Bonea tridigitata, Zhang, Chao, Kury, Adriano B. & Zhang, Feng, 2013

Zhang, Chao, Kury, Adriano B. & Zhang, Feng, 2013, Notes on Bonea Roewer, 1914 and Lomanius Roewer, 1923 (Opiliones: Laniatores: Podoctidae), with the description of three new species from China, Zootaxa 3630 (2), pp. 201-224 : 207-211

Bonea tridigitata sp. nov.

Figs. 16–38

Type material. Male holotype, CHINA: Hainan Province, Mt. Bawangling, about 600m alt., [N 19.1°, E 109.2°], May 31, 2007, F. Zhang leg. (MHBU-Opi-ZF07032), 4 Ƥ (MHBU-Opi-ZF07033–07036) paratypes, same data as holotype.

Diagnosis. Spine of interocular mound with two conspicuous dorsal accessory branches; carapace, scutal areas I, and IV each with a pair of strong paramedian spines; free tergite I with three median spines; femur of pedipalpus with five setiferous tubercles ventrally; ventral surface of cheliceral proximal segment armed with six large teeth retrolaterally and four teeth prolaterally; patella I with distinct setiferous tubercles.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin words “ tri -” and “ digitatus ” meaning “three fingered”, and refers to the three-pronged median spine protruding forward between eyes in lateral view ( Fig. 16 ).

Description. Male (holotype) habitus as in Figs. 16–17 . Coloration: body rusty yellow, with mottling of dark brown; median area of carapace pale yellow; each side of carapace dark brown; lateral ridges of the scutum margined with dark brown; ventral coloration same as dorsal; coxae with dark brown reticulate markings; free sternites with transverse band of dark brown; chelicerae and pedipalpus pale brown; with brown reticulate markings above; legs lighter brown, marked with alternating dark and light bands.

Dorsum. Dorsal scutum distinctly trapezoid in shape, posterior margin convex. Carapace with a row of four tubercles on each side of front margin near antero-lateral corner, also with two spines (the anterior one much larger than the posterior) behind these tubercles. Eyes widely separated; each eye with a few tubercles above it and an enlarged tubercle extending forward to touch tubercle arising at anterior margin of carapace. Enlarged, basally widened median spine with two posterior branch protruding forward between eyes. Posterior to the median elevation on carapace with two large median spines. Scutum with five areas, the median longitudinal furrow in first area obscure. First to fifth scutal grooves roofed by a series of tubercular bridges. First and fourth areas with two enlarged median spines. First free tergite with a row of seven spines, median three the largest. Other free tergites each with a row of hair-tipped granules. All areas with low hair-tipped granules. Lateral ridges with a row of hairtipped granules.

Venter. All coxae and genital operculum granulate, coxa I with coarse hair-tipped tubercles on anterior side. Coxa II with an enlarged tubercle prolateral and a large bifurcated tubercle retrolateral at tip of the margin. Coxa III with prolateral and retrolateral rows of small humps. Coxa IV widened, with several enlarged hair-tipped tubercles on the prolateral surface. Free sternites each with a transverse of hair-tipped granules. Tracheal stigmata visible.

Chelicera ( Figs. 1–2 , 18–20 ). Strongly developed. Basichelicerite elongate, slightly sinuous; dorsal surface with three teeth prolaterally; ventral surface with a row of six large teeth retrolaterally, and a row of four teeth prolaterally. Second segment armed with some teeth on prodorsal surface; laterally smooth; ventral surface with a row of four small teeth prolaterally. Fingers relatively short and strong, inner edges toothed as illustrated in Fig. 20 : one stout MBT, two tiny MMT, three MDT, one FBT, one crest FMT, and three FDT.

Pedipalpus ( Figs. 22–23 ). Coxa dorsally with one strong bifurcated setiferous tubercle. Trochanter with three setiferous tubercles ventrally, and one small setiferous tubercle dorsally. Femur with five setiferous tubercles ventrally, on the prolateral distal side with a setiferous tubercle. Patella with a setiferous tubercle retrolateral and two prolateral setiferous tubercles. Tibia with three prolateral and four retrolateral setiferous tubercles. Tarsus with three setiferous tubercles on both sides of ventral surface. Tarsal claw shorter than tarsus, slightly curved.

Legs. Trochanter I dorsally with one enlarged tubercle, ventrally with six enlarged tubercles, femur I dorsally with a row of twelve setiferous spines, ventrally with a row of eight setiferous spines, patella and tibia with many setiferous spines, arranged more or less in five rows ( Fig. 21 ). Femur II with two posterior setiferous tubercles at base, femur III–IV with setiferous tubercles. Tarsi III–IV with bare double claws, with scopulae. Tarsal formula: 3/ 4/5/5. Distitarsus of first and second tarsi with two tarsalia.

Penis ( Figs. 35–38 ). Long, slender, its shaft widened distally. Distal margin of ventral plate with a median cleft. Setae arranged as follow: six dorsal setae, 10 ventral setae, and 10 lateral setae. Basal sac sunken into truncus. Lamellar sack nearly rectangle, distal margin with serrated rim. Clasping lobe bifurcated, protruding beyond distal margin of glans. Stylus between the clasping lobes nearly sunken into lamellar sack, stylar tip blunt.

Female. In general appearance similar to the male, but with scutum more widely trapezoid (instead of subrectangular), interocular mound reduced, chelicera and pedipalpus less strongly armed ( Figs. 24–31 ). Inner edges of finger toothed as illustrated in Fig. 31 : one MBT, one small and one tiny MMT, three MDT, two FBT, one FMT, and three FDT.

