Paratemnoides assimilis (Beier, 1932)

Krajcovicova, Katarina, Ramage, Thibault, Jacq, Frederic A. & Christophoryova, Jana, 2024, Pseudoscorpions (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpiones) from French Polynesia with first species records and description of new species, ZooKeys 1192, pp. 29-43 : 29

Paratemnoides assimilis (Beier, 1932)

Figs 2A , 3

Materials examined

(Fig. 1 ). French Polynesia • 2 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, 1 tritonymph, 1 deutonymph; Huahine , Motuhionoa [16°46'16"N, 151°00'14"W]; 82 m a.s.l.; 06 Nov. 2020; F. Jacq leg.; decaying Falcataria moluccana trunk; NHMW 29976 . • 1 ♀; Huahine , Motuhionoa [16°46'11"N, 151°00'10"W]; 32 m a.s.l.; 06 Nov. 2020; F. Jacq leg.; Malaise trap; NHMW 29977 .

Description.

♂ (♀) (Figs 2A , 3 ).

Carapace (Fig. 3A ). Carapace 0.96 (0.95) × longer than broad, conically narrowed; epistome absent; with 2 distinct eye spots; smooth, without transverse furrows; anterior half brown distinct darker than posterior half; with 49 (44) acuminate setae apically with a dentition, 8 (9) setae on posterior margin; for lyrifissures see Fig. 3A . Chelicera (Fig. 3B, C ). Chelicera 2.33 (2.47) × longer than broad; 4 setae on hand, sbs absent, bs and es denticulate; moveable finger with 1 short seta; 2 slit-like lyrifissures on hand; galea long with 5 rami (Fig. 3B ); serrula exterior with 22 blades; rallum consisting of 4 blades, distal one long and serrated (Fig. 3C ). Pedipalps (Fig. 3D, G ). Pedipalps smooth, only anterior face of femur with minute denticles (Fig. 3G ), trochanter and femur lighter than chela (Fig. 2A ). Trochanter 1.59 ×, femur 2.16 (2.19) ×, patella 1.91 (1.94) ×, chela 2.59 (2.63) ×, hand with pedicel 1.67 (1.69) × longer than broad. Venom apparatus present only in fixed finger terminating in nodus ramosus slightly proximal to trichobothria et (Fig. 3D ). Fixed chelal finger with 8 trichobothria, moveable chelal finger with 4 trichobothria. Fixed chelal finger with 39 small marginal teeth; moveable chelal finger with 42 (43) small marginal teeth (Fig. 3D ). Trichobothia eb and esb adjacent and located basally; est midway between esb and et; st closer to sb than to t. For a complete trichobothrial pattern see Fig. 3D . Coxae (Fig. 3E ). Coxae smooth, all setae acuminate or with fine dentition apically; manducatory processes with 6 (5) setae; palpal coxae with 13-14 (16-17) setae; pedal coxae I-IV chaetotaxy: 9-11 (8-10): 6-8 (9): 6-7 (7): 17-19 (15-17); for lyrifissures see Fig. 3E . Abdomen (Fig. 2A ). Tergites I-III undivided, IV-V partly divided, VI-XI with fine division; sternites IV-XI divided. All setae acuminate or with fine dentition apically. Tergal chaetotaxy I-XI: 8: 8: 8: 4-5: 6-7 (6-7): 6 (6-7): 6 (6-7): 6 (7): 7: 9: 5. Sternal chaetotaxy IV-XI: 4: 5-7 (7): 6 (7-8): 7 (8): 8 (7-8): 9 (7): 7: 5. Genital area II-III. Short acuminate setae [slit-like lyrifissures]: 15 [2] (8 [4]): 6 [4] (4 [2]). Genital area (Fig. 3F ). Male rod Y shaped, female with several cribriform plates externally (Fig. 3F ). Leg I (Fig. 3H ). Trochanter 1.21 ×, femur I 1.25 (1.26) ×, femur II 2.86 (2.63) ×, tibia 2.77 ×, tarsus 3.22 (3.33) × deeper than broad. Leg IV (Fig. 3I ). Trochanter 1.44 ×, femoropatella 3.15 (3.23) ×, tibia 3.18 (3.29) ×, tarsus 2.77 (2.69) × deeper than broad. Leg IV with 1 tactile seta basally on tarsus (Fig. 3I ). Claws simple, arolium slightly shorter than claws (Fig. 3H, I ).

