Siro franzi, Karaman & Lienhard & Niklos & Raspotnig, 2022

Karaman, Ivo, Lienhard, Andrea, Niklos, Kathrin & Raspotnig, Guenther, 2022, Two new species of the genus Siro Latreille, 1796 (Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi, Sironidae) in the European fauna, European Journal of Taxonomy 834 (1), pp. 1-21 : 8-12

Siro franzi Karaman & Raspotnig sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:419B880C-C8EF-4E16-B3FE-4F91F6A20C19

Figs 4–7

Diagnosis

Smallest European species of Siro , with a slender body and short legs. Females without both protruded anal region and elongate setae on it.

Etymology

The species is dedicated to Professor Herbert Franz, a famous coleopterist from Austria who first found this rare species.

Material examined

Holotype AUSTRIA – Styria • ♂; Staritsch; 46°41′42.40″ N, 15°11′45.46″ E; 510 m a.s.l.; 8 Oct. 2016; K. Niklos leg.; NHMW 29919 .

Paratypes AUSTRIA – Styria • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; NHMW 29920 • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for holotype; GRC KN39 , KN40 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; 4 Jun. 2016; GRC KN24 • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; 22 Jun. 2016; GRC KN 25, KN26 , KN29 , KN30 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; 26 Jun. 2016; NHMW 29921 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; GRC KN31 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 29 Jun. 2016; NHMW 29922 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; GRC KN33 • 3 ♀♀; St Oswald ob Eibiswald ; 46°40–42′ N, 15°05–08′ E; 1050 m a.s.l.; 9 Jul. 1960; H. Franz leg.; NHMW 28757 • 1 ♀; E Soboth , “ Golobsattel ”; 46°39–41′ N, 15°05–07′ E; 800–1100 m a.s.l.; 15 Jul. 1964; H. Franz leg.; NHMW 28758 • 1 ♀; Reinischkogel, St Oswald ob Eibiswald – surroundings or St Oswald in Freiland? [collection information uncertain] ; 22 Jul. 1964; H. Franz leg.; NHMW 28759 • 1 ♂; Krumbachgraben , W St Oswald ob Eibiswald; 46°41–43′ N, 15°03–06′ E; 1150 m a.s.l.; 21 Aug. 1965; H. Franz leg.; NHMW 28760 • 1 ♂; Krumbach, ca 2 km W of St Oswald ob Eibiswald, Mauthnereck area , forest road to the left of road B69; 46°41′ N, 15°06–07′ E; 800–1000 m a.s.l.; 27 Jun. 2010; G. Raspotnig and I. Karaman leg.; IKC1538 . – Carinthia • 1 ♂; southern slopes of the Koralpe, near St Vinzenz, near the border between Carinthia and Styria; 46°40–42′ N, 15°00–01′ E; 1070–1300 m a.s.l.; 14 Aug. 1965; H. Franz leg.; NHMW 28761 • 1 ♂; Soboth upper area of the Höllgraben, near forest road, approx. 20 m after the Styrian border; 46°39′(59″) N, 15°02′(01″) E; ca 1070 m a.s.l.; Jun. 1980; R. Schuster leg.; GRC-RS1 .

Additional material

AUSTRIA – Styria • 1 ♂ (used for SEM); Staritsch; 46°41′42.40″ N, 15°11′45.46″ E, 510 m a.s.l.; 4 Jun. 2016; K. Niklos leg.; GRC KN21 • 1 ♂ (used for SEM); same collection data as for preceding; 8 Oct. 2016; GRC KN35 • 2 ♀♀ (used for SEM); same collection data as for preceding; 22 Jun. 2016; K. Niklos leg.; GRC KN27 , KN28 • 2 ♂♂ (used for genetics); same collection data as for preceding; 4 Jun. 2016; K. Niklos leg.; GRC KN22 , KN23

Description

Male

BODY. If not otherwise stated, mesurements for the male holotype: body length 1.47 mm (males: 1.38–1.6 mm). Body uniformly light brown in color. Dorsum narrow, elongated (almost twice as long as wide) ( Fig. 4A ); anterior margin of prosoma widely convex; anterolateral margins short, slightly sinuate; posterior margin of opisthosoma bluntly rounded. Ozophores as long as wide at their bases, dorso-laterally oriented (type 2 – after Juberthie 1970). Anal plate ornamented with smooth, narrow and pronounced longitudinal medial ridge ( Fig. 4E ). All three pores of anal glands close to each other.

CHELICERAE. Short ( Fig. 5A ) (in paratype male 1.47 mm: basal article 0.73 mm long; second article 0.66 mm long), with pronounced ventral bulge and shallow dorsal depression on basal article. Basal article granulated on dorsal lateral and ventral side; medially sparsely granulated. Second article smooth.