Ovipositor as illustrated in Figs. 32–34 . Each lobe usually with two ventral and three dorsal setae. Tip of each seta somewhat spherical ( Fig. 32 ).

Measurements. Male holotype (female paratype): body 3.04 (2.90) long, 2.31 (2.57) wide at the widest portion, scutum 2.81 (2.84) long. Pedipalpus claw 0.45 (0.38) long. Penis 1.20 long. Measurements of left pedipalpus and right legs as in Table 2 .

Habitat. Collected from leaf litter by sieving in the humid tropical forest.

Variation. Four female specimens were examined. Body 2.90–3.67 long, 2.19–2.50 wide at the widest portion, scutum 2.55–2.86 long. Pedipalpi of three female specimens resemble that of holotype. However, the right pedipalpus of another female with normal shape as in the others ( Figs. 27–28 ), but with left pedipalpal femur retrolaterally and tibia prolaterally with four setiferous tubercles respectively ( Figs. 25–26 ). Ventral ovipositor bears an extra seta ( Figs. 33–34 ).

Distribution. China: Hainan (Mt. Bawangling).

Notes. Bonea tridigitata sp. nov. is similar to some Podoctinae currently not placed in Bonea , such as Dongmoa oshimensis Suzuki, 1964 , D. silvestrii Roewer, 1927 , and Metapodoctis siamensis Suzuki, 1985 (see Discussion). Bonea tridigitata sp. nov. is distinct from the latter species by the conspicuous median long spines on the first and fourth areas (Suzuki 1964a: 164, fig. 2; Roewer 1949: 273, fig. 63; Suzuki 1985: 90, fig. 11). Second segment of chelicera in Dongmoa oshimensis has many ventral tubercles (Suzuki 1964a: 165, fig. 3) that are absent in Bonea tridigitata sp. nov. The ventral tubercles retrolaterally on male basichelicerite in B. tridigitata sp. nov. are stout, while tubercles in Metapodoctis siamensis are delicate. The male genitalia of Bonea tridigitata sp. nov. is very similar to Dongmoa oshimensis and Metapodoctis siamensis . Distal margin of lamellar sack has serrated rim in Bonea tridigitata sp. nov. dorsally and ventrally, while Metapodoctis siamensis only has conspicuous serrated rim dorsally. As for Dongmoa oshimensis , Suzuki’s description and illustrations are in outline. The most important character is the lamellar sack of this species with inconspicuous serrated rim ventrally.

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 21. Bonea tridigitata sp. nov. 16. Male body, lateral view. 17. Dorsal view. 18. Left chelicera of male, prolateral view. 19. Retrolateral view. 20. Distal segment of the left chelicera, male, frontal view. 21. Right leg I of male, retrolateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURES 22 – 31. Bonea tridigitata sp. nov. 22. Left pedipalpus of male, retrolateral view. 23. Patella, tibia, and tarsus of male left pedipalpus, dorsal view. 24. Female body, dorsal view. 25. Left pedipalpus of female, retrolateral view. 26. Patella, tibia and tarsus of female left pedipalpus, dorsal view. 27. Tibia of female right pedipalpus, dorsal view. 28. Femur of female right pedipalpus, prolateral view. 29. Left chelicera of female, prolateral view. 30. Retrolateral view. 31. Distal segment of the left chelicera, female, frontal view. Scale bars: 1 mm (24); 0.5 mm (22 – 23, 25 – 31).

FIGURES 32 – 38. Bonea tridigitata sp. nov. 32. Ovipositor, dorsal view. 33. Ovipositor of another specimens, dorsal view. 34. Ventral view. 35. Penis, dorsal view. 36. Distal part of penis, dorsal view. 37. Lateral view. 38. Ventral view. Scale bars: 0.25 mm (32 – 34, 36 – 38); 0.5 mm (35).

FIGURES 1 – 2. Bonea tridigitata sp. nov. 1. Distal segment of the left chelicera, male, frontal view. 2. Distal segment of the left chelicera, female, frontal view. FBT = basal tooth of the cheliceral fixed finger; FDT = distal tooth of the cheliceral fixed finger; FMT = median tooth of the cheliceral fixed finger; MBT = basal tooth of the cheliceral movable finger; MDT = distal tooth of the cheliceral movable finger; MMT = median tooth of the cheliceral movable finger. Scale bars: 1 mm (1); 0.5 mm (2).

Tables

TABLE 2. Pedipalpus and leg measurements of the male holotype (female paratype) of Bonea tridigitata sp. nov.

	Trochanter	Femur	Patella	Tibia	Metatarsus	Tarsus	Total
Pedipalpus	0.50(0.38)	1.25(0.95)	0.75(0.63)	0.75(0.63)		0.65(0.55)	3.90(3.14)
Leg I	0.45(0.35)	1.82(1.32)	0.59(0.59)	1.06(0.86)	1.72(1.32)	0.59(0.46)	6.23(4.90)
Leg II	0.50(0.45)	4.49(3.80)	0.76(0.76)	4.13(3.30)	3.53(2.84)	1.35(0.92)	14.76(12.07)
Leg III	0.50(0.45)	2.81(2.31)	0.76(0.73)	2.24(1.98)	3.10(2.74)	0.67(0.59)	10.08(8.80)
Leg IV	0.63(0.50)	3.89(3.56)	0.79(0.73)	2.97(2.81)	4.29(3.97)	0.73(0.59)	13.30(12.16)