Pararoncus leonardi Jeong & Harms, 2024

Jeong, Kyung-Hoon, Harms, Danilo & Yoo, Jung-Sun, 2024, New species of the pseudoscorpion genus Pararoncus (Pseudoscorpiones, Syarinidae) from Korea, Evolutionary Systematics 8 (1), pp. 91-100 : 91

Pararoncus leonardi Jeong & Harms sp. nov.

Type material.

Holotype. Female (NIBRIV0000905713). Korea: Chungcheongbuk-province: Mt. Sobaek, San 13-5, Yongbuwon-ri, Daegang-myeon, Danyang-gun. 36°54'00"N, 128°26'11.09"E. Alt 741 m a.s.l. 13. Apr - 17. May 2022. JH Oh leg.

Paratypes: NIBRIV0000905714 (one male), NIBRIV0000905715 (two females, and two males), same data as holotype.

Etymology.

This species is named in honor of the National Basketball Association player Kawhi Leonard who has the longest wingspan in the American National Basketball Association.

Diagnosis.

Pararoncus leonardi sp. nov. is similar to P. taeyoungi sp. nov. but differs in the body size and ratios of the leg tarsus I: P. taeyoungi sp. nov is smaller than P. leonardi sp. nov. (2.77-3.32 mm in P. taeyoungi vs. 3.63-3.98 mm in P. leonardi ) and has a smaller ratio of tarsus I (3.8-4.9 L/D vs 5.4-8.8 L/D.). Both species differ from every other species by having four distinct eyes with lenses (two eyes in P. japonicus , P. histrionicus , P. chamberlini , P. yosii , and P. oinuanensis ; no eyes in the P. rakanensis and P. uenoi ).

Description (Fig. 3).

Female (holotype). Colour. Reddish-brown. Pedipalps with reddish-browncolour. Abdominal sclerites dark brown, legs paler than the tergites.

Cephalothorax. Carapace 1.20 times longer than broad; without furrows with four well-developed eyes with lenses; epistome long and pointed; carapacal chaetotaxy 6-6: 26; all setae long and acuminate; six lyrifissures. Manducatory process with two long, acuminate setae; 5-7 setae on each pedipalpal coxa. Coxal chaetotaxy 15: 15: 8: 16.

Chelicera. Cheliceral cuticle smooth; seven setae on the cheliceral palm, one on the middle of the movable finger. 14 marginal teeth on the movable finger, all teeth equal in size; 18 marginal teeth on the fixed finger and one additional big tooth in the middle on movable finger. Galea absent. Rallum with eight blades, and the two basal blades smaller than the others. Serrula exterior with 25 blades.

Pedipalp. Trochanter 2.31, femur 3.95, patella 2.56, chela 3.73 times longer than broad, movable finger 1.82 times longer than hand. Fixed finger with eight trichobothria, movable finger with four trichobothria. Trichobothria it and ib on the paraxial side of the fixed finger; ib between isb and esb, but closer to esb; eb and esb grouped together; ist on the middle of the fixed finger, almost the same distance between et and eb; et, est, and it grouped together, it closer to et; t, st, sb, b almost same distance, but t, st close together.

Marginal teeth small and contiguous; juxtadentate teeth on both finger; acute teeth on fixed finger; acute teeth on the anterior, rounded teeth on the posterior of the movable finger; movable finger with 63, fixed finger with 67 marginal teeth; one accessory-like tooth on the lateral side of the tip of the movable finger, as in other congeneric species.

Legs. Leg I: trochanter 1.31, femur 3.51, patella 3.25, tibia 5.85, metatarsus 3.75, tarsus 5.40 times longer than deep. Metatarsus of leg IV longer than the tarsus; pseudotactile seta present in basal position of the tarsus and metatarsus of leg IV, and the medial position of the tibia of leg IV. Arolium simple and undivided, shorter than the claws, and simple.

Abdomen. Anterior pleural membrane papillo-granulate; posterior pleural membrane papillo-striate; all tergites and sternites undivided; all setae long and acuminate; tergal chaetotaxy 6: 13: 16: 16: 14: 15: 15: 15: 13: 12: 8: 2; sternal chaetotaxy 6: 18: 21: 20: 20: 21: 19: 17: 17: 8: 2.

Dimensions (in mm). Body length 3.63; cephalothorax: carapace 0.85/0.71, anterior eyes 0.06, posterior eye 0.07; chelicera: total 0.69/0.33, movable finger 0.46; pedipalp: trochanter 0.65/0.28, femur 1.08/0.27, patella 0.93/0.36, chela 2.02/0.54, movable finger 1.30, hand 0.72; leg I: trochanter 0.22/0.17, femur 0.57/0.16, patella 0.44/0.13, tibia 0.57/0.10, metatarsus 0.29/0.08, tarsus 0.34/0.06; leg IV: trochanter 0.48/0.22, femur + patella 0.96/0.31, tibia 0.89/0.14, metatarsus 0.36/0.11, tarsus 0.43/0.09.

