Bisetocreagris ampla, Feng & Zhang & Chen, 2023

Feng, Zegang, Zhang, Feng & Chen, Jun, 2023, Cave-dwelling Neobisiidae in South China Karst, with descriptions of twelve new species of Bisetocreagris (Pseudoscorpiones, Neobisiidae) from Guizhou Province, Zootaxa 5395 (1), pp. 1-77 : 6-11

Bisetocreagris ampla sp. nov. (Dzậ双ŁÞ伪AE)

http://zoobank.org:act: A417D275-F6AA-435C-B232-53394AF0D4CD

Figs 2 –6

Type material. Holotype female (Ps.- MHBU-GZ19072701 ): China, Guizhou Province, Zunyi City, Suiyang County, Wangcao Town , Hei Cave (âṅåǎ义Ṅãș县ēẹDzāñ), [28°09′54.39″N, 107°18′42.89″E], 1751 m a.s.l., 27 July 2019, Zegang Feng, Chen Zhang leg.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin word “ amplus ”, meaning wide and strong, referring to the shape of the pedipalp hand.

Distribution and habitat. This new species is known only from the type locality Hei Cave ( Figs 1I , 2 ), located ~ 7 km northeast of Wangcao Town, Suiyang County. This limestone cave is a water outlet and local farmers built diversion canals in the cave for irrigation. The entrance of the cave is oval (~ 3 m high and ~ 2 m wide) and extends horizontally. There is another passage (passage 2) above the main passage (passage 1) about 30 m into the cave, with a length of about 80 m. The specimen was collected under the rock in passage 2 of the dark zone far from the entrance.

Diagnosis. (♀). Troglomorphic habitus; carapace with 4 eyespots on the slightly raised surface; epistome small and triangular; carapace with 7 setae on posterior margin; pedipalp smooth and slender except for hand, which is finely granular, both chelal fingers with 94–95 teeth; femur 5.08 times (length 1.88), patella 3.63 times (length 1.67) longer than wide, pedicel about half the length of patella. Hand with pedicel 2.00 times (length 1.44), chela with pedicel 4.04 times (length 2.91) longer than wide, finger 1.19 times longer than hand with pedicel. Chelicera: rallum with 8 pinnate setae, distal one with an expanded base.

Description. Female (holotype; Figs 3 , 4 ). Carapace, chelicerae, and pedipalps reddish brown; abdomen and legs yellowish.

Carapace ( Figs 5A, E , 6A): smooth, 1.20 times longer than wide, with a total of 36 setae, including 4 on anterior margin, 7 on posterior margin, and 4 on each side of antero-lateral margin; with 4 eyespots on the slightly raised surface ( Fig. 5E ); epistome small and triangular.

Chelicera ( Figs 5B , 6B–E): hand with 6 setae, movable finger with 1 submedial seta; fixed finger with 17–18 teeth; movable finger with 15–16 teeth; serrula exterior with 39 lamellae; serrula interior with 24 lamellae. Galea (Figs 6D–E) divided into 2 main branches, and each divided into multiple sub-branches. Rallum (Figs 6C) with 8 pinnate blades, distal-most blade with slightly expanded base, distal-most 2 blades distinctly separated from other blades, with proximal one short.

Pedipalps ( Figs 5C–D , 6H–J): apex of coxae rounded, with 5 setae on each side, pedipalpal coxae with 6–7 setae. Pedipalp smooth and slender except for hand, which is finely granular. Trochanter 2.31 times longer than wide, femur 5.08, patella 3.63 times longer than wide, pedicel about half the entire length of patella, chela (with pedicel) 4.04, chela (without pedicel) 3.65 times longer than wide, movable finger 1.46 times longer than hand (without pedicel). Fixed chelal finger with 8 trichobothria, movable finger with 4, eb and esb on lateral margin of hand; ib, ist and isb closely grouped at the base of the fixed finger; est distal of finger middle; it closer to fingertip than et; on movable finger st nearer to t than to sb, the distance between sb and b is somewhat equal to that of sb and st, the distance between b and s b longer than that of st between t ( Figs 5C , 6H–I). Venom apparatus present only in fixed chelal finger, venom duct short, not extending past half of the distance to et. Fixed chelal finger with 94 teeth, which are flat and retrorse in distal part, blunt and round in middle and basal part; movable finger with 95 flat and retrorse teeth; all teeth contiguous.

Abdomen: pleural membrane granulated. Tergal chaetotaxy (I–XI): 10:9:9:11:12:13:13:11:13:11:9; sternal chaetotaxy (IV–XI): 9:15:17:14:17:14:14:4; stigmata with 5–6 setae; anal cone with 2 dorsal and 2 ventral setae. Female genital area ( Figs 5F , 6G): sternite II with 8–9 setae on each side; sternite III with a row of 17 setae on the posterior margin.

Legs: Coxae chaetotaxy (I–IV): 7–8:7:4–5:9–10. Leg I ( Figs 5G , 6K): femur 4.71, patella 3.42, tibia 5.93, basitarsus 3.00, telotarsus 4.69 times longer than wide, femur 1.52 times longer than patella, telotarsus 1.56 times longer than basitarsus.

Leg IV ( Figs 5H , 6F, L): femur + patella 4.94 times longer than wide, femur shorter than patella, tibia 7.53, basitarsus 3.33, telotarsus 4.93 times longer than wide, telotarsus 1.48 times longer than basitarsus; basitarsus with one tactile seta (TS=0.16), telotarsus with one tactile setae (TS=0.38); subterminal tarsal seta (Fig. 6F) bifurcated, both branches dentated; arolium not divided, shorter than the slender and simple claws.

