Spelaeochthonius tuoliangensis Hou & Zhang 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Hou, Yanmeng
name: Zhang, Feng
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Pseudoscorpiones
Pseudotyrannochthoniidae
Spelaeochthonius
Spelaeochthonius tuoliangensis

description: Spelaeochthonius tuoliangensis sp. nov.
Figs 1, 9, 10, 11
Chinese name.
驼梁穴伪蝎.
Type material.
Holotype: China • ♀; Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang City, Pingshan County, Tuoliang National Nature Reserve; 38 ° 43.233 ′ N, 113 ° 46.800 ′ E; 1620 m a. s. l.; 13 May. 2018; Xiangbo Guo and Zhaoyi Li leg. (Fig. 1); Ps. - MHBU - HB 2018.05.13-01-01. Paratype: • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; Ps. - MHBU - HB 2018.05.13-01-02.
Diagnosis
(♀). Spelaeochthonius tuoliangensis sp. nov. can be separated from its congeners by its visible eyespots. It is most similar to S. huanglaoensis sp. nov. but differs from it in having shorter pedipalps (e. g. chela 5.48–5.71 × vs 6.14 × longer than broad, length 1.15–1.20 mm vs 1.72 mm; palpal femur 5.00–5.13 × vs 6.00 × longer than broad, length 0.77–0.80 mm vs 1.20 mm) and more setae on tergite I (4 vs 2). It differs from the two congeners from China, S. wulibeiensis and S. yinae, in having more setae on tergite I (four vs two) and shorter pedipalps (e. g. chela length 1.15–1.20 mm vs 1.76 / 1.89 mm; palpal femur 5.00–5.13 × vs 6.40 / 7.26 × longer than broad, length 0.77–0.80 mm vs 1.28 / 1.30 mm).
Etymology.
This species is named after its type locality, Tuoliang National Nature Reserve.
Description.
Adult females (male unknown) (Figs 9 – 11). Colour: generally pale yellow; chelicerae, pedipalps, and tergites slightly darker; soft parts pale. Cephalothorax (Figs 9 B, C, 10 A, 11 A, B, D, E): carapace inverted-trapezoid, 0.98–1.02 × longer than broad, gently narrowed posteriorly; surface mostly with fine reticulations, without furrows but with four anterior lyrifissures and two posterior lyrifissures; with two pairs of eyespots and eye region bulging and convex in dorsal view; epistome present and with some tiny spinules; with 16 setae arranged s 4 s: 4: 2: 2: 2, most setae heavy, long, and gently curved. Chaetotaxy of coxae: P 3, I 5, II 4, III 4, IV 4; manducatory process with two acuminate distal setae, anterior seta more than 1 / 2 length of medial seta (Fig. 11 D); coxal spines present on coxa I only, comprising a transverse, contiguous series of seven or eight tridentate blades, which arise from a lightly sclerotized or translucent hillock, the central ramus of each blade (except the basal one) sharply acumino-spatulate and extending beyond the lateral rami (Fig. 11 A, B); a small, bisetose intercoxal tubercle present between coxae III and IV (Fig. 11 E). Chelicera (Figs 9 D, 10 B, C, 11 C, F): large, approximately as long as carapace, 2.12–2.19 × longer than broad; six setae and two lyrifissures (exterior condylar lyrifissure and exterior lyrifissure) present on hand, movable finger with one medial seta, all setae acuminate, ventrobasal seta shorter than others. Cheliceral palm with moderate hispid granulation on both ventral and dorsal sides. Both fingers with well-developed teeth, fixed finger with 12 or 13 acute teeth, distal one largest; movable finger with 14–16 retrorse contiguous teeth of equal length; galea absent. Serrula exterior with 19 blades and serrula interior with 15–17 blades (Fig. 11 F). Rallum in two rows and composed of 11 finely pinnate