Neoscotolemon vojtechi ( Šilhavý, 1979 ) Pérez-González & Mamani & Proud, 2025

Pérez-González, Abel, Mamani, Vanesa & Proud, Daniel N., 2025, On the genus Neoscotolemon (Opiliones: Laniatores: Samooidea incertae sedis) with the description of one new species, Zootaxa 5563 (1), pp. 109-165 : 156-158

Neoscotolemon vojtechi ( Šilhavý, 1979) comb. nov.

( Figs 36–37 )

Vlachiolus vojtechi Šilhavý 1979: 6 , figs 11–13; Kury 2023: 224

Type material: Holotype: ♀ ( MCZ 14838 , examined), CUBA, Pinar del Río, Sierra de Rangel , 1500 ft [457 m.], 23–24-Aug-1936, Darlington leg.

Other material examined: none.

Comparative diagnosis. Neoscotolemon vojtechi differs from all females of the other species of Neoscotolemon , except from N. pictipes , by the absence of prominent armature in the medial and/or lateral region of the free tergites (in form of an enlarged pointed granule or tubercle) ( Fig. 36A, C ). Neoscotolemon vojtechi can be distinguished from females of N. pictipes by the general shape and armature of the pedipalp ( Fig. 37A, B vs. Fig. 6B, E ). In N. vojtechi , the pedipalp is slightly shorter and stouter than in N. pictipes , particularly the wider tibia ( Fig. 37A, B vs. Fig. 6B, E ). Notably, the main spines on the femur and tibia differ from those to N. pictipes by the rounded, wider, and shorter socket and by the absence of a small spiniform tubercle before the most proximal spine in the ventroectal tibia ( Fig. 37A, B vs. Fig. 6B, E ).

Remark. The female somatic morphology strongly supports the combination of this species under Neoscotolemon , justifying its transfer from Samoidae to Samooidea incertae sedis transl. nov. However, females of Neoscotolemon are relatively homogeneous and do not exhibit many of the important differential characteristics used to confidently separate the species (e.g., male genital morphology, male dimorphic pedipalp, free tergite armature); therefore, Neoscotolemon vojtechi remains a taxonomically deficient species. The collection and description of male specimens in the future is necessary to provide the morphological elements for a proper and reliable identification of this species.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Neoscotolemon pictipes (Banks, 1908), sexual dimorphism, photos of habitus and left metatarsus III. A–C. Holotype female (MCZ 26121): A. Habitus, dorsal view; B. Habitus, lateral view; C. Left metatarsus III, prolateral view; D–F. Female (MACN-Ar 46949): D. Habitus, dorsal view; E. Habitus, lateral view; F. Left metatarsus III, prolateral view; G–I. Male (MACN-Ar 46949): G. Habitus, dorsal view; H. Habitus, lateral view; I. Left metatarsus III, prolateral view. Scale bars: A, B, D, E, G, H = 1 mm; C, F, I = 200 μm.

FIGURE 36. Neoscotolemon vojtechi (Šilhavý, 1979), holotype female (MCZ 14838), habitus photos: A. Dorsal view; B. Ventral view; C. Lateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm. Image credit: “Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University” under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike license. © President and Fellows of Harvard College.

FIGURE 37. Neoscotolemon vojtechi (Šilhavý, 1979), holotype female (MCZ 14838), A, B. Photos of pedipalps: A. Left pedipalp, ectal view; B. Right pedipalp, mesal view; C, D. Drawings of right chelicera: C. Ectal view; D. Mesal view. Scale bars: A, B = 500 μm; C, D = 2 mm. Image credit: “Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University” under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike license. © President and Fellows of Harvard College.