Schizophyxia, Monjaraz-Ruedas & Prendini & Francke, 2019

Monjaraz-Ruedas, Rodrigo, Prendini, Lorenzo & Francke, Oscar F., 2019, Systematics Of The Short-Tailed Whipscorpion Genus Stenochrus Chamberlin, 1922 (Schizomida: Hubbardiidae), With Descriptions Of Six New Genera And Five New Species, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2019 (435), pp. 1-93 : 62-63

Schizophyxia , gen. nov.

Figures 2 , 6, 7G, 9C, 10A, 13G, 22C, D, 23A–C, 24A–C; tables 1, 4

Schizomus mexicanus group (part): Rowland, 1975b: 37, 39, 164, 165, 167–168, 173, 185, 209, 214, 216, 218, 220, 222, 224, 228, 255, 280, 301, 303, 320, 321, 348–350, 365, 366, 368, 369, 376, 387, 390, 391–393, 395; Rowland and Reddell, 1979a: 165, 171; 1979b: 90, 107; 1980: 1–8, 10, 11, 15–20; Reddell, 1981: 126; Rowland and Reddell, 1981: 19, 20, 41; Reddell and Cokendolpher, 1986: 32, 34; Camilo and Cokendolpher, 1988: 53, 57; Armas, 1989a: 7; Armas and Abud-Antun, 1990: 14, 18; Reddell and Cokendolpher, 1991: 1, 3; 1995: 82, 99, 101–104; Krüger and Dunlop, 2010: 52; Monjaraz-Ruedas and Francke, 2015: 452; 2016: 781–783, 804; 2018: 189, 212.

TYPE SPECIES: Schizomus lukensi Rowland, 1973 [= Schizophyxia lukensi (Rowland, 1973) , comb. nov.], type species, here designated.

DIAGNOSIS: Schizophyxia , gen. nov., may be separated from other hubbardiid genera by the following combination of characters. Cheliceral movable finger smooth ; single guard tooth at end of serrula; setal group G3 with G3-3 setae situated anteriorly (fig. 13G). Propeltidium anterior process with two anterior setae (one posterior to the other) and three pairs of dorsosubmedian setae (fig. 11A); corneate eyes absent. Metapeltidium entire. Tegument without clavate setae. Pedipalps homeomorphic ; trochanter with mesal spur, apical process acute, not projected (fig. 7G); femur Fv 1 and Fv 2 setae acuminate, Fvr 1–3 setae present ; patella with four acuminate Pe setae and four feathered Pm setae ; tibial setal formula 3-3-4 (Ter- Tmr-Tir) (fig. 14D). Leg IV femur anterodorsal margin produced at ca. 90° angle. Opisthosomal tergite II with one pair of setae (Dm). Opisthosomal segments IX–XII not elongated ; XII (♂) without posterodorsal process. Pygidial flagellum (♂) dorsoventrally compressed, spear shaped, with pair of shallow dorsosubmedian depressions (slightly visible in S. lukensi ) not fused posteriorly (fig. 23A– C) ; flagellum (♀) with two annuli (fig. 24A– C). Spermathecae (♀) with two pairs of lobes ; lateral lobes ca. 3/4 the length of median lobes, with apex directed laterally; median lobes linear or slightly curved laterally (parenthesis shaped); lobes unsclerotized apically and without bulbs; lobe bases aligned, with duct openings along entire length (figs. 9C, 10A); chitinized arch U-shaped, without anterior branch, lateral tips rounded; gonopod wide and short.

COMPARISONS: Species of Schizophyxia , gen. nov., resemble species of Harveyus , gen. nov., in the shape of the male pygidial flagellum and the female spermathecae. However, the male pygidial flagellum possesses a pair of submedian depressions and bulbs are absent from the median lobes of the female spermathecae in Schizophyxia , whereas the male pygidial flagellum possesses a pair of shallow pits and small bulbs are present on the median lobes of the female spermathecae in Harveyus . Additionally, species of Schizophyxia bear three pairs of dorsal setae on the propeltdium, whereas species of Harveyus bear only two. Although not observed in Schizophyxia , dimorphic males have been recorded in two species of Harveyus , i.e., H. mexicanus , comb. nov., and H. mulaiki , comb. nov.

ETYMOLOGY: The generic name is a compound word, combining schizo -, referring to the order Schizomida , which means “split” in Greek, and phyxia, referring to fictional antlike soldiers in “De-Loused in the Comatorium,” a short story by Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Jeremy Michael Ward of the progressive rock band, the Mars Volta. It is neuter in gender.

INCLUDED SPECIES: Schizophyxia bartolo (Rowland, 1973) , comb. nov.; Schizophyxia lukensi (Rowland, 1973) , comb. nov.

DISTRIBUTION: Schizophyxia , gen. nov., is distributed in the states of Nuevo León and Tamaulipas, northern Mexico (fig. 2), an area also inhabited by some species of Harveyus , gen. nov.

NATURAL HISTORY: The species of Schizophyxia , gen. nov., occur in seasonally dry habitats, inhabiting deciduous forest and caves, where the humidity is more optimal.

REMARKS: Although the species of Schizophyxia , gen. nov., and Harveyus , gen. nov., are very similar morphologically, the two genera may be consistently separated by several characters of the male pygidial flagellum and the female spermathecae. The acquisition of DNA sequence data for H. mulaiki , comb. nov., and H. reddelli , comb. nov., are needed to test the generic placements of these species.

Figures

FIG. 2. Map of central Mexico, plotting known locality records for the short-tailed whipscorpion genera Baalrog, gen. nov. (circles), and Schizophyxia, gen. nov. (squares) (Schizomida: Hubbardiidae Cook, 1899), based on data from museum collections and the literature.