Spelaeochthonius huanglaoensis, Hou & Zhang, 2024

Hou, Yanmeng & Zhang, Feng, 2024, Three new species of dragon pseudoscorpions (Pseudoscorpiones, Pseudotyrannochthoniidae) from China, ZooKeys 1204, pp. 135-154 : 135-154

Spelaeochthonius huanglaoensis sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8

Chinese name.

黄老穴伪蝎.

Type material.

Holotype: China • ♂; Beijing City, Fangshan District, Shidu Town, Wanglaopu Village, Huanglao Cave ; 39 ° 40.916 ′ N, 115 ° 39.041 ′ E; 495 m a. s. l.; 19 Oct. 2021; Nana Zhan leg.; under a stone in the deep zone (Fig. 1 ); Ps. - MHBU - BJFS-21-10-19-02-01 . Paratype: • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; Ps. - MHBU - BJFS-21-10-19-02-02 .

Diagnosis

(♂ ♀). Spelaeochthonius huanglaoensis sp. nov. is most similar to S. wulibeiensis Gao, Hou & Zhang, 2023 , but differs from it in having shorter pedipalps (e. g. chela 7.94 (♂), 6.14 (♀) × vs 6.21–6.22 (♂), 5.68 (♀) × longer than broad, length 1.43 (♂), 1.72 (♀) mm vs 1.68–1.74 (♂), 1.76 (♀) mm), 1 additional cheliceral seta (seven vs six), and more numerous fixed chelal finger teeth (29 vs 22–24). It differs from S. yinae Li, 2023 in the number of setae on tergite II (four vs two), smaller body size (e. g. chela 7.94 (♂), 6.14 (♀) × vs 5.93 (♂), 6.30 (♀) × longer than broad, length 1.43 (♂), 1.72 (♀) mm vs 1.72 (♂), 1.89 (♀) mm), and more numerous fixed chelal finger teeth (♂) (29 vs 23).

Etymology.

The species is named after its type locality, Huanglao Cave.

Description.

Adult male (Figs 5 A , 6 A – E , 7 ). Colour: generally pale yellow; chelicerae, pedipalps and tergites slightly darker; soft parts pale. Cephalothorax (Figs 6 A, C , 7 A ): carapace inverted-trapezoid, 1.04 × longer than broad, gently narrowed posteriorly; surface mostly with fine reticulations; with four anterior lyrifissures and two posterior lyrifissures; no traces of eyes but eye region bulging and convex in dorsal view; epistome present and with some tiny spinules; with 16 setae arranged s 4 s: 4: 2: 2: 2, most setae heavy, long, and gently curved. Chaetotaxy of coxae: P 3, I 6, II 5, III 4–5, IV 4; manducatory process with two acuminate distal setae, anterior seta less than 1 / 2 length of medial seta (refer to female, Fig. 8 C ); coxal spines present on coxa I only, comprising a transverse, contiguous series of six or seven tridentate blades, which arise from a lightly sclerotized or translucent hillock, the central ramus of each blade (except the basal one) sharply acumino-spatulate and extending beyond the lateral rami (refer to female, Fig. 8 A ); a small, bisetose intercoxal tubercle present between coxae III and IV (Fig. 6 C ). Chelicera (Figs 6 B , 7 B, C ): large, approximately as long as carapace, 2.50 × longer than broad; six setae and two lyrifissures (exterior condylar lyrifissure and exterior lyrifissure) present on hand, movable finger with one medial seta, all setae acuminate, ventrobasal seta shorter than others. Cheliceral palm with moderate hispid granulation on both ventral and dorsal sides. Both fingers with well-developed teeth, fixed finger with 14 acute teeth, distal one largest; movable finger with 11 retrorse contiguous teeth of equal length; galea absent. Serrula exterior with 19 blades (refer to female, Fig. 8 B ) and serrula interior with 15 blades. Rallum in two rows and composed of ten finely pinnate blades (11 blades in female), of which the basal-most blade shorter than the others (Figs 7 C , 8 D ). Pedipalp (Figs 6 D , 7 D – F ): surfaces mostly with fine reticulations; long and slender, trochanter 1.87, femur 6.38, patella 2.69, chela 7.94, hand 3.00 × longer than broad; femur 2.37 × longer than patella; movable chelal finger 1.69 × longer than hand and 0.64 × longer than chela. Setae generally long and acuminate; one distal lyrifissure present on patella (Fig. 7 E ). Chelal palm slightly constricted towards fingers. Fixed chelal finger and hand with eight trichobothria plus duplex trichobothrium (dt), movable chelal finger with four trichobothria, ib, isb, eb, esb, and ist clustered at the base of fixed finger, esb slightly distal to ist; it slightly distal to est, situated subdistally and forming a pair; et situated subdistally, very close to chelal teeth; dt situated distal to et, near the tip of fixed finger; sb distinctly closer to b than to st (Fig. 7 D ). Microsetae (chemosensory setae) absent on hand and both palpal fingers. Sensilla absent. Both chelal fingers with a row of teeth, homodentate, spaced regularly along the margin, larger and well-spaced teeth present in the middle of the row, becoming smaller and closer distally and proximally: fixed chelal finger with 29 teeth, slightly retrorse and pointed; movable chelal finger with 19 teeth (slightly smaller than teeth on fixed chelal finger) (Figs 6 D , 7 D ). Chelal fingers slightly curved in dorsal view (Fig. 7 F ). Opisthosoma: generally typical, ovate, pleural membrane finely granulated. Tergites and sternites undivided; setae uniseriate and acuminate. Tergal chaetotaxy I – XII: 2: 4: 4: 5: 7: 7: 7: 6: 5: 4: TT: 0. Sternal chaetotaxy III – XII: 9: 8: 10: 9: 10: 9: 7: 8: 0: 2. Anterior genital operculum with nine setae, genital opening pit-like, with seven marginal setae on each side, 23 in total (Fig. 6 E ). Legs (Fig. 7 G, H ): generally typical, long, and slender. Fine granulation present on anterodorsal faces of patella IV. Femur of leg I 1.73 × longer than patella and with one lyrifissure at the base of femur; tarsus 2.24 × longer than tibia. Femoropatella of leg IV 3.04 × longer than deep and with one lyrifissure at the base of femur; tibia 5.80 × longer than deep; with a long tactile seta on both tarsal segments: basitarsus 3.86 × longer than deep (TS = 0.37), telotarsus 11.40 × longer than deep and 2.11 × longer than basitarsus (TS = 0.35). Arolium slightly shorter than the claws, not divided; claws simple. Dimensions of adult male (length / breadth or, in the case of the legs, length / depth in mm). Body length 1.80. Pedipalps: trochanter 0.28 / 0.15, femur 1.02 / 0.16, patella 0.43 / 0.16, chela 1.43 / 0.18, hand 0.54 / 0.18, movable finger length 0.91. Chelicera 0.55 / 0.22, movable finger length 0.28. Carapace 0.53 / 0.51. Leg I: trochanter 0.21 / 0.15, femur 0.52 / 0.09, patella 0.30 / 0.08, tibia 0.25 / 0.06, tarsus 0.56 / 0.05. Leg IV: trochanter 0.27 / 0.15, femoropatella 0.70 / 0.23, tibia 0.58 / 0.10, basitarsus 0.27 / 0.07, telotarsus 0.57 / 0.05.

