Euepedanus dashdamirovi, Zhang & Martens, 2020

Zhang, Chao & Martens, Jochen, 2020, A taxonomic study on Epedanidae from Thailand including functional aspects of male genital morphology (Opiliones, Laniatores), ZooKeys 915, pp. 25-58 : 25

Euepedanus dashdamirovi sp. nov. Figures 1-8 , 9-17 , 18-25 , 26-31

Type material.

Holotype male (SMF-CJM7059-01): THAILAND: Sa Kaeo (Kaew) Province: Ta Phraya District, Ta Phraya NP (No.11), 14°8.37'N 102°40.19'E, alt. 164 m, 27 October 2010, S. Dashdamirov leg. Paratypes. one female (SMF-CJM7059-02), same collecting data as holotype; one female (SMF-CJM7051-01) and one juvenile (SMF-CJM7051-02), THAILAND: Sa Kaeo (Kaew) Province: Maeng, Srakaeo District, Wat Tham Khao Maka (No.8), 13°47.23'N 101°56.87'E, alt. 46m, 26 October 2010, S. Dashdamirov leg.

Diagnosis.

Penis with a stereoscopic ventral plate (e.g., Fig. 132 ) and the stylus constricted apically. Anterior margin of prosoma armed with tubercles. The basichelicerite of chelicerae dorsally with five tubercles (Figs 2-4 ). Pedipalpal femur ventrally with six seta-tipped tubercles, and distally with two tubercles on medial side. Pedipalpal patella with three seta-tipped tubercles.

Etymology.

Named in honor of the collector of the type material and our good friend, Dr. Selvin Dashdamirov.

Description.

Male (holotype) habitus as in Figs 1 , 9 , 26 , 27 . Coloration (Figs 26 , 27 ): entire body dorsally rusty yellow with black patches; median area of prosoma with black reticulations before and behind the ocularium; both lateral ridges of scuta with brown stripes; opisthosomal area I bordered posteriorly with brown and area II dark brown with paler interspaces; areae III and IV and free tergites each with a transverse dark band; venter concolorous with the dorsum; chelicerae and pedipalps reticulated; all leg segments other than trochanters and tarsi with black reticulations.

Dorsum (Figs 9 , 26 ). Dorsal scutum more or less trapezoid in form, with sides slightly curved, proximal end of abdomen slightly enlarged and rounded. Anterior margin of prosoma with eight small tubercles at the lateral portion. Ocularium long oval, removed from anterior border of scutum by 0.50 mm, armed with an elongate, lightly curved spine. Posterior margin of prosoma bowed. Opisthosomal area I longer than other areae. Areae I and III each with a median pair of short spines. Area II with two median long spines. Area IV and all free tergites with a transverse row of seta-tipped tubercles, central ones larger than others, like slender spines. Lateral margins of the scutum with a longitudinal row of seta-tipped tubercles.

Venter (Fig. 28 ). Coxae with tubercular surface, coxa I with enlarged seta-tipped tubercles. Coxae II, III, and IV with only minute similar tubercles. Genital operculum with a few seta-tipped granules. Free sternites with a row of minute tubercles, each with setae on top. Spiracles clearly visible.

Chelicerae (Figs 2-6 ). Basichelicerite elongate, dorsally with a slight bulla, and armed with four long spines and one seta-tipped tubercle dorsally; two similar spines and one seta-tipped tubercle medially on the ectal side; one seta-tipped tubercle on the lateral side; ten seta-tipped tubercles scattered over the ventral side; medial side with a basal protuberance. Cheliceral hand widened, pro-dorsally with some seta-tipped tubercles; two seta-tipped tubercles on the ventral side. Fingers relatively strong, inner edges toothed (Fig. 6 ): moveable finger and fixed finger each with five stump teeth.

Pedipalps (Figs 7 , 8 ). Coxa dorsally with two seta-tipped tubercles; ventrally with one distal seta-tipped tubercle. Trochanter ventrally and dorsally each with one enlarged and one small seta-tipped tubercles. Femur ventrally with a row of six seta-tipped tubercles, of which the two longest at the base; dorsally with two longitudinal rows of conical tubercles; distally on medial side with two seta-tipped tubercles. Patella ventro-mesally with two setiferous tubercles, and ventro-ectally with one setiferous tubercles. Tibia ventro-mesally with three setiferous tubercles, and ventro-ectally with four setiferous tubercles. Tarsus with three setiferous tubercles on each side of ventral side. Tarsal claw curved, longer than tarsus.

Legs. All segments smooth, only with scarce short setae. Femur IV slightly curved. Distitarsus I with two, distitarsus II with three tarsomeres. Distitarsi III and IV without scopula. Tarsal claws smooth. Tarsal formula (I-IV): 9(2)/24(3)/7/8.

