Indohya draconis Harvey & Burger, 2023

Harvey, Mark S., Burger, Mieke A. A., Abrams, Kym M., Finston, Terrie L., Huey, Joel A. & Perina, Giulia, 2023, The systematics of the pseudoscorpion genus Indohya (Pseudoscorpiones: Hyidae) in Australia, Zootaxa 5342 (1), pp. 1-119 : 70-73

Indohya draconis Harvey & Burger , n. sp.

( Figs. 1 , 2 , 5 , 33 , 34 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:356393B0-09B8-4AE0-A7BB-63F6FDC7FDE4

Material examined. Holotype female. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Dragon , ca. 45 km S. Pannawonica, 22°00′50.3″S, 116°33′24.3″E, 7 October 2012, borehole scrape, depth 84 m, G.B. Pearson, J.W. Quartermaine ( WAM T129681 ).

Other material. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 1 protonymph, Dragon, ca. 44 km SSE. of Pannawonica , 22°00′49.40″S, 116°33′21.10″E, 7 October 2012, troglofauna scrape, depth 23 m, G.B. Pearson, J.W. Quartermaine ( WAM T140482 ) .

Diagnosis. Indohya draconis belongs to a group of Indohya species that have 12 setae on the carapace and no eyes ( Fig. 34A ). It differs from I. anastomosa , I. aquila and I. humphreysi by the presence of 4 setae on tergite I (only 2 setae in I. anastomosa , I. aquila and I. humphreysi ). It differs from I. arnoldstrongi , I. cockingi and I. finitima by having numerous pointed teeth on the fixed chelal finger, and from I. alexanderi , I. cribbi , I. damocles , I. jessicae , I. lynbeazleyae , I. sagmata and I. scanloni by its smaller size [e.g. chela (with pedicel) less than 1.20 mm, vs. at least 1.39 mm in the others] and by the fewer teeth of the fixed chelal finger (46 teeth, vs. 69–85 teeth in the others). It differs from I. alexanderi by the shape of the chelal hand which is rounded in I. draconis ( Fig. 34C ), and slightly narrowed distally in I. alexanderi .

Description (adult). Colour ( Fig. 33 ): pale red-brown.

Setae and cuticle: setae long, mostly straight and acicular; most cuticular surfaces smooth and glossy.

Chelicera ( Fig. 34B ): surface smooth; hand with 5 (♀) setae, movable finger with 1 sub-medial seta, all setae acuminate; galea present, long, slender and slightly curved; fixed finger with 16 (♀) small teeth, each approximately same size; movable finger with ca. 10 (♀) small teeth, each approximately same size; with 2 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissures; lamina exterior absent; rallum with 7 blades, all blades with anterior spinules, basal blade shorter than others.

Pedipalp ( Fig. 34C ): robust; trochanter smooth, 2.22 (♀) ×; femur broadest medially, smooth, without dorsal tactile seta, with 3 stout retrolateral setae near base, 4.15 (♀) ×; patella subglobose, smooth, pedicel not strongly pronounced but basal portion slimmer than distal portion, with several small lyrifissures situated basally on dorsal surface, 2.63 (♀) ×; chela ( Figs. 34C, D ): hand ovoid, smooth, chela (with pedicel) 3.33 (♀) ×, chela (without pedicel) 3.15 (♀) ×, hand (without pedicel) 1.41 (♀) × longer than broad, movable finger 1.15 (♀) × longer than hand (without pedicel). Fixed finger with 8 trichobothria, eb, esb and isb in straight row at base of finger, ib situated dorsally at the end of the chelal hand, isb at the basal end of the fixed finger, ib situated on dorsum of chelal hand, it closer to et than to est, et slightly distal to it; movable finger with 4 trichobothria, sb much closer to b than to st, st situated much closer to t than to sb, ratio sb–st / sb–b, ratio sb–st / sb–b = 2.10 (♀), t acuminate. Both fingers straight in lateral view. Fixed finger smooth, movable finger with several prolateral and retrolateral granulations basally. Chelal teeth ( Figs. 34E, F ) juxtadentate, fixed finger with 46 (♀) teeth, teeth 1–2, 26, 29–30, 33–34, 36–46 pointed, remainder rounded or truncate, movable finger with ca. 20, low teeth. Venom apparatus present only in movable chelal finger, venom duct long, terminating in nodus ramosus between sb and st.

Cephalothorax: carapace ( Fig. 34A ) sub-rectangular; smooth; anterior margin slightly convex; epistome absent; lateral margins slightly convex; posterior margin straight; 0.98 (♀) × longer than broad; ♀ with 12 setae arranged 4: 4: 2: 2; without furrows; eyes absent. Manducatory process distally triangular, with 2 distal setae; pedipalpal coxa with 6 additional setae. Coxa I with anterior margin not modified; chaetotaxy of coxae I–IV: ♀, 4: 4: 5: 5.

Legs: femora I and II much longer than patellae I and II, respectively; femora I and II with basal swelling; femora I and II each with 2 primary slit sensilla, 1 sub-basally directed longitudinally and 1 sub-distally directed transversely; junction between anterior femora and patellae perpendicular; junction between posterior femora and patellae slightly oblique; femora III and IV much smaller than patellae III and IV, respectively; femur + patella IV? (♀) × longer than broad; metatarsi shorter than tarsi; subterminal tarsal seta acuminate; claws smooth, arolium slightly shorter than claws; arolium not divided.