Adult female (Figs 5 B , 6 F , 8 ). Mostly same as male; tergal chaetotaxy I – XII: 2: 4: 4: 5: 6: 6: 6: 6: 5: 4: TT: 0; sternal chaetotaxy IV – XII: 5: 6: 8: 8: 9: 9: 8: 0: 2; anterior genital operculum with five setae, posterior margin with six marginal setae, 11 in total; leg IV with a long tactile seta on both tarsal segments: basitarsus 3.44 × longer than deep (TS = 0.35), telotarsus 9.86 × longer than deep and 2.23 × longer than basitarsus (TS = 0.36). Body length 1.86. Pedipalps: trochanter 0.35 / 0.19 (1.84 ×), femur 1.20 / 0.20 (6.00 ×), patella 0.52 / 0.21 (2.48 ×), chela 1.72 / 0.28 (6.14 ×), hand 0.62 / 0.28 (2.21 ×), movable chelal finger length 1.09. Chelicera 0.81 / 0.33 (2.45 ×), movable finger length 0.41. Carapace 0.69 / 0.74 (0.93 ×). Leg I: trochanter 0.22 / 0.14 (1.57 ×), femur 0.56 / 0.08 (7.00 ×), patella 0.37 / 0.08 (4.63 ×), tibia 0.32 / 0.07 (4.57 ×), tarsus 0.68 / 0.06 (11.33 ×). Leg IV: trochanter 0.31 / 0.18 (1.72 ×), femoropatella 0.82 / 0.28 (2.93 ×), tibia 0.68 / 0.11 (6.18 ×), basitarsus 0.31 / 0.09 (3.44 ×), telotarsus 0.69 / 0.07 (9.86 ×).

Distribution.

China (Beijing).

Figures

Figure 1. Distribution of all Pseudotyrannochthoniidae species in China. 1 Allochthonius liaoningensis Hu & Zhang, 2012 2 A. exornatus Gao & Zhang, 2013 3 A. wui Hu & Zhang, 2011 4 A. jingyuanus Zhang & Zhang, 2014 5 A. brevitus 6 A. sichuanensis (Schawaller, 1995) 7 A. hispidus sp. nov. 8 A. lini Li, 2023 9 A. xuae Li, 2023 10 A. bainiensis 11 A. pandus 12 A. xinqiaoensis 13 A. fanjingshan Gao, Zhang & Zhang, 2016 14 A. trigonus Hu & Zhang, 2011 15 A. fuscus Hu & Zhang, 2011 16 Centrochthonius kozlovi (Redikorzev, 1918) 17 C. cheni (Gao, Zhang & Zhang, 2016) 18 Spelaeochthonius huanglaoensis sp. nov. 19 S. tuoliangensis sp. nov. 20 S. yinae 21 S. wulibeiensis.

Figure 5. Spelaeochthonius huanglaoensis sp. nov. A holotype male, habitus (dorsal view) B paratype female, habitus (dorsal view). Scale bars: 0.50 mm.

Figure 6. Spelaeochthonius huanglaoensis sp. nov. A carapace (dorsal view) B left chelicera (dorsal view) C coxae (ventral view) D left chela (lateral view) E male genital area (ventral view) F female genital area (ventral view). Scale bars: 0.20 mm (C, D); 0.10 mm (A, B, E, F).

Figure 7. Spelaeochthonius huanglaoensis sp. nov., holotype male A carapace (dorsal view) B left chelicera (dorsal view), with details of teeth C rallum D left chela (lateral view), with details of trichobothrial pattern E left pedipalp (minus chela, dorsal view) F left chela (dorsal view) G leg I (lateral view) H leg IV (lateral view). Scale bars: 0.20 mm.

Figure 8. Spelaeochthonius huanglaoensis sp. nov. scanning electron micrographs, paratype female A coxal spines in overview, with details of tips B serrula exterior C manducatory process D rallum. Scale bars: 50 μm (C, D); 20 μm (B); 10 μm (A).