Penis (Figs 18-25 ). Shaft slender, elongate. The distal fourth of the shaft broadened and nearly parallel-sided till apical portion (pars distalis). Ventral plate nearly square (ventral view, Fig. 19 ), and slightly indented on the distal margin (Fig. 19 ). Glans partially sunken into dorsal depressed portion of pars distalis and not extending the distal margin of the ventral plate. Capsula externa and capsula interna cylindrical, and the inner side of capsula interna with dense cover of fur-like microtrichia. The ventral lobe of capsula interna conspicuous, somewhat triangular; the dorsal lobe inconspicuous. Stylus with irregular shape, constricted apically. Spination symmetrical. One pair of setae A, B, and C. Two pairs of setae D, E, and F (Figs 19-21 ).

Female (Figs 10-17 , 29-31 ). In general appearance similar to the male, abdomen more rounded posteriorly (Figs 10 , 29 ). Basichelicerite dorsally with three and ectally with one long spines, other seta-tipped tubercles on chelicerae less stout than those of the male (Figs 11-13 ). Cheliceral hand prodorsally with two enlarged seta-tipped tubercles in the middle of inner portion (Fig. 11 ); one seta-tipped tubercle on the ventral side (Fig. 12 ). Pedipalp similar to that of male (Fig. 15 ). Tarsal formula (I-IV): 8(2)/19(3)/7/8.

Ovipositor (Figs 16 , 17 ). Elongate. Ventral side with four and dorsal side with six setae of different lengths.

Measurements.

Male holotype (female paratype): body 2.94 (2.36) long, 2.13 (2.48) wide at widest portion, scutum 2.36 (2.05) long. Ocularium 0.40 (0.30) long, 0.79 (0.69) wide. Proximal chelicerae 1.24 (1.08) long, 0.43 (0.38) wide; second 2.10 (1.72) long, 0.72 (0.59) wide; distal 0.91 (0.80) long, 0.21 (0.20) wide. Pedipalp claw 0.84 (0.80) long. Penis 1.67 long. Measurements of pedipalp and legs as in Tables 1 and 2 .

Habitat.

The specimens were collected by hand under the decaying bark of various tree species.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality.

Figures

Figures 1 - 8. Euepedanus dashdamirovi sp. nov., male holotype 1 body, lateral view 2 right chelicera, lateral view 3 same, medial view 4 right basichelicerite, dorsal view 5 right cheliceral hand, frontal view 6 Right cheliceral fingers, frontal view 7 right pedipalp, lateral view 8 same, medial view. Scale bars: 1 mm (1 - 5, 7 - 8), 0.5 mm (6).

Figures 9 - 17. Euepedanus dashdamirovi sp. nov., male (Fig. 9, holotype), female (Figs 10 - 17, paratype) 9 male body, dorsal view 10 female body, dorsal view 11 right chelicera, medial view 12 same, lateral view 13 left basichelicerite, dorsal view 14 left cheliceral hand, frontal view 15 left pedipalp, medial view 16 ovipositor, ventral view 17 same, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1 mm (9, 10, 15), 0.5 mm (11 - 14, 16, 17).

Figures 18 - 25. Euepedanus dashdamirovi sp. nov., genitalia of male holotype 18 penis, lateral view 19 pars distalis of penis, ventral view (arrow indicates indented distal end) 20 same, lateral view 21 same, dorsal view 22 pars distalis of penis (everted), ventral view 23 same, dorsal view 24 - 25 same, lateral view. Abbreviations: CE capsula externa CI capsula interna DL dorsal lobe G glans Pb pars basalis Pd pars distalis S stylus VP ventral plate VL ventral lobe. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (18), 0.25 mm (19 - 25).

Figures 26 - 31. Photographs of male (Figs 26 - 28, holotype) and female (Figs 29 - 31, paratype) of Euepedanus dashdamirovi sp. nov. 26, 29 body and parts of appendages, dorsal view 27, 30 body and parts of appendages, lateral view 28, 31 body and parts of appendages, ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 130 - 141. Schematic drawings contrasting the morphology of pars distalis (Pd) of male genitalia in different representatives of the Epedanidae 130, 131 Epedanellus tuberculatus Roewer, 1911 (arrow indicates the cross-section of ventral plate at the marked point, adapted from Suzuki, 1973) 130 ventral view 131 lateral view 132, 133 Lobonychium palpiplus Roewer, 1938 (arrow indicates the cross-section of ventral plateat the marked point, adapted from Zhang & Martens, 2018) 132 dorsal view 133, 134 lateral view 135 a, b cross-section through ventral plate and glans at the marked point 136, 137, 140, 141 Plistobunus jaegeri sp. nov. 136 lateral view 137 cross-section through ventral plate and glans at the marked point 138, 139 Toccolus globitarsis Suzuki, 1969 138 lateral view 139 a, b expanded, lateral view (arrow indicates the movement of capsula interna in 139 b) 140 lateral view 141 a, b expanded, lateral view (arrow indicates the movement of capsula interna and capsula externa in 141 b).