Abdomen: tergites not divided; tergal chaetotaxy ♀, 4: 6: 6: 6: 6: 8: 8: 8: 8: 6 (including 4 tactile setae): 6 (including 4 tactile setae): 2; arranged in single rows; sternal chaetotaxy ♀, 8: (1) 6 (1): (2) 6 (2): 12: 11: 12: 11: 10: 8 (including 2 tactile setae): 6 (including 4 tactile setae): 2; setae of anterior genital operculum (sternite II) of ♀ minute; posterior tergites and sternites with several tactile setae; medial sternites without suture line; pleural membrane uniformly granulate; without setae; stigmatic helix present.

Genitalia: female: with large gonosac that is covered with scattered pores.

Dimensions (mm): female holotype ( WAM T129681 ). Body length (excluding chelicerae) 1.92. Pedipalp : trochanter 0.300 / 0.135 , femur 0.705 / 0.170, patella 0.525 / 0.200, chela (with pedicel) 1.100 / 0.300, chela (without pedicel) 1.040, hand (without pedicel) 0.465, movable finger length 0.535. Carapace 0.530 / 0.540 . Leg IV: femur + patella?/0.175, tibia 0.375 / 0.090, metatarsus 0.175 / 0.065, tarsus 0.295 / 0.045.

Description (protonymph). Colour: very pale, yellow-white.

Chelicera: hand with 4 setae, movable finger without seta.

Pedipalp: trochanter 2.00 ×, femur 3.69 ×, patella 2.22 ×, chela (with pedicel) 3.57 ×, chela (without pedicel) 3.43 ×, hand (without pedicel) 1.43 × longer than broad, movable finger 1.35 × longer than hand (without pedicel). Fixed finger with 3 trichobothria ( Fig. 34G ), eb, ist and et present; movable finger with 1 trichobothrium, t present; fixed chelal finger with 21 low, juxtadentate teeth, quadrate; movable chelal finger with 8 teeth.

Cephalothorax: 0.95 × longer than broad; with 12 setae arranged 4: 0: 4: 2: 2; without furrows; eyes absent. Coxal chaetotaxy 1: 1: 1: 1.

Legs: metatarsi and tarsi not fused.

Abdomen: tergal chaetotaxy 4: 4: 4: 4: 4: 4: 4: 4: 4: 4 (including 2 tactile setae): 4 (including 2 tactile setae): 2; sternal chaetotaxy 0: (0) 2 (0): (1) 2 (1): 4: 4: 4: 4: 4: 4: 4 (including 2 tactile setae): 2.

Dimensions (mm): WAM T140482 . Body length 0.80. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.140 / 0.070 , femur 0.295 / 0.080, patella 0.200 / 0.090, chela (with pedicel) 0.500 / 0.140, chela (without pedicel) 0.480, hand (without pedicel) length 0.200, movable finger length 0.270. Carapace 0.290 / 0.305.

Distribution and remarks. Indohya draconis has only been collected from subterranean habitats at the ‘Dragon’ deposit within the Bungaroo South (Buckland project), south of Pannawonica ( Fig. 5 ). The species was previously known by WAM identification code Indohya ‘PSE149’.

Conservation assessment. Indohya draconis has been found in two bores situated 90 metres apart in the Bungaroo Valley. The total extent of the subterranean habitat is unknown, and the surface terrain is not heavily dissected or constrained by mesas. It is therefore likely that its distribution may extend further into the local area. The species does not appear to meet the status of threatened using the criteria developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (2012).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun referring to the collection of this species at the ‘Dragon’ deposit

( draconis, Latin , of the dragon) ( Brown 1956).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Maximum likelihood phylogeny of Hyidae and other neobisioids, based on alignment of concatenated COI, 18S and 28S. Ultrafast bootstrap values are presented for nodes greater than 80%.

FIGURE 2. Maximum likelihood phylogeny of Australian Indohya, using COI, 18S and 28S concatenated dataset. Bootstrap values are presented for all nodes. The genes amplified for each specimen are depicted with black squares in the gene matrix.

FIGURE 5. Maps of north-western Australia depicting recorded distributions of the subterranean species of Indohya from the Pilbara and Cape Range region.

FIGURE 33. Indohya draconis Harvey & Burger, n. sp., holotype female: A, dorsal; B, ventral; C, cephalothorax, dorsal. Scale lines = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 34. Indohya draconis Harvey & Burger, n. sp., holotype female (WAM T129681), unless stated otherwise: A, carapace, dorsal; B, left chelicera, dorsal; C, right pedipalp, dorsal; D, left chela, retrolateral; E, left movable finger, chelal teeth, retrolateral; F, left fixed finger, chelal teeth, retrolateral; G, left chela, retrolateral, protonymph (WAM T140482). Scale lines = 0.5 mm (Figs. C, D), 0.2 mm (Figs. A, B, G), 0.1 mm (Figs. E, F).