Variation (two females, paratypes). Cephalothorax. Carapace 1.24-1.27 times longer than broad.

Pedipalp. Trochanter 2.31, femur 4.16-4.18, patella 2.49-2.71, chela 3.49-3.63 times longer than broad, movable finger 1.62-1.73 times longer than hand. Movable finger with 60-67, fixed finger with 67-70 marginal teeth.

Legs. Leg I: trochanter 1.48-1.55, femur 3.39-4.37, patella 2.93-3.89, tibia 5.32-5.83, metatarsus 3.58-3.72, tarsus 7.21-8.83 times longer than deep; leg IV: trochanter 2.04-2.38, femur + patella 2.82-3.18, tibia 5.64-6.23, metatarsus 3.42-3.58, tarsus 4.67-4.86 times longer than deep.

Dimensions (in mm). Body length 3.63; cephalothorax: carapace 0.85/0.71, anterior eye 0.06, posterior eye 0.07; chelicera: total 0.69/0.33, movable finger 0.46; pedipalp: trochanter 0.65/0.28, femur 1.08/0.27, patella 0.93/0.36, chela 2.02/0.54, movable finger 1.30, hand 0.72; leg I: trochanter 0.22/0.17, femur 0.57/0.16, patella 0.44/0.13, tibia 0.57/0.10, metatarsus 0.29/0.08, tarsus 0.34/0.06; leg IV: trochanter 0.48/0.22, femur + patella 0.96/0.31, tibia 0.89/0.14, metatarsus 0.36/0.11, tarsus 0.43/0.09.

Variation (three males, paratypes). Cephalothorax. Carapace 1.19 times longer than broad.

Chelicera. Seven setae on the cheliceral palm, one on the middle of the movable finger. 15-18 marginal teeth on the movable finger; 17-19 marginal teeth on the fixed finger. Galea absent. Rallum with 6-7 blades and the two basal blades smaller than the others. Serrula exterior with 23-25 blades.

Pedipalp. Trochanter 2.03-2.33, femur 4.42-4.96, patella 2.81-2.89, chela 3.73-3.97 times longer than broad, movable finger 1.41-1.82 times longer than chelal hand. Movable finger with 63-66, fixed finger with 67-70 marginal teeth.

Legs. Leg I: trochanter 1.45-1.53, femur 3.73-4.31, patella 2.65-3.36, tibia 5.37-5.92, metatarsus 3.13-3.35, tarsus 5.54-5.90 times longer than deep; leg IV: trochanter 2.02-2.29, femur + patella 3.30-3.39, tibia 5.78-6.33, metatarsus 3.60-3.67, tarsus 5.10-5.92 times longer than deep.

Male genitalia. Typical shape for the genus and with a circular opening area on the sternite VI, short and dense setae present on sternites III, IV and V: 13-23 setae on sternite III, 21-28 on sternite IV, and 32-35 on sternite V (Fig. 4H ). Internal genialia with rounded ejaculatory canal atrium, with apical top; long and slender lateral genital sacs; T-shaped median genital sac (Fig. 4I ).

Dimensions (in mm). Body length 3.32-3.98; cephalothorax: carapace 0.91-0.95/0.72-0.76, anterior eye 0.07-0.08, posterior eye 0.05; chelicera: total 0.60-0.70/0.33-0.34, movable finger 0.42-0.52; pedipalp: trochanter 0.59-0.60/0.26, femur 1.09-1.11/0.26-0.27, patella 0.86-0.92/0.34-0.35, chela 1.84-2.03/0.53-0.56, movable finger 1.17-1.26, hand 0.67-0.78; leg I: trochanter 0.26-0.27/0.17-0.18, femur 0.50-0.56/0.13-0.15, patella 0.40/0.10-0.14, tibia 0.54/0.09, metatarsus 0.27/0.07-0.08, tarsus 0.41-0.58/0.06-0.07; leg IV: trochanter 0.42-0.47/0.20-0.21, femur + patella 0.95-1.02/0.32-0.34, tibia 0.87-0.91/0.14-0.16, metatarsus 0.36-0.39/0.11, tarsus 0.43-0.48/0.09-0.10.

Habitat.

This species was collected from moist leaf litter habitats at Mt. Sobaek in the Sobaek Mountains.

Figures

Figure 4. Drawings of Pararoncus leonardi sp. nov.: A. Coxa; B. Carapace from dorsal; C. Right chela from lateral; D. Leg I; E. Leg IV; F. External genitalia of female holotype; G. Chelicera from dorsal; H. Sternite of male paratype; I. Genitalia of male paratype; J. Anterior pleural membrane. Scale bars: 1 mm (A-E); 0.3 mm (F-H); 0.1 mm (I) 200 μm (J).