Indohya alexanderi 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 : 38-41

Indohya alexanderi Harvey & Burger , n. sp.

( Figs. 1–3 , 11 , 12 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7C504739-CEF6-4517-AECE-856820E4C386

Material examined. Holotype male. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Robe Valley, ca. 20 km ESE. of Pannawonica, Deposit 7, 21°41′26.03″S, 116°30′40.86″E, 6 June–8 August 2015, troglofauna trap, J. Alexander ( WAM T138460 ).

Paratype. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 1 ♀, Robe Valley, Middle Robe, ca. 23 km ESE. of Pannawonica , 21°41′53.65″S, 116°32′26.53″E, 6 June–8 August 2015, troglofauna trap, J. Alexander ( WAM T139895 ) .

Other material. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 1 specimen, Mesa H, ca. 17 km SW. of Pannawonica , 21°43′34″S, 116°11′06″E, 11 September–26 October 2016, troglofauna trap, P. Brooshooft, J. Alexander ( WAM T142826 ; specimen consumed during DNA extraction) .

Diagnosis. Indohya alexanderi belongs to a group of Indohya species that have 12 setae on the carapace and no eyes ( Fig. 12A ). 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 ( Fig. 12E ), 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 (49 teeth, vs. 69–85 teeth in the others). It differs from I. draconis by the shape of the chelal hand which is slightly narrowed distally in I. alexanderi ( Fig. 12B ) and rounded in I. draconis ( Fig. 34C ), and the shape of the pedipalpal patella which is more elongate in I. alexanderi ( Fig. 12B ) than in I. draconis ( Fig. 34C ).

It also differs from all other Indohya species for which sequence data are available by a synapomorphy in COI mtDNA: at base 89 there is a substitution to T. The three sequenced specimens differ from all other sequenced specimens of Indohya by 14.7–26.4% (Table 2).

Description (adult). Colour ( Fig. 11 ): pale red-yellow; carapace, cheliceral fingers, pedipalpal trochanter, femur and patella darker reddish brown.

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

Chelicera: surface smooth; hand with 5 (left), 6 (right) setae (Ô), 6 setae (♀), movable finger with 1 sub-medial seta, all setae acuminate; galea present, long, slender and slightly curved; fixed finger with 14 (Ô, ♀) small teeth, movable finger with 7 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. 12B ): moderately slender; trochanter smooth, 2.33 (Ô) ×, 2.54 (♀) ×; femur thickest medially, smooth, without dorsal tactile seta, with 3 stout retrolateral setae near base, 4.90 (Ô) ×, 5.03 (♀) ×; patella broadened distally, smooth, pedicel not strongly pronounced but basal portion slimmer than distal portion, with 4 lyrifissures situated basally on dorsal surface, including 3 long and 1 short lyrifissures, 3.30 (Ô) ×, 3.09 (♀) ×; chela ( Fig. 12B ): hand ovoid, smooth, chela (with pedicel) 3.55 (Ô) ×, 3.57 (♀) ×, chela (without pedicel) 3.33 (Ô) ×, 3.31 (♀) ×, hand (without pedicel) 1.43 (Ô) × 1.49 (♀) × longer than broad, movable finger 1.33 (Ô) ×, 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 = 2.00 (Ô), 2.41 (♀), t acuminate. Both fingers straight in lateral view. Fixed finger smooth, movable finger with several retrolateral granulations basally. Chelal teeth ( Figs. 12D, E ) juxtadentate, fixed finger with 49 (Ô), 48 (♀) teeth, teeth 1–3, 21, 23, 25, 27–30, 32, 34, 36, 38–49 (Ô), 1–5, 34–35, 37–48 (♀) pointed, remainder rounded or truncate, movable finger with ca. 23 (Ô), 21 (♀), low teeth. Venom apparatus present only in movable chelal finger, venom duct long, terminating in nodus ramosus between sb and st.

