Karschia (Karschia) lhasa Fan & Zhang & Zhang 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Fan, Wenlong
name: Zhang, Chao
name: Zhang, Feng
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Solifugae
Karschiidae
Karschia
Karschia lhasa

description: Karschia (Karschia) lhasa sp. nov.
Figs 1, 4 A – D, 6 E, F, 9 A – D, 11 C, 12 C, 14 A – D, 16 E, F, 17 C, 18 C, 19 E, G, Tables 1, 2
Type material.
Holotype ♂ (MHBU - Sol-XZ 2018070501), China: Xizang, Lhasa City, Maizhokunggar County, 29.8268 ° N, 91.6991 ° E, ca 3800 m elev., 5. VIII. 2018, leg. Yannan Mu. Paratypes: 1 ♂ (MHBU - Sol-XZ 2018070502), 1 ♀ (MHBU - Sol-XZ 2018070503), with same data as holotype.
Etymology.
Noun in apposition taken from Lhasa City where this species was collected.
Diagnosis.
Karschia lhasa sp. nov. differs from all Karschia species except K. zhui sp. nov. by cheliceral fixed finger mucron having dorsal crest (Fig. 11 C). K. lhasa sp. nov. differs from K. zhui sp. nov. by cheliceral fixed finger mucron crescent-shaped dorsal crest broader (Fig. 11 C), and pedipalp having more spines and thick papillae (Fig. 16 H). The female genital operculum is easily recognizable when compared to that of other species; it has a clear demarcation between the plates. and resembles a fan-shaped structure. (Fig. 17 C).
Description.
Male Holotype (MHBU - Sol-XZ 2018070501).
Measurements. Total body length 16.60, CL 4.03, CH 1.26, PL 2.01, PW 2.59, A / CP 7.57, CL / CH 3.19. Pedipalp 15.64 (3.12, 4.69, 2.46, 1.04), Leg I 10.06 (2.18, 2.78, 2.00, 0.97, 0.18), Leg II 9.28 (1.37, 2.16, 1.69, 0.74, 0.45), Leg III 12.95 (2.13, 3.13, 2.49, 0.71, 0.78), Leg IV 19.99 (4.76, 5.35, 3.75, 1.29, 1.28).
Coloration. In 75 % ethanol-preserved specimens (Fig. 4 A, B). The general background pale yellow. Opisthosoma grey-yellow, with black tergites and pale black sternites. Propeltidium tinged pale brown. Ocular tubercle black. Mesopeltidium and metapeltidium with special black stripes. Chelicerae with manus predominantly brown-yellow, with some black areas, and a retrolateral view of chelicerae with three black longitudinal stripes. Pedipalps and legs yellow, legs III and legs IV tinged with pale brown on distal regions of femora and proximal parts of tibiae. Proximal regions of the pedipalpal femur, tibia, metatarsus, and tarsus tinged with brown. Malleoli yellow.
Propeltidium. Slightly wider than long with a dense pubescence of thin, short, anteriorly directed setae. Anterior, posterior, and lateral edges with several long, curved spiniform setae that perpendicular to the surface of the propeltidium. Ocular tubercle with one short and four long middle distal spiniform setae, one long median spiniform setae, two shorter posterior spiniform setae, and numerous short, thin posterior setae (Fig. 6 E).
Chelicerae. Fixed finger primary teeth graded as FD <FP ≈ FM. Profondal teeth series with three or four tiny teeth; retrofondal teeth series with six teeth. Dental formulation of fixed finger: FD - (2) - FM - (1) - FP - (6 RF) (3 PF). Fixed finger mucron with wider and crescent-shaped dorsal crest. Movable finger MP tooth about the same size as MM. Dental formulation of movable finger: MM - (2) - MP, with one tiny MSM and four MSP (Figs 9 A, B, 14 A, B). Flagellum coiled, fringed and sessile, without lateral apophysis. The flagellar complex includes two medium length fcp and two short, thick fcs (Figs 9 B, 11 C, 14 B). Retrolateral and dorsal surfaces of the manus with large, bifurcated tip setae and short, simple tip bristle-like setae; retrolateral and dorsal surfaces of the fixed finger with simple tip setae of different sizes. Retrolateral setose area reaching the FSM teeth; prolateral surface with an array of setal types (Figs 9 A, B, 14 A, B).