blades (Figs 10 C, 11 C). Pedipalp (Figs 9 E, 10 D – F): surfaces mostly with fine reticulations; long and slender, trochanter 1.53–1.73, femur 5.00–5.13, patella 2.25–2.40, chela 5.48–5.71, hand 2.05–2.10 × longer than broad; femur 2.14–2.22 × longer than patella; movable chelal finger 1.70–1.77 × longer than hand and 0.63–0.65 × longer than chela. Setae generally long and acuminate; two distal lyrifissures present on patella (Fig. 10 E). Chelal palm slightly constricted towards fingers. Fixed chelal finger and hand with eight trichobothria plus duplex trichobothrium (dt), movable chelal finger with four trichobothria, ib, isb, eb, esb, and ist clustered at the base of fixed finger, ist slightly distal to esb; it slightly distal to est, situated subdistally and forming a pair; et situated subdistally, very close to chelal teeth; dt situated distal to et, near the tip of fixed finger; sb distinctly closer to b than to st (Fig. 10 D). Microsetae (chemosensory setae) absent on hand and both palpal fingers. Sensilla absent. Both chelal fingers with a row of teeth, homodentate, spaced regularly along the margin, larger and well-spaced teeth present in the middle of the row, becoming smaller and closer distally and proximally: fixed chelal finger with 21 teeth, slightly retrorse and pointed; movable chelal finger with 13 teeth (slightly smaller than teeth on fixed chelal finger) (Figs 9 E, 10 D). Chelal fingers straight in dorsal view (Fig. 10 F). Opisthosoma: generally typical, ovate, pleural membrane finely granulated. Tergites and sternites undivided; setae uniseriate and acuminate. Tergal chaetotaxy I – XII: 4: 5–6: 6: 6: 6: 7: 7: 7: 5–6: 4: TT: 0. Sternal chaetotaxy IV – XII: 12–13: 11–12: 11–12: 9–10: 9–11: 8–9: 8–9: 0: 2. Anterior genital operculum with six setae plus 13 or 14 setae on posterior margin, 19 or 20 in total (Fig. 9 F). Legs (Fig. 10 G, H): generally typical, long, and slender. Fine granulation present on anterodorsal faces of femur IV and patella IV. Femur of leg I 1.58–1.71 × longer than patella and with one lyrifissure at the base of femur; tarsus 2.09–2.27 × longer than tibia. Femoropatella of leg IV 2.76–2.77 × longer than deep; tibia 4.90–5.22 × longer than deep; with a long tactile seta on both tarsal segments: basitarsus 3.00–3.14 × longer than deep (TS = 0.32–0.38), telotarsus 9.20–9.60 × longer than deep and 2.09–2.29 × longer than basitarsus (TS = 0.35). Arolium slightly shorter than the claws, not divided; claws simple. Dimensions of adult females (length / breadth or, in the case of the legs, length / depth in mm). Body length 1.71–1.88. Pedipalps: trochanter 0.23–0.26 / 0.15, femur 0.77–0.80 / 0.15 – 0.16, patella 0.336 / 0.15–0.16, chela 1.15–1.20 / 0.21, hand 0.43–0.44 / 0.21, movable finger length 0.73–0.78. Chelicera 0.55–0.57 / 0.26, movable finger length 0.29. Carapace 0.57 / 0.56–0.58. Leg I: trochanter 0.16 / 0.13–0.14, femur 0.41 / 0.08–0.09, patella 0.24–0.26 / 0.07, tibia 0.22 / 0.06, tarsus 0.46–0.50 / 0.05. Leg IV: trochanter 0.25 / 0.14–0.15, femoropatella 0.58–0.61 / 0.21 – 0.22, tibia 0.47–0.49 / 0.09 – 0.10, basitarsus 0.21–0.22 / 0.07, telotarsus 0.46–0.48 / 0.05.
Distribution.
China (Hebei).
description: Published as part of Hou, Yanmeng & Zhang, Feng, 2024, Three new species of dragon pseudoscorpions (Pseudoscorpiones, Pseudotyrannochthoniidae) from China, pp. 135-154 in ZooKeys 1204 on pages 135-154, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1204.111842