posterior margin not straight and protruding (Fig. 2A). Median eyes situated anteromedian, oval and relatively small, separated by two diameters of single median eye (Fig. 2A). Two pairs of major lateral ocelli (MLMa and PLMa) equal in size; minor ocelli not evident or absent (Figs 2A, 3A).
Coxosternal region: most covered by bubble and impurity, not visible.
Pectines: Short, not beyond distal margin of coxa of leg IV; surface of lamellae bearing some short sensory hairs; fulcra present; pectinal teeth count 11/11 (Figs 2C, D, 3B).
Mesosoma: Surfaces with fine granules (Fig. 1D). Tergites I to VII increased in length (Fig. 1D). Tergites I–VI with costate median carina, other carinae absent (Fig. 1D). Posterior margin of tergites I and II slightly recurved in median; posterior margin of tergites III and IV slightly protruding; posterior margin of tergites V and VI straight (Figs 1D, 2E). Spiracles small and oval (Fig. 2B).
Chelicerae: Dorsal denticles of movable finger distinct, other denticles not evident (Fig. 3A). Distal denticle blunt, subdistal denticle small and sharp, median denticle stout, basal denticle blunt and smaller than median denticle (Fig. 3A).
Pedipalps: Femur with five carinae. Dorsointernal carina well marked and crenulated (Fig. 2F, G); internal surface with two to three spiniform granules (Fig. 2H, I); ventrointernal carina moderately marked with small granules (Fig. 2H, I); dorsoexternal carina costate without granules (Fig. 2F, G); exteromedian carina developed as a ridge with two spiniform granules, each bearing one macroseta (Figs 1E, F, 2F, G, 3C); ventroexternal carina costate (Fig. 2H). Patella partially damaged with well-developed dorsal patellar spur, a macroseta extending from top of spur (Figs 1F, 2G). Chela absent.
Trichobothriotaxy (Fig. 4): Type C pattern. Femur with three trichobothria, one dorsal, one internal, and one external; trichobothrium i longitudinally aligned with trichobothrium d, trichobothrium e longitudinally external to trichobothrium d. Patella with ten external trichobothria observable.
Legs: Dorsal and lateral surface with few macrosetae (Fig. 2J–L). Patella very stout (Fig. 2J–L); telotarsus equal to basitarsus in length (Fig. 3D–G); tibial spurs absent and single prolateral pedal spur present (Fig. 3D–G); laterodistal lobes of telotarsi truncate; ungues strongly curved (Fig. 3D–G).
Measurements (in mm). Carapace, length 2.06, anterior width 0.94, posterior width 1.95; total mesosoma, 4.42; pedipalpal femur length 1.68.
Remarks. The new specimen can be assigned to Cretaceoushormiops by a combination of the following morphological characters: median ocular tubercle situated in anterior half of carapace (Figs 1C, 2A); two pairs of major lateral eyes present (Fig. 2A); spiracles oval (Fig. 2B); tibial spurs absent and single prolateral pedal spur present (Figs 2J–L, 3D–G); laterodistal lobes of telotarsi truncate (Fig. 3D–G); trichobothrial pattern in type C (Fig. 4). However, the carapace of our new fossil is different from that of other species in having a median suture and a relatively short anterior margin. We refrain from officially designating a new species because certain characteristics, such as the pedipalpal chela and metasoma, are presently invisible.
description: Published as part of Xuan, Qiang, Cai, Chen-Yang & Huang, Di-Ying, 2023, New material of Cretaceoushormiops Lourenço from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (Arachnida: Scorpiones: Protoischnuridae), pp. 124-130 in Zootaxa 5396 (1) on pages 125-128, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5396.1.17, http://zenodo.org/record/10441091