Measurements: (length/breadth or depth in mm; ratios for most characters in parentheses). Body length 5.01. Carapace 1.28/1.07 (1.20). Pedipalpal trochanter 0.90/0.39 (2.31), femur 1.88/0.37 (5.08), patella 1.67/0.46 (3.63), chela (with pedicel) 2.91/0.72 (4.04), chela (without pedicel) 2.63/0.72 (3.65), hand length (without pedicel) 1.17, movable finger length 1.71 (1.46 times longer than hand without pedicel). Leg I: trochanter 0.35/0.25 (1.40), femur 0.99/0.21 (4.71), patella 0.65/0.19 (3.42), tibia 0.83/0.14 (5.93), basitarsus 0.39/0.13 (3.00), telotarsus 0.61/0.13 (4.69). Leg IV: trochanter 0.49/0.30 (1.63), femur + patella 1.63/0.33 (4.94), tibia 1.43/0.19 (7.53), basitarsus 0.50/0.15 (3.33), telotarsus 0.74/0.15 (4.93).

Remarks. The new species resembles B. chuanensis Mahnert et Li, 2016 , B. martii ( Mahnert, 2003) and B. que sp. nov., with similar pedipalpal morphology in having a pedipalpal pedicel about half the entire length of pedipalpal patella, a stout and short femur, and a stout and short patella. The new species differs from B. chuanensis by the presence of 4 eyespots on the slightly raised surface of carapace (vs. B. chuanensis with 2 anterior eyes with indistinct lenses); the length of female pedipalpal femur 1.88 (vs. 1.56 in B. chuanensis ); the length of female pedipalpal chela (with pedicel) 2.91 (vs. 2.57 in B. chuanensis ).

The new species differs from B. martii by: the female pedipalpal femur 5.08 times longer than wide (vs. 4.25 times in B. martii ), patella 3.63 times longer than wide (vs. 2.70 times in B. martii ) and chela (with pedicel) 4.04 times longer than wide (vs. 3.45 times in B. martii ), and the presence of fine granulations on pedipalp chelal hand (vs. femur indistinctly granulate medially and hand finely granulate mediodistally in B. martii ).

Bisetocreagris ampla sp. nov. can be distinguished from B. que sp. nov. by the presence of 36 setae on carapace (vs. 23–24 setae in B. que sp. nov.); the presence of 4 eyespots on the slightly raised surface of carapace (vs. without eyes or eyespots in B. que sp. nov.); the stouter pedipalpal femur in female (5.08 vs. 5.25 times longer than wide in B. que sp. nov.); and the presence of fine granulation on pedipalp chelal hand (vs. hand and inside lateral of femur with fine granulations in B. que sp. nov.).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution map of the type locality of troglomorphic Bisetocreagris species in China. A. B. maomaotou Gao, Wynne et Zhang, 2018 (Maomaotou Cave); B. B. que sp. nov. (Yanggong Cave); C. B. longidigitata sp. nov. (Mao’er Cave); D. B. brevis sp. nov. (Yehu Cave); E. B. aspera sp. nov. (Tu Cave); F. B. jiangi sp. nov. (Anjialin Cave); G. B. tenuipalma sp. nov. (Sanjie Cave); H. B. changbing sp. nov. (Sanyuan and Guanyin caves); I. B. ampla sp. nov. (Hei Cave); J. B. gracilenta Gao et Zhang, 2017 (Shanmu Cave); K. B. guangshanensis Gao et Zhang, 2017 (Guangshan Cave); L. B. chumi sp. nov. (Tufei Cave); M. B. sanmen sp. nov. (Sanmen Cave); N. B. xishui sp. nov. (Dongkoushang Cave); O. B. baozinensis Mahnert et Li, 2016 (Baozi Cave); P. B. chuanensis Mahnert et Li, 2016 (Chuan Cave); Q. B. grandis sp. nov. (Wulibeidadong Cave); R. B. scaura (Mahnert, 2003) (Dahei Cave); S. B. martii (Mahnert, 2003) and B. titania (Mahnert, 2003) (Guoquan Cave); T. B. xiaoensis Li et Liu, 2017 (Xiao Cave); U. B. juanxuae Mahnert et Li, 2016 (Dao Cave); V. B. cavernarum Mahnert et Li, 2016 (Ert Long Cave); W. B. chinacavernicola (Schawaller, 1995) (Xian Nin and Chao-Tian caves).

FIGURE 2. Hei Cave, type locality of Bisetocreagris ampla sp. nov., A. Entrances; B. Two passageway, blue arrow points to passageway 1, red arrow points to passageway 2; C. Entrance to the passageway 2, specimen is collected in the passageway 2; D. Area where B. ampla sp. nov. specimen was collected (under the rock).

FIGURE 3. Live individual of Bisetocreagris ampla sp. nov. (holotype female) under the rock.

FIGURE 4. Bisetocreagris ampla sp. nov., holotype female, dorsal view.

FIGURE 5. Bisetocreagris ampla sp. nov., holotype female (A–H). A. Carapace, dorsal view; B. Right chelicera, dorsal view; C. Right chela, lateral view; D. Right pedipalp, dorsal view; E. Eye area, lateral view; F. Female genitalia; G. Right leg I, lateral view; H. Right leg IV, lateral view.