Eukoenenia indalica, Mayoral, J. G. & Barranco, P., 2017

Mayoral, J. G. & Barranco, P., 2017, A remarkable new palpigrade (Arachnida) of the Eukoenenia mirabilis group from Spain, Zootaxa 4290 (2), pp. 357-366 : 358-361

Eukoenenia indalica sp. nov.

( Figs. 1‒15 )

Material examined. Holotype ♀, Cueva de la Corraliza, T.M de Fondón, Sierra de Gádor, Almería (UTM 30SWF X515000 Y4087000 Z1710), 18 March 2000, D. Ortega & J. Amate leg. Deposited in Universidad de Almeria (UAL-Pp-006).

Description of female. Prosoma. Frontal organ with two elongated and granulate branches with subparallel borders, 1.6 times longer than wide ( Fig. 1 ). Lateral organ with one pointed, granulate blade, more than 1.45 times longer than wide (32/~22; width of lateral organ distorted due to compression of the specimen during mounting). Propeltidium with 10 + 10 short setae. Metapeltidium with 3 + 3 setae, t1 (64) and t3 (74) shorter than t2 (120) ( Fig. 2 ). Hand of chelicera with 6 dorsal and one ventral seta, each finger with 9 teeth. Basal segment of the chelicera with three setae in distal series (d1‒d3): d3> d2> d1; setae d1 and d3 tapering, with small setules along their length; d3 1.7 times longer than d1; d1 much thinner than d2 and d3; d2 (middle seta) thickened, with subparallel borders, tiny setules and a crown of spines on the truncated tip. Sternum with 11 deuto-tritosternal setae arranged in two irregular transverse rows: anterior row with 5 setae and posterior row with 6.

Chaetotaxy of coxae. Pedipalp coxa with 19 setae of different lengths ( Fig. 3 ). Coxa I with 15 setae: 10 long, 3 shorter ones and 2 microsetae ( Fig. 4 ). Coxa II with 13 setae: 4 thickened and 9 normal ( Fig. 5 ). Coxa III with 11 setae: 4 thickened setae, one long macroseta and 6 normal setae ( Fig. 6 ). Coxa IV with 14 setae: 2 thickened and 12 normal ( Fig. 7 ). Thickened setae on coxae tapering, with a minute, obliquely projecting spine at the truncated tip.

Palp ( Figs 8‒9 ): ta3 with 10 normal setae, 2 bifurcate setae (fs), 1 curved seta (cs), 4 macrosetae and seta r; ta2 with 3 normal setae and 3 macrosetae; ta1 with 2 normal setae; bta2 with 4 normal setae and 2 macrosetae; bta1 with 3 setae; ti with 9 setae; fe with 8 setae; tc with 7 setae.

Leg I ( Figs 10‒12 ): ta3 with 15 normal setae, 3 macrosetae, 2 bifurcate setae (fs) with equal branches and r; ta2 with 5 normal setae, 1 trichobothrium (tb) and 1 bifurcate seta (fs) with equal branches; ta1 with 5 normal setae, one considerably smaller than the others; bta4 with 5 normal setae, 1 tb and 1 fs with unequal branches; bta3 with r, grt and 1 microseta; bta2 with 4 normal setae, 2 tb, and 1 fs with equal branches; bta1 with 2 normal setae, 2 tb and 1 fs with unequal branches; ti with 9 normal setae; pa with 9 normal setae and 1 tb; fe with 9 normal setae; tc with 11 normal setae, two of which are considerably smaller than the others.

Basitarsus of leg IV (IVbta) ( Fig. 13 ) with seven setae: 2 esd inserted most distally; gla, 2 esp and r approximately in the middle of segment; esd and esp with a small spine at its base (characteristic of macrosetae); grt proximad of the other setae, with a small and sharp spine at its base. Lengths and ratios given in measurements below.

Opisthosoma. Tergites II–VII each with 3 + 3 dorsal setae: t1, t3 and one slender lateral seta s on each side. Sternite III with 2 + 2 setae. Sternites IV and V with 3 + 3 setae, inner ones (a1, a2) 75 long and s1 45 long. Sternite VI with a wart-like structure in medial plane of segment bearing 4 thickened setae, medial 2 setae (a1) 50 long and lateral ones (a2) 63 long. The setae s1 on each side of wart-like structure are 58 long ( Fig. 14 ). Sternite VII with 3+3 setae, a1 80, a2 60 and s1 40 long. Segments VIII–XI with 10, 6, 6 and 8 setae, respectively. Flagellum not preserved.

Genital region. Two lobes with a total of 22 setae. First lobe with 9 + 9 setae in 5 transverse rows: 1 + 1, 1 + 1, 1 + 1, 1 + 1, and 4 + 4 on posterior margin of lobe; of these, a3 and a4 (34‒38) are approximately twice the length of a1 and a2 (18). Posterior margin of first genital lobe without serrations and with a rounded median indentation between a1 setae. The two halves of the second lobe each with 2 setae (y and z) of about the same length (33 and 30‒32) inserted near the tip ( Fig. 15 ).

Measurements. Body: B 460, Palp: Pcx 140, Ptc 203, Pfe 238, Pti 213, Pbta1 80, Pbta2 83, Pta1 45, Pta2 50, Pta3 70. Leg I: Icx 192, Itc 278, Itfe 238, Ipa 238, Iti 213, Ibta1+2 180, Ibta3 88, Ibta4 70, Ita1 43, Ita2 53, Ita3 178. Leg IV: IVcx 150, IVtc 212, IVfe 330, IVpa 232, IVti 313, IVbta 270, IVta1 80, IVta2 85, a 20, er 125, grt 153, gla 120, r 73, esd 78‒80, esp 93‒95, t/r 3.69, t/er 2.16, gla/grt 0.78, B/bta 1.70, bta/ti 0.86.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. This species is named after the Indalo, a Neolithic representation of an anthropomorphic figure holding a rainbow/arch, depicted at the entrance of a few caves in the northern part of the province of Almeria ( Spain), in which the holotype was captured.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Schematic representation of chaetotaxy on sternites IV ‒ VII of Eukoenenia indalica sp. nov., E. madeirae Strinati & Condé, 1995 and E. gadorensis Mayoral & Barranco, 2002. For E. madeirae, the most frequent number of setae is represented, but some variability exists.

FIGURE 15. Eukoenenia indalica sp. nov., female genitalia, ventral view. Scale bar 50 µm.

FIGURE 1 – 7. Eukoeneneia indalica sp nov. 1, frontal organ, dorsal view; 2, metapeltidial setae, dorsal view; 3, left pedipalp coxa; 4, left coxa I; 5, right coxa II; 6, left coxa III; 7, left coxa IV. Thickened setae of coxae drawn in solid black. Scale bars 100 µm (Fig. 1 to same scale as Fig. 2).

FIGURE 8 – 9. Eukoenenia indalica sp. nov. 8, ta 3 – bta 1 of left palp; 9, ti – tc of right palp. Scale bar 100 µm.

FIGURE 10 – 11. Eukoenenia indalica sp. nov. 10, ta 3 – bta 4 of left leg I; 11, bta 3 – bta 1 + 2 of left leg I. Scale bar 100 µm.

FIGURE 12 – 13. Eukoenenia indalica sp. nov. 12, ti – tc of left leg I; 13, bta of left leg IV. Scale bar 100 µm.