Cephalothorax: carapace ( Fig. 12A ) sub-rectangular; smooth; anterior margin slightly convex; epistome absent; lateral margins slightly convex; posterior margin straight; 1.25 (Ô) ×, 1.24 (♀) × longer than broad; Ô with 11 setae arranged 4: 0: 4: 1: 2; ♀ with 11 setae arranged 4: 4: 1: 2; without furrows; eyes absent. Manducatory process distally triangular, with 2 distal setae; pedipalpal coxa with 6 (Ô), 5 (♀) additional setae. Coxa I with anterior margin not modified; chaetotaxy of coxae I–IV: Ô, 4: 5: 4: 5–6; ♀, 4: 5: 4: 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 slit sensilla, each 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); metatarsi shorter than tarsi; subterminal tarsal seta acuminate with 1 medial tine; claws smooth, arolium slightly shorter than claws; arolium not divided.

Abdomen: tergites not divided; tergal chaetotaxy Ô, 4: 4: 6: 6: 6: 6: 8: 8: 6: 4: 4: 2; ♀, 4: 6: 6: 6: 6: 6: 6: 7: 6: 6: 4: 2; arranged in single rows; sternal chaetotaxy Ô, 14: (2) 17 [2 + 2] (2): (3) 6 (3): 9: 10: 10: 10: 10: 7: 5: 2; ♀, 9: (2) 6 (2): (3) 6 (3): 8: 10: 8: 9: 8: 8: 4: 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: 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. Female: with large gonosac that is covered with scattered pores.

Dimensions (mm): male holotype ( WAM T138460 ). Body length (excluding chelicerae) 1.43. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.280 / 0.120, femur 0.710 / 0.145, patella 0.545 / 0.165, chela (with pedicel) 1.065 / 0.300, chela (without pedicel) length 1.000, chelal hand (without pedicel) length 0.430, movable finger length 0.570. Carapace 0.520 / 0.415. Leg IV: missing .

Female paratype ( WAM T139895 ). Body length (excluding chelicerae) 1.67. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.430 / 0.120, femur 0.730 / 0.145, patella 0.525 / 0.170, chela (with pedicel) 1.090 / 0.305, chela (without pedicel) 1.010, hand (without pedicel) 0.455, movable finger length 0.525. Carapace 0.545 / 0.440. Leg IV: missing .

Distribution and remarks. Indohya alexanderi has been collected from two boreholes located at the eastern end of the Robe River Valley ( Fig. 5 ). COI sequence data identified from a further specimen collected in Mesa H suggests that I. alexanderi has a wider distribution. Unfortunately, the specimen from Mesa H was completely destroyed for the DNA extraction and is not available for morphological comparison. The species was previously known by WAM identification code Indohya ‘PSE154’.

Conservation assessment. The three collection sites of I. alexanderi in the Robe River Valley are in different stages of development as mine sites. The type locality, Deposit 7, is currently undeveloped, but the Middle Robe site, 3.2 km east of the type locality, is an active mine site. The Mesa H site is an active mine site. The relatively widespread distribution of I. alexanderi , stretching 37 km from east to west, suggests that it may be found in other locations in the vicinity. However, unless further populations are found, this species may be regarded as threatened using the criteria specified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (2012).

Etymology. This species is named in honour of Jason Alexander, collector of the holotype and many other interesting subterranean animals.

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 3. Maximum likelihood phylogeny of Australian Indohya, using COI. Bootstrap values are presented for all nodes.

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

FIGURE 11. Indohya alexanderi Harvey & Burger, n. sp.: A–C, holotype male (WAM T138460): A, dorsal; B, ventral; C, cephalothorax, dorsal; D–F, paratype female (WAM T139895): D, dorsal; E, ventral; F, cephalothorax, dorsal. Scale lines = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 12. Indohya alexanderi Harvey & Burger, n. sp., holotype male (WAM T138460): A, carapace, dorsal; B, right pedipalp, dorsal; C, left chela, retrolateral; D, left movable finger, teeth, retrolateral; E, left fixed finger, teeth, retrolateral. Scale lines = 0.5 mm (Figs. B, C), 0.2 mm (Fig. A), 0.1 mm (Figs. D, E).

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).