Cornuroncus chavchavadzei, Nassirkhani & Zaragoza & Mumladze, 2019

Nassirkhani, Mahrad, Zaragoza, Juan A. & Mumladze, Levan, 2019, A new pseudoscorpion genus from western Georgia (Pseudoscorpiones: Neobisiidae: Cornuroncus n. gen.), with a key to all Neobisiinae genera, Zootaxa 4624 (2), pp. 289-295 : 291-294

Cornuroncus chavchavadzei n. sp.

( Figs 2–17 )

Material examined. Holotype ♀, GEORGIA: Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, 7 km north-east from the village Kurzu long near Tekhuri River , 42°36′ N 42°20′ E, 450 m; 20 July 2014; L. Mumladze leg. ISUPS2 H ; Paratypes: 2♀, 1♂ same data and repository as holotype ( ISUPS2 P1 – ISUPS2 P2 – ISUPS2 P3) .

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Ilia Chavchavadze (1837–1907), who was the leader of the National Liberation Movement of Georgia.

Description. Female adults including holotype; male, when different, in square brackets.

Carapace ( Fig. 2 ): brown, anterior half distinctly lighter in colour than posterior half; posterior border partially not sclerotized and pale; entirely smooth; slightly wider than long, widest at the middle, 0.88–0.95x longer than broad; with one pair of small eyes, lenses not flattened but lightly convexe, distance from anterior margin 0.087 –0.093 mm, diameter of eyes 0.062 –0.067 mm [0.050 mm]; with 24–26 setae, anterior margin with 4 and posterior margin with 6 setae, chaetotaxy: 4:8:6–8:6; a low posterior transverse furrow more or less distinct; epistome prominent but small, triangle-shaped and tip slightly rounded (length 0.017 –0.020 mm, width 0.025 –0.027 mm); glandular pores present, 3 on each side of ocular area; anterolateral corners without protuberances; with 5 lyrifissures, one pair situated in ocular zone and close to the eyes, one located in median zone, distal to posterior margin, and one pair located at the posterior margin.

Tergites: light brown with yellowish brown borders; without median suture line; slightly sclerotized; X with 4 tactile setae, lateral setae slightly shorter than lateromedian setae; chaetotaxy: 6:7–9:9–10:9–10:10–11:11:11:11:10– 11:1T1T1T1T1:T1T1T1T:2 [6:5:9:9:11:11:11:11:9:1T1T1T1T1:T1T1T1T:2].

Sternites: lighter in colour than tergites, III–IV ( Fig. 3 ) not uniformly coloured; entirely smooth; without median suture line; slightly sclerotized; in females, anterior genital operculum with 8–9 tiny microsetae mostly arranged in median zone, posterior operculum with 12–14 short setae in one row at posterior margin; in male, anterior and posterior opercula with 31 setae, 16 setae located around genital aperture ( Fig. 4 ); cribriform plate of females extended from one side to the other side of sternite II along genital aperture; male genitalia damaged during mounting and not clearly visible, lateral genital sacs longer than median genital sac, genital opening with 3+3 internal setae ( Fig. 5 ); chaetotaxy: 8–9:(3)12–14(3):(2–3)11–12(2):14:15:12–14:12:13–14:4T1T4–5T1T4:1T1T1–T2T:2 [3 microsetae on each stigmata of sternites III and IV, chaetotaxy IV–XII: 11:14:13:13:13:14:4T1T4:T1T:2].

Pleural membrane: granulate.

Chelicera: brown; hand with 6 acuminate setae; galea knob-shaped and with a distinct hyaline convexity in both sexes; subgaleal seta situated distal to middle (0.61–0.66), proximal to large median tooth; hand entirely smooth; fixed finger with 19–20 minute teeth reaching to base; movable finger with 11–13 teeth reaching to middle of the segment, median tooth distinctly larger than others ( Fig. 7 ); serrula interior with 15–18 and serrula exterior with 21–26 blades; rallum with 7–8 denticulate blades on a low hyaline base, most proximal blade shortest ( Fig. 7 ).

Pedipalps: reddish brown, chela slightly darker in colour than femur and patella; trochanter and patella entirely smooth, prolateral surface of distal half of femur finely granulated, prolateral surface of chelal hand distinctly granulated at base of fixed finger ( Figs 8–9 ); coxa including manducatory process with 10–11 setae, manducatory process with 4 acuminate setae, seta located at base of manducatory process longest; trochanter with dorsal tubercle, L/ W 1.81 –1.91 [1.95]; femur with a short pedicel, one tubercle located medially at the retrolateral margin, one glandular pore located dorso-distally and another located ventro-distally; some long setae without enlarged alveoli located in basal half of the segment ( Fig. 8 ), L/ W 3.32 –3.40 [3.40]; patella with short and stout pedicel, L = 0.18–0.19 mm; patella distinctly shorter than femur, with 3 lyrifissures situated basally and one lyrifissure more distally, one glandular pore located dorso-distally, L/ W 1.90 –2.07 [1.96]. Chela with pedicel L/ W 2.56 –2.73 [2.74], without pedicel 2.27– 2.54 [2.48]; movable finger slightly shorter than hand with pedicel and slightly longer than hand without pedicel; hand with pedicel 1.12–1.16x [1.07x] longer than movable finger; movable finger 1.05–1.13x [1.11x] longer than hand without pedicel; hand with pedicel L/ W 1.53 –1.59 [1.59]; 4–5 microsetae located distal to trichobothria eb -esb [3] ( Fig. 10 ); microsetae below trichobothria eb -esb absent; fixed finger with 3 lyrifissures: one (fb) located at same level as ib, one (fa) close to base in retrolateral view and one (fd) at same level of et in dorsal view; movable finger with 3 lyrifissures in retrolateral view: one (ma 2) located at same level as trichobothrium b, one (ma 1) between b and sb, and one (ma 3) slightly distal to sb; one sensillum (se) located distal and very close to sb; fixed finger with 46–47 contiguous teeth, 4–5 distal teeth triangular in shape and the others rounded, reaching proximal of trichobothrium isb, all teeth with dental canal; movable finger with 46–49 contiguous rounded teeth slightly reduced in size from tip of the finger to its base, not reaching to the level of trichobothrium b, all teeth with dental canal; nodus ramosus of venom duct in fixed chelal finger short and situated distinctly distal to et. Trichobothriotaxy: fixed finger with 8 and movable finger with 4 trichobothria ( Fig. 10 ); fixed finger with trichobothrium it located approximately midway between et and est, all three distal of the middle of finger, ist situated proximal to middle of the finger (0.39–0.40) and midway between it and ib, isb on retrolateral face, ib situated basally, eb and esb located slightly proximad to ib; movable finger with trichobothrium st situated distinctly closer to t than to sb, trichobothrium sb midway between b and st, distance sb - st distinctly longer than distance st -t.