Measurements

(in mm, length/width or, for legs, length/depth). ♂ (♀). Body length 2.98 (3.38). Pedipalps: trochanter 0.43/0.27, femur 0.69 (0.70)/0.32, patella 0.67 (0.68)/0.35, chela 1.27 (1.29)/0.49, hand with pedicel 0.82 (0.83)/0.49, hand without pedicel 0.72 (0.73), fixed finger 0.62 (0.63). Chelicera 0.35 (0.37)/0.15, moveable finger 0.28. Carapace 0.85 (0.88)/0.89 (0.93). Leg I: trochanter 0.17/0.14, femur I 0.25 (0.24)/0.20 (0.19), femur II 0.40 (0.42)/0.14 (0.16), tibia 0.36/0.13, tarsus 0.29 (0.30)/0.09. Leg IV: trochanter 0.23/0.16, femoropatella 0.82 (0.84)/0.26, tibia 0.54/0.17, tarsus 0.36 (0.35)/0.13.

Identification.

Paratemnoides assimilis is most similar to P. pallidus (Balzan, 1892) as both possess similar proportions of the palpal segments (femur 0.62-0.83 mm long/2.10-2.30 × longer than broad, patella 0.59-0.78 mm long/1.80-1.90 × longer than broad, chela 1.27-1.44 mm long/2.40-2.70 × longer than broad, finger 0.47-0.63 mm long), minute denticles on the palpal segments while other body segments are smooth, and a carapace without transverse furrows. They differ by the presence of minute denticles on different segments of the pedipalps; in P. assimilis denticles are present on the anterior margin of the palpal femur, but with other palpal segments smooth, but in P. pallidus denticles are present on femur as well as on patella ( Beier 1932a, 1932b; Mahnert 1978a; Harvey 1988). Measurements of the palpal hand with pedicel also differ ( P. assimilis 0.62-0.83 mm long vs P. pallidus 0.80-1.06 mm long) ( Mahnert 1978a; Harvey 1988).

Remarks.

New-found specimens of P. assimilis were compared with selected Paratemnoides species deposited in NHMW: P. assimilis [NHMW-Zoo-AR 25115, NHMW-Zoo-AR 25124]; P. ceylonicus Beier, 1932 [NHMW-Zoo-AR 25064, NHMW-Zoo-AR 25065]; P. curtulus (Redikorzev, 1938) [NHMW-Zoo-AR 25117]; P. laosanus (Beier, 1951) [NHMW-Zoo-AR 25073]; P. pallidus [NHMW-Zoo-AR 25090, NHMW-Zoo-AR 25125]; and P. salomonis (Beier, 1935) [NHMW-Zoo-AR 25110]. As mentioned by Harvey (1988), the identification keys to Paratemnoides species by Beier (1932a, 1932b) are based generally on the size or thickness of palpal segments and legs. Harvey (1988) applied the character of measurements of leg segments as distinguishing ones for P. assimilis and P. ceylonicus . Specimens of species mentioned above were examined and compared in this study. Leg segments were measured but the values completely overlapped in all examined species. Considering these results and the fact that the Paratemnoides species descriptions are generally not sufficient, a revision of this genus is necessary to clearly set species boundaries.

Currently, P. ceylonicus is one of the synonyms of P. pallidus (Fig. 2B ) ( Klausen 2005; WPC 2022). The current synonymy of the two species was justified by no significant difference between P. ceylonicus and P. pallidus in palpal chela measurements ( Klausen 2005). Beier (1932a, 1932b, 1973) supported the existence of P. ceylonicus by the presence of minute denticles on the anterior margin of the palpal femur while other palpal segments are smooth.

All examined specimens of P. ceylonicus deposited in NHMW possess distinct granulation present on palpal femur as well as on patella just like in P. pallidus . The present study supports the synonymization of P. ceylonicus with P. pallidus suggested by Klausen (2005).

Family Geogarypidae Chamberlin, 1930

Genus Geogarypus Chamberlin, 1930

Figures

Figure 1. Map of archipelagos of French Polynesia with details of Tahiti and Huahine islands with marked studied localities.

Figure 2. A Paratemnoides assimilis, female B Paratemnoides pallidus, male C Geogarypus longidigitatus, male D Olpium caputi sp. nov., female. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 3. Paratemnoides assimilis A carapace, dorsal view B chelicera with setae pattern, dorsal view C rallum D palpal chela, dorsal view, showing trichobothriotaxy, teeth and venom apparatus E coxal area, ventral view F genital area G pedipalp, dorsal view (trochanter, femur, and patella) H leg I, lateral view I leg IV, lateral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.