Barrussus telescopus, Karataş & Received & Online, 2013

Karataş, Ayşegül, Received, Münir Uçak & Online, Published, 2013, A new Barrussus Roewer, 1928 (Solifugae: Karschiidae) from southern Turkey, Turkish Journal of Zoology 37 (5), pp. 594-600 : 595-599

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.3906/zoo-1202-16
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0395C87D-6A4D-3D52-A93D-FE18FD75AEA4
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Barrussus telescopus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Barrussus telescopus View in CoL sp. nov.

Type materials: TURKEY: Niğde province, Ulukışla, Darboğaz (37°28′08″N, 34°33′45″E, 1528 m) ( Figure 1) GoogleMaps , Holotype: 22. VI .2011, 1 ♂ ( ZDNU 2011 /01) ; Allotype: 22. VI .2011, 1 ♀ ( ZDNU 2011 /02) ( Figure 2a) ; Paratypes: 24. VI .2011: 1 ♂, 1 juv. ( ZDNU 2011 /03) ( Figure 2b) (leg. Münir Uçak) .

Description of the holotype male:

Diagnosis: The elongated bar-shaped projection of the ocular tubercule distinguishes it from Barrussus pentheri and B. furcichelis , which have conical projections. Number of the anteriorly situated intermediate-like teeth on the cheliceral movable finger is 5, compared to 3 for B. pentheri and B. furcichelis . Opisthosomal 4th sternite of new species with club-shaped ctenidiae, and opisthosomal 5th sternite with blunt tubular ctenidia. Opisthosomal 4th and 5th sternite of B. pentheri with only club-shaped ctenidia, B. furcichelis with short conical ctenidia on 4th and tubular ctenidia on 5th.

Coloration: Propeltium and chelicerae are yellowish brown, fingers are reddish brown, ocular tubercule is black. The pleurites are grayish and tergites dark, the latter with dull, wide, dark brown dorsal stripe. Pedipalpal segments yellowish proximally, coxae, trochanters, first femur segments of legs 2–3 light yellow, between distal part of femur and edge of tarsi brownish, other leg segments light brown. Malleoli white.

Prosoma: Entire body covered with short hairy setae, but the setae on propeltidium relatively thin and long. Ocular tubercule wide, approximately a quarter of anterior width of propeltidium (except exterior lobes). Ocular tubercule has extremely elongated, bar-shaped projection which carries 2 long spines apically ( Figure 3a View Figure 3 ). Cheliceral dorsal surface has many extremely long and strong tubular spines, especially concentrated between median portion and the base of cheliceral fixed finger ( Figure 3b View Figure 3 ).

Flagellar complex composed of flagellum, forked appendage, and mesial appendage. Flagellum medially located and looks like wing of a fly, transparent and dorso-ectally serrated. Proximal part of the flagellum extremely short and connects with cheliceral surface at the base with a curled canal. Mesial appendage situated ventral to the flagellum, slightly curled, directed upward at apex, and totally transparent. Forked appendage without spur. Cheliceral fingers multidentate. Fixed finger with 1 primary, 4 intermediate, and 2 anterior teeth, which almost equal the size of the primary tooth. Fixed finger with 5 small teeth on ectal row and 4 small teeth on mesial row,

KARATAŞ and UÇAK / Turk J Zool behind the primary tooth. Movable finger with 1 primary tooth, 7 intermediate teeth, 1 anterior tooth, and 4 small cheek teeth. Cheliceral tooth formulation of Barrussus telescopus sp. nov. as follows: fixed finger A-I-I-A-I-I-P and movable finger I-I-I-I-I-A-I-I-P (A: Anterior tooth, I: Intermediate tooth, P: Primary tooth) ( Figures 3b View Figure 3 , 4a, b View Figure 4 ).

a 4 mm b 6.0 mm

Opisthosoma: Abdomen covered by very fine and hairy setae. Dorsal stripe distinctly wide and nearly covers entire dorsal surface. Fourth abdominal sternite with 4+5 or 5+6 club-shaped ctenidia respectively in the 2 males examined, 5th abdominal sternite with 7+8 tubular ctenidia ( Figure 4c View Figure 4 ).

Pedipalps and legs: Pedipalpal metatarsus with a protuberance on the meso-distal portion with 4 or 5 spines that gradually shorten from dorso-mesial to the ventral side ( Figures 5a, b View Figure 5 ). Tarsus significantly elongated. Leg 1 without spines and with 2 small claws apically. Tibiae and metatarsal segments of legs 2, 3, and 4 have 2 spines on the ventral side distally. Tarsal segments of legs without tarsal spination. Unguiculus/pedunculus ratios: 1/4 for legs 2 and 3; 1/5 for leg 4.

Description of the allotype female:

Coloration: Coloration of the female specimen similar to that of male specimens.

