Texella martensi, Ubick, 2021

Ubick, Darrell, 2021, A new cavernicolous harvestman, Texella martensi n. sp., from the Mojave Desert California (Opiliones: Laniatores: Phalangodidae), Zootaxa 4984 (1), pp. 114-118 : 115-116

Texella martensi , new species

Figs 1–3

Type material. Holotype male: USA: California: Inyo County, Death Valley National Park, Titus Canyon Cave , 36°50’58.16”N, 117°3’43.85”W [ca 1230 m], G.O. Graening leg. 20.1.2012 (CASENT 9081592).

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Jochen Martens, in recognition to his life-long and outstanding contribution to Opiliones taxonomy; name in the genitive case.

Diagnosis. The male of Texella martensi n. sp. differs from those of other species in the kokoweef species group in having relatively longer appendages and the shortest spur on trochanter IV.

Description. Male (holotype). Total body length 1.50. Dorsal scute length 1.10, width 1.10. Eyemound length 0.24, width 0.25. Genital operculum length 0.25, width 0.22. Postopercular process absent. Leg II length 4.40, leg II / scute length 4.0. Trochanter IV segment length 0.22, spur length 0.14.

Color: body light orange-colored, lacking dark markings; appendages whitish, basal segments slightly darker.

Body with uniform covering of small tubercles, with larger ones scattered on eyemound, dorsally and laterally on scute, and largest ones on posterior margins of tergites ( Fig. 1B ). Dorsal scute with 5 pairs of anterior tubercles in two rows, one pair slightly larger than others ( Fig. 1D ). Eyemound a rounded cone, eyes with well-developed retina and cornea ( Fig. 1D ). Genitalia not examined, but prongs of ventral plate of penis visible and slightly protruding from genital operculum ( Fig. 1C ).

Palpal megaspines: trochanter without; femur with 3 ventrobasal and 1 mesodistal; patella with 1 ectal and 2 mesal; tibia with 2 ectal and 3 mesal; tarsus with 2 ectal and 2 mesal ( Fig. 1D ). Trochanter IV with slender spur, shorter than trochanter. Tarsal count: 3-5-4-5.

Female not known.

Note. It was not possible to expand the penis without damaging the single available specimen.

Distribution. Known only from Titus Canyon Cave in California.

Figures

FIGURES 1A–D. Texella martensi n. sp., holotype male. A–B Habitus (A ventrolateral, B dorsolateral). C Ventral view showing spur on trochanter IV (white arrow) and anterior part of genital operculum with slightly protruding ventral plate (black arrow). D Dorsal view of ocular region and palpi. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A–B), 0.2 mm (C–D).

FIGURES 2A–D. Male trochanteral IV spurs in the Texella kokoweef species group. A Texella deserticola Ubick & Briggs, 1992. B Texella kokoweef Ubick & Briggs, 1992. C Texella shoshone Ubick & Briggs, 1992. D Texella martensi n. sp.

FIGURE 3. Map of southern California showing the distribution of caves and the known records (type localities) of the Texella species. Limestone caves are shown in blue, lava tubes in red, and other cave types in brown. The epigean locality of T. deserticola is indicated by a green X.