PEDIPALPS. Of normal proportions ( Fig. 5B ) (in 1.47 mm long paratype 1.20 mm long without coxa and apotele); trochanter shorter than patella, half length of femur. Legs slightly elongated, all basitarsi and telotarsi without ornamentation. Telotarsus I (as on Fig. 5C ) elongated (L/W ratio: 3.75), with distinct soleae. Claws I smooth and short. Telotarsus IV elongate (L/W ratio: 3) with adenostyle at base of second third of its length (as on Fig. 5D ); adenostyle of tubular lancet form ( Fig. 5E ). Measurements of legs (without coxae and claws): I 1.50 mm; II 1.45 mm; III 1.21 mm; IV 1.53 mm.

VENTRAL PROSOMAL COMPLEX ( Fig. 4C ). Coxal lobes II anteriory wider for a third of its posterior width, less than three times as wide as long; coxal lobes III short, mediallly slightly protruded between coxal lobes II; conical processes situated laterally on frontal margin of gonostome.

SPERMATOPOSITOR ( Fig. 6 ). Short and wide, with short terminal lobe. Distal part of terminal lobe slightly scale-like sclerotized. Setae terminales (5) short, about third of spermatopositor length; setae dorsales (6) long, two lateral pairs almost as long as spermatopositor. Three setae laterales on each side. Setae ventrales (3) standing on the terminal fourth of spermatopositor length. Movable fingers short, slightly sclerotized, curved outward, reach margin of median lobe; sensory papillae widely separated.

Female

Body length 1.5–1.72 mm, without protruding of anal region and without long lateral setae on it ( Fig. 4F ). Dorsum ( Fig. 4B ) narrow elongated, almost twice as long as wide; ventral prosomal complex ( Fig. 4D ) – coxal lobes II as in male, coxal lobes III short, meeting each other in middle, mediallly protruded between coxal lobes II. Ovipositor apical lobes ( Fig. 7 ) more than three times as long as previous article. Receptacles of saccate form. Openings of receptacles situated on half of apical lobe length. Each apical lobe bearing one terminal, one ramified and 15 simple setae. Measurements of legs, without coxae and claws (female 1.5 mm body length): I 1.62 mm; II 1.42 mm; III 1.25 mm; IV 1.645 mm.

Remarks

Initial information on this new species was previously presented in Raspotnig et al. (2011). There, we speculatively treated S. franzi sp. nov. as a member of a new genus based on the absence of a protruded anal region in females of this species, which is a striking feature of all other European species of Siro (including S. ozimeci Karaman sp. nov., described below). We consider this character a synapomorphy of European Siro . This character is also not present in North American species of Siro , which are considered members of separate evolutionary lineages. Genetic analyses indicated the new species as sister to Siro valleorum and S. crassus , both of which are alpine species. The close relatedness of S. franzi and S. valleorum is also supported by some morphological characters. The structure of the spermatopositor and the coxosternal region (coxosternite II) are more similar among these two species compared to other species of the genus Siro . The absence of a protruded anal region in females of S. franzi , a character that is extremely pronounced in S. valleorum , is thus interpreted as a character loss. The structure of the anal plate, with a narrow and pronounced longitudinal carina followed by tightly spaced pores of anal glands (whose total spacing corresponds to the width of the carina), is a common feature of all alpine species of Siro , i.e., S. valleorum , S. crassus , S. ozimeci and S. franzi . In the remaining two European species of Siro ( S. rubens and S. carpaticus ) the longitudinal carina is low and wide, especially in the posterior part, accompanied by spaced pores.

Figures

Fig. 4. Siro franzi Karaman & Raspotnig sp. nov. A, C, E. Paratype, ♂ (IKC1538). B, D, F. Paratype, ♀ (NHMW 28759). A–B. Dorsum. C–D. Ventral prosomal complex. E. Anal region, subventral view. F. Anal region, ventral view.

Fig. 5. Siro franzi Karaman & Raspotnig sp. nov. A–E. Paratype, ♂ (IKC1538). F–G. Paratype, ♀ (NHMW 28759). A. Chelicerae, medial view. B. Pedipalp, medial view. C. Basitarsus and telotarsus, leg I. D. Basitarsus and telotarsus, leg IV. E. Adenostyle. F. Basitarsus and telotarsus, leg I. G. Basitarsus and telotarsus, leg IV. Scale bars: A–D, F–G = 100 µm; E = 20 µm.

Fig. 6. Siro franzi Karaman & Raspotnig sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (IKC1538). Spermatopositor. Scale bar = 50 µm.

Fig. 7. Siro franzi Karaman & Raspotnig sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (NHMW 28759). Distal portion of ovipositor, ventral view. Scale bar = 50 µm.