Prosoma: Ocular tubercule does not have a bar-shaped projection. Instead of the projection seen in males, female has a significantly short conical projection, situated between median eyes on the anterior margin ( Figure 6a). Cheliceral dorsal surface covered by fine and long spines. Medio-dorsal surface of chelicerae bears short, darker, 4–5 spines thar look like the tarsal spine of galeodids. Cheliceral dentition same as that of males. Posterior side of metapeltidial sclerite with a metapeltidial process directed upward perpendicularly ( Figure 6b), which is not known in females of other Barrussus species.

Opisthosoma: Dorsal stripe of female is narrower than that of male. Only 5th opistosomal sternite with 6+6 ctenidia. All tubular and pointed apically.

Pedipalps and legs: Pedipalpal segments without ventral spination. Pedipalpal metatarsus straight and without a meso-distal protuberance. Dorsal and ventral spination of legs similar to those of males.

Bio-ecological observations: During field studies between 2009 and 2011, B. telescopus sp. nov. were found in areas that have scarce vegetation at 1528 m. a.s.l. on the northern slopes of the Bolkar Mountains. Soil structure of the area contains very concentrated salt and sulfur components called “evaporite formation”. The holotype male was collected from a crevice in evaporite formation on the surface and the paratypes were collected from under stones ( Figure 7a View Figure 7 ). We observed the allotype female, which was gravid, hiding under a spider web under a rubble of stones ( Figure 7b View Figure 7 ).

Etymology: As male specimens have an extremely elongated bar-shaped projection on the ocular tubercule (the longest in all known species of the genus Barrussus ), we used the term “ telescopus ” as a descriptive term for the new species. Meaning of the word is far-seeing, from Greek; “-teleskopos”: “far-seeing”, including words “tele”: “-far”, and “skopos”: “-seeing”.

Systematic remarks

Barrussus is characterized by an anteriorly extended, apically blunt, and conical ocular tubercule (Werner, 1905; Roewer, 1928, 1933, 1941). Males of Barrussus telescopus sp. nov. have the furthest extended ocular tubercule, which is a distinctly bar-shaped projection ( Figure 3a View Figure 3 ). This formation is represented for the first time as a diagnostic character in Barrussus spp.

In some previous studies, there were some contradictions regarding the number of spines on the ocular tubercule in Barrussus . The number of spines was only 1 according to Werner (1905); however, Birula (1913) denoted that there were 3. In contrast to these authors, Roewer (1933) stated that the spines of the ocular tubercule could have been easily broken over time, as seen in type specimens of B. pentheri and B. furcichelis . Roewer (1941) described the allotype female of B. furcichelis , which has 2 spines located on the apex of the ocular tubercule, and justified his previous opinions about the fragile form of the spines. All type specimens of B. telescopus sp. nov. have 2 spines, and so our findings are in accordance with the findings of Roewer (1941).

a 1 mm b 2 mm

Werner (1905) noted that Barrussus has a single flagellar complex; Birula (1913) stated that the genus has no flagellar complex. Roewer (1933, 1941) declared that both Barrussus species have a pair of flagellar complexes. Barrussus telescopus sp. nov. has a pair of flagellar complexes as stated by Roewer (1933, 1941).

Metatarsal protuberance is situated on the meso-distal portion of pedipalpal metatarsus. In contrast to B. pentheri , the tarsus is elongated as in B. furcichelis , but longer than that of the 2 known Barrussus species. Due to the elongated tarsus and the meso-distal protuberance of the metatarsus, pedipalps have a slightly curved appearance in males ( Figure 5a View Figure 5 ). Number of metatarsal spines on the metatarsal protuberance of B. pentheri was given as 4 by both Werner (1905) and Roewer (1933), and that of B. furcichelis was given as 6 by Roewer (1928). Males of B. telescopus sp. nov. have 4 or 5 metatarsal spines on the metatarsal protuberance (3 pedipalps with 4 spines, 1 pedipalp with 5 spines) ( Figure 5b View Figure 5 ).

A hump-like process on the metapeltidium in the order Solifugae was never described as a diagnostic character up to now. We propose the “metapeltidial process” as a new character, which was observed for the first time in the allotype female of B. telescopus sp. nov. ( Figure 6b).

Werner (1905) did not give information about opisthosomal ctenidia on B. pentheri . According to Roewer (1933), B. pentheri has club-shaped unitype ctenidia on the 4th and 5th opisthosomal sternites in both males and females. Males of B. furcichelis have short conical ctenidia on the 4th and tubular ctenidia on the 5th opisthosomal sternites ( Roewer, 1928, 1933). Females have needle-like tubular ctenidia on the 5th opisthosomal sternites only ( Roewer, 1941). Males of B. telescopus sp. nov. have club-shaped ctenidia on the 4th and blunt-ended tubular ctenidia on the 5th opisthosomal sternites ( Figure 4c View Figure 4 ). The female of B. telescopus lacks ctenidia on the 4th opisthosomal sternite and has the same ctenidia on the 5th opisthosomal sternite as in males; however, each ctenidium is apically pointed. Gromov (2004) indicated that the shape and size of ctenidia on the 4th opisthosomal sternite have taxonomic value, particularly in Karschia . According to the findings of this study, it is acceptable