Legs: light brown, smooth; coxa I with short, triangular, sclerotized and pointed anterolateral process, medial process not produced, mediolateral face with rounded membranous layer ( Fig. 11 ); coxal chaetotaxy: 4–5:4–6:4:7– 8; sub-terminal setae bifid, both branches distinctly denticulate ( Fig. 12 ); claws of legs I–III symmetric; claws of leg IV ventrally asymmetric either with one small accessory tooth, the other smooth; arolia simple and shorter than claws. Leg I ( Fig. 13 ): femur L/D 2.33–2.57 [2.28]; patella L/D 2.27–2.45 [2.60]; femur 1.33–1.40x [1.23x] longer than patella; tibia L/D 3.55–3.66 [3.33]; metatarsus L/D 2.28–2.42 [2.50]; tarsus L/D 4.00–4.17 [3.83]; tarsus 1.47–1.56x [1.53x] longer than metatarsus. Leg IV ( Fig. 14 ): femur L/D 1.20 [1.19]; patella L/D 1.33–1.48 [1.48]; femur + patella L/D 2.08-2.72 [2.61]; tibia with a long tactile seta situated distal to middle (T=0.58–0.61), L/D 4.38–4.42 [4.38]; metatarsus with a long tactile seta situated basally (T=0.19–0.23), L/D 2.44–2.62 [2.55]; tarsus with a tactile seta situated proximal to middle (T=0.33–0.37), with a short dorso-distal spine ( Figs 15–17 ), L/D 4.00–4.57 [4.00].

Measurements (mm): holotype ♀, body length: 2.50. Carapace: 0.75/0.85. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.42/0.22; fe- mur 0.70/0.22; patella 0.60/0.29; chela (with pedicel) 1.20/0.44; chela (without pedicel) 1.12; hand (with pedicel) L. 0.70; hand (without pedicel) 0.62; movable finger L. 0.62. Leg I: femur 0.35/0.15; patella 0.25/0.11; tibia 0.32/0.09; metatarsus 0.16/0.07; tarsus 0.25/0.06. Leg IV: femur 0.30/0.25; patella 0.32/0.24; femur + patella 0.52; tibia 0.53/0.12; metatarsus 0.21/0.08; tarsus 0.30/0.07.

Paratypes ♀, body length: 2.73–2.80. Carapace:0.76/0.80.Pedipalp:trochanter 0.40–0.42/0.22; femur 0.73/0.22; patella 0.55/0.29; chela (with pedicel) 1.15/0.45; chela (without pedicel) 1.02; hand (with pedicel) L.0.69–0.70; hand (without pedicel) 0.56–0.60; movable finger L. 0.59. Leg I: femur 0.36/0.14; patella 0.27/0.11; tibia 0.32– 0.33/0.09; metatarsus 0.17/0.07; tarsus 0.24/0.06. Leg IV: femur 0.31/0.25; patella 0.37/0.25; femur + patella 0.68; tibia 0.57/0.13; metatarsus 0.22–0.23/0.09; tarsus 0.32/0.07–0.8.

Paratype ♂, body length: 2.55. Carapace: 0.71/0.77. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.41/0.21; femur 0.68/0.20; patella 0.55/0.28; chela (with pedicel) 1.07/0.39; chela (without pedicel) 0.97; hand (with pedicel) L.0.62; hand (without pedicel) 0.52; movable finger L. 0.58. Leg I: femur 0.32/0.14; patella 0.26/0.10; tibia 0.30/0.09; metatarsus 0.15/0.06; tarsus 0.23/0.06. Leg IV: femur 0.31/0.26; patella 0.37/0.25; femur + patella 0.68; tibia 0.57/0.13; metatarsus 0.23/0.09; tarsus 0.32/0.08.

Figures

FIGURES 2–17. Cornuroncus chavchavadzei n. sp., holotype ♀: 2–3, 6–15, 17, paratype ♂: 4–5, 16: 2. carapace, dorsal view; 3. coxae IV and sternites II–IV, ventral view; 4. sternites II–III, ventral view; 5. internal genitalia, in part; 6. left chelicera, dorsal view; 7. rallum; 8. left pedipalp, dorsal view; 9. right chelal hand, prolateral view; 10. right chela, retrolateral view; 11. right coxa I, ventral view; 12. Sub-terminal seta, magnified; 13. right leg I (trochanter omitted), retrolateral view; 14. right leg IV, retrolateral view (trochanter omitted); 15. distal part of tarsus of left leg IV, prolateral view; 16. distal part of tarsus of right leg IV, retrolateral view; 17. distal part of tarsus of right leg IV, retrolateral view (microscopic picture). See Material and methods for abbreviations.