Olpium caputi Krajcovicova & Christophoryova, 2024

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

Olpium caputi Krajcovicova & Christophoryova sp. nov.

Figs 2D , 4

Material examined

( Fig. 1 ). Holotype: French Polynesia • 1 ♀; Tahiti , Mont Marau Summit [17°36'52"N, 149°31'45"W]; 1450 m a.s.l.; 01 Sept. 2017; F.A. Jacq & T. Ramage leg.; sifting of epiphyte moss on Pterophylla parviflora (G.Forst.) Pillon & H.C.Hopkins; NHMW 29980.

Etymology.

The species’ epithet is a patronym honouring Zuzana Čaputová, the Slovak President. As a female leader, she expresses clear attitudes and supports women as well as scientists. In this manner, we would like to pay tribute to her.

Diagnosis.

Olpium caputi sp. nov. is most similar to O. afghanicum Beier, 1952 and O. philippinum Beier, 1967, as all possess a dark brown carapace, pedipalps, and abdomen, and with carapace and abdomen being darker than palpal segments, a carapace without transverse furrows, and similar proportions of the palpal segments (e.g. patella 2.80-3.30 × longer than broad, chela with pedicel 3.40-4.00 × longer than broad and chelal finger 0.60-0.63 mm long) ( Beier 1952, 1967). Olpium caputi sp. nov. differs from O. afghanicum in having smooth chelal hands and two enlarged setae present on the palpal femur, while in O. afghanicum the the chelal hands possess mediodistal dense granulation and only one enlarged seta is present on palpal femur ( Beier 1952). Olpium caputi sp. nov. differs from O. philippinum in having all palpal segments smooth, while O. philippinum possesses sparse mediodistal granulation on the palpal trochanter and hand. In addition, the palpal femur of O. caputi sp. nov. is more slender than in O. philippinum (e.g. palpal femur in O. caputi sp. nov. 4.11 × longer than broad vs that of O. philippinum 3.20-3.30 × longer than broad) ( Beier 1967).

Description.

♀ (Figs 2D , 4 ). Integument pigmented; carapace, pedipalps, and abdomen dark brown; carapace and abdomen slightly darker than palpal segments; tergites I-II whitish, following tergites brown, markedly darker (Fig. 2D ). Carapace (Fig. 4A ). Carapace 1.33 × longer than broad, rectangular without transverse furrows; 4 eyes, the anterior ones with very convex lens, both pairs with tapetum; 25 thin setae, of which 4 anterior and 3 posterior; with 12 lyrifissures. Chelicera (Fig. 4B, C ). Chelicera 2.08 × longer than broad, palm with 5 acuminate setae; fixed finger with 7 teeth; moveable finger with 1 subdistal seta, galea broken apically (Fig. 4B ), rallum with 3 blades, distal one serrated (Fig. 4C ), serrula exterior with 17 blades. Pedipalps (Figs 2D , 4D, G ). Pedipalps smooth (Figs 2D , 4G ). Trochanter 1.95 ×, femur 4.11 ×, patella 2.83 ×, chela 3.74 ×, hand with pedicel 1.82 × longer than broad. Femur dorsal with 2 elongate setae without enlarged alveoli (Fig. 4G ). Venom apparatus very short present in both fixed and moveable fingers terminating in nodus ramosus distal to trichobothrium et on fixed finger (Fig. 4D ). Fixed chelal finger with 8 trichobothria, moveable chelal finger with 4 trichobothria. Fixed chelal finger with 41 slightly reclined and pointed teeth; moveable chelal finger with 35 small marginal teeth (Fig. 4D ). A coupled sensillum (pc) closer to sb than to st. Trichobothria eb, esb, ib, isb located on the base of the fixed finger; est closer to ist than to it; b and sb located on the base of the moveable finger; st closer to sb than to t. For a complete trichobothrial pattern see Fig. 4D . Coxae (Fig. 4E ). Coxae smooth, all setae acuminate; manducatory processes with 5 setae; palpal coxae with 10-11 setae; pedal coxae I-IV chaetotaxy: 4: 5: 7-8: 14 (1 damaged); for lyrifissures see Fig. 4E . Abdomen (Fig. 2D ). Tergites longitudinally not divided. Pleural membrane longitudinally striate. Tergal chaetotaxy I-X: 2: 4: 5: 4: 4: 4: 4: 4: 6: 10. Chaetotaxy of sternites II-X: 7: 4: 4: 6: 8: 6: 6: 9: 10. Genital area very simple with marginal row of 7 acuminate setae on posterior operculum; one pair of lateral cribriform plates and one pair of medial cribriform plates next to each other as on Fig. 4F . Leg I (Fig. 4H ). Trochanter 1.38 ×, femur 3.00 ×, patella 1.91 ×, tibia 4.43 ×, tarsus I 3.40 ×, tarsus II 3.00 × deeper than broad. Leg IV (Fig. 4I ). Trochanter 1.53 ×, femoropatella 2.87 ×, tibia 4.36 ×, tarsus I 2.86 ×, tarsus II 3.33 × deeper than broad. Leg IV with a long tactile seta basally on tarsus I (Fig. 4I ). Claws simple, arolium significantly longer than claws (Fig. 4H-I ).

Measurements

(in mm, length/width or, for legs, length/depth). ♀. Body length 2.28. Pedipalps: trochanter 0.39/0.20, femur 0.74/0.18, patella 0.65/0.23, chela 1.27/0.34, hand with pedicel 0.62/0.34, hand without pedicel 0.54, moveable finger 0.67. Chelicera 0.27/0.13, moveable finger 0.17. Carapace 0.80/0.60. Leg I: trochanter 0.18/0.13, femur 0.30/0.10, patella 0.21/0.11, tibia 0.31/0.07, tarsus I 0.17/0.05, tarsus II 0.15/0.05. Leg IV: trochanter 0.26/0.17, femoropatella 0.66/0.23, tibia 0.48/0.11, tarsus I 0.20/0.07, tarsus II 0.20/0.06.

Distribution and ecology.

Currently, this species is known only from the type locality in Tahiti, French Polynesia. The specimen was collected by sifting from epiphyte moss.

Remarks.

Dashdamirov and Schawaller (1993) questioned the affiliation of O. afghanicum within the genus Olpium L. Koch, 1873 based on the following characters: nodus ramosus is distal of trichobothrium et, tarsus I is longer than tarsus II, the first tergite and posterior margin of carapace bear four setae. As mentioned in Murthy and Ananthakrishnan (1977), the length of nodus ramosus, given by Hoff (1964) for Olpinii with Olpium as the type genus, cannot be satisfactorily used to distinguish Olpium from other genera. As explained by Harvey and Leng (2008), almost all Olpiinae Banks, 1895 possess short venom ducts not reaching et on the fixed chelal finger. The redescriptions of Olpium pallipes (Lucas, 1849) and Olpium kochi Simon, 1881 show the variability in setae number on the posterior margin of carapace, both species bear 4-5 setae on it ( Heurtault 1979; Mahnert 1981). New described O. caputi sp. nov. possesses a very short venom apparatus terminating in nodus ramosus distal to trichobothrium et and three setae are present on the posterior margin of carapace.

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 4. Olpium caputi sp. nov. 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.