Opisthosoma. The entire surface covered with almost adpressed setae and numerous long, curved, bifurcate setae. Sternite III with short, thin ctenidia: 14 + 15 (on the right and left side, respectively) (Fig. 19 E); Sternite IV with 13 short peg-like ctenidia, the length of which almost 1 / 3 the width of the succeeding sternite (Fig. 19 G).
Pedipalps. Totally covered with short setae and long, thick setae. Tarsus not swollen with five sturdy ventral spines; metatarsus with eight ventral spines not arranged in pairs and with thick papillae (Fig. 16 E, F).
Legs. Totally covered with long, thick setae and short setae. Leg I with no spines and two small claws. Tibias II, III, and IV with a pair of distal spines ventrally. Tibias II and III with a single dorsal spine. Metatarsi II and III with a series of three dorsal spines, a pair of distal spines ventrally, and some paired short, thick, spine-shaped bristles over their entire ventral surface; metatarsus IV also with these paired bristles over its entire ventral surface and two distal spines ventrally.
Female. Paratype (MHBU - Sol-XZ 2018070503).
Measurements. Total body length 16.69, CL 5.10, CH 1.76, PL 2.45, PW 3.53, A / CP 4.60, CL / CH 2.90. Pedipalp 12.55 (3.13, 3.52, 2.73, 1.05), Leg I 8.15 (1.60, 2.32, 1.70, 0.93, 0.14), Leg II 7.66 (1.05, 1.53, 1.38, 0.98, 0.61), Leg III 7.74 (0.81, 1.71, 2.23, 0.98), Leg IV 14.06 (1.96, 4.25, 2.23, 0.74, 0.78).
Coloration. In 75 % ethanol-preserved specimens (Fig. 4 C, D). Coloration as in the males. Propeltidium. Much wider than long with a dense pubescence of thin, short, anteriorly directed setae. Anterior, posterior, and lateral edges with several long, curved spiniform setae that perpendicular to the surface of the propeltidium. Ocular tubercle with four middle distal spiniform setae, two middle spiniform setae, and two posterior spiniform setae (Fig. 6 F).
Chelicerae. Dental formulation of fixed finger: FD - (2) - FM - (2) - FP - (6 RF) (4 PF). Dental formulation of movable finger: MM - (2) - MP, with four MST and five MSP. Fondal teeth graded as II, III, IV, I, V, VI retrolaterally; I, II, III, IV prolaterally (Figs 9 C, D, 12 C, 14 C, D).
Opisthosoma. The entire surface covered with almost adpressed setae and numerous long, curved, bifurcate setae. The bottom of the genital operculum slightly widened, resembling a fan-shaped structure (with chitinized folds) between and behind it (Fig. 17 C). Sternite IV with 13 long needle-like ctenidia extending 3 / 4 the length of the succeeding sternite (Fig. 18 C).
Pedipalps. Totally covered with short setae and long, thick setae without spines.
Legs. As in the males.
Variability.
Males. Total length 15.52–16.60. The number of cheliceral fixed finger fondal teeth 9–10 (profondal teeth 3–4). The number of ctenidia on sternite III 28–32 and on sternite IV 13–14. Pedipalp tarsus with 5–6 spines, metatarsus with 8–10 spines.
Distribution and habitat.
China (Xizang). Habitat: wild grassy slope (Fig. 2 C).
Remark.
Based on the comparison of genetic distances, with a genetic distance of 0 % (Table 2) between male and female collected from same locations, we believe that they are same species.
description: Published as part of Fan, Wenlong, Zhang, Chao & Zhang, Feng, 2024, Review of the genus Karschia Walter, 1889 from Xizang, China (Solifugae, Karschiidae), pp. 155-190 in ZooKeys 1204 on pages 155-190, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1204.120164