Indohya aquila 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 : 43-45

Indohya aquila Harvey & Burger , n. sp.

( Figs. 5 , 15 , 16 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:EB2AD8F4-369B-4C64-A365-41ADEC310B0C

Material examined. Holotype male. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Eagle, ca. 54 km NNW. of Tom Price , 22°10′43.9″S, 117°28′23.8″E, 15 April 2011, subterranean scrape, D.C. Main, J.W. Quartermaine ( WAM T130511 ).

Diagnosis. Indohya aquila belongs to a group of Indohya species that have 12 setae on the carapace and no eyes. It differs from all others except I. anastomosa and I. humphreysi by the presence of only 2 setae on tergite I. It differs from both of these species by its smaller size, e.g. pedipalpal chela (with pedicel) 1.120 mm (Ô) in I. aquila , 1.52–1.65 mm (Ô), 2.09 mm (♀) in I. humphreysi and 2.18 mm (♀) in I. anastomosa .

Description (adult). Colour ( Fig. 15 ): light yellow-brown, pedipalps and carapace red-brown.

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

Chelicera: surface smooth; hand with 5 (Ô) setae, movable finger with 1 sub-medial seta, all setae acuminate; galea present, long, slender and slightly curved; fixed finger with 10 (Ô) small teeth, each approximately same size; movable finger with 6, distal teeth larger than basal teeth; with 2 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissures; lamina exterior absent; rallum with 6 blades, all blades with anterior spinules, basal blade shorter than others.

Pedipalp ( Fig. 16B ): long and slender; trochanter smooth, 2.04 (Ô) ×; femur slightly broadened medially, smooth, without dorsal tactile seta, with 3 stout retrolateral setae near base, 6.52 (Ô) ×; patella slightly broadened distally, smooth, pedicel not strongly pronounced but basal portion slimmer than distal portion, with several small lyrifissures situated basally on dorsal surface, 4.10 (Ô) ×; chela ( Fig. 16C ): hand ovoid, smooth, chela (with pedicel) 4.39 (Ô) ×, chela (without pedicel) 4.14 (Ô) ×, hand (without pedicel) 1.67 (Ô) × longer than broad, movable finger 1.52 (Ô) × 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 = 2.11 (Ô), t acuminate. Both fingers straight in lateral view. Fixed finger smooth, movable finger with several prolateral and retrolateral granulations basally. Chelal teeth ( Figs. 16D, E ) juxtadentate, fixed finger with 62 (Ô) teeth, teeth 1–6, 37, 41–43, 45–48, 50, 52–62 pointed, remainder rounded or truncate, movable finger with ca. 25 (Ô), low teeth. Venom apparatus present only in movable chelal finger, venom duct long, terminating in nodus ramosus between sb and st.

Cephalothorax: carapace ( Fig. 16A ) sub-rectangular; smooth; anterior margin slightly convex; epistome absent; lateral margins slightly convex; posterior margin straight; 1.52 (Ô) × longer than broad; with 12 setae arranged 4: 0: 4: 2: 2 (Ô); 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: Ô, 4: 4: 4: 6.

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? (missing) (Ô); metatarsi shorter than tarsi; subterminal tarsal seta not known; claws smooth, arolium slightly shorter than claws; arolium not divided.

Abdomen: tergites not divided; tergal chaetotaxy Ô, 2: 4: 4: 6: 6: 6: 6: 6: 6:?:?: 2; arranged in single rows; sternal chaetotaxy Ô, 18: (?) 22 (?): (?) 6 (?):?:?:?:?:?:?:?: 2; posterior tergites and sternites with several tactile setae; medial sternites without suture line; pleural membrane uniformly granulate; without setae; stigmatic helix present.

Genitalia: male: lateral genital sacs large and ovoid; median genital sac short and ovoid; ejaculatory duct atrium large and rounded; dorsal apodeme wing-like; without a pair of large dorsal genital sacs; with 2 pairs of setae within genital atrium.

Dimensions (mm): male holotype ( WAM T130511 ). Body length (excluding chelicerae) ca. 1.92. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.265 / 0.130, femur 0.815 / 0.125, patella 0.595 / 0.145, chela (with pedicel) 1.120 / 0.255, chela (without pedicel) length 1.055, chelal hand (without pedicel) length 0.425, movable finger length 0.645. Carapace 0.555 / 0.365. Leg IV: missing .

Distribution and remarks. The holotype is in poor condition and was most likely already dead when it was retrieved from the borehole, as evidenced by its macerated appearance ( Fig. 15 ). Indeed, the poor condition of the specimen precluded the successful amplification of DNA from a leg sample.

Indohya aquila is only known from subterranean habitats at the proposed Flinders Pilbara Iron Ore Project: Eagle deposit, which is situated northwest of Tom Price. The species was previously known by WAM identification code Indohya ‘PSE148’.

Conservation assessment. The collecting site lies in a valley ca. 54 km NNW. of Tom Price, which is currently undeveloped. The presence of extensive similar surface habitat in the valley and adjacent areas suggests that I. aquila is likely to be located at other subterranean sites and therefore unlikely to be threatened.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun referring to the collection of this species at the Eagle deposit ( aquila, Latin , eagle) ( Brown 1956).

Figures

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

FIGURE 15. Indohya aquila Harvey & Burger, n. sp., holotype male (WAM T130511):A, dorsal; B, ventral; C, cephalothorax, dorsal. Scale lines = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 16. Indohya aquila Harvey & Burger, n. sp., holotype male (WAM T130511): A, carapace, dorsal; B, left pedipalp, dorsal; C, left chela, retrolateral; D, left movable finger, chelal teeth, retrolateral; E, left fixed finger, chelal teeth, retrolateral. Scale lines = 0.5 mm (Figs. A, C), 0.2 mm (Fig. A), 0.1 mm (Figs. D, E).