Indohya currani Harvey & Burger, 2023

Harvey, Mark S., Burger, Mieke A. A., Abrams, Kym M., Finston, Terrie L., Huey, Joel A. & Perina, Giulia, 2023, The systematics of the pseudoscorpion genus Indohya (Pseudoscorpiones: Hyidae) in Australia, Zootaxa 5342 (1), pp. 1-119 : 97-100

Indohya currani Harvey & Burger , n. sp.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F783CA29-C4B6-4511-B992-80A67F7EFCCA

( Figs. 1–3 , 6B , 54 , 55 )

Material examined. Holotype female. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Matsu, ca. 101 km SSW. of Kununurra , 16°41′39.20″S, 128°19′41.27″E, 16 July–10 September 2014, troglofauna trap, 13 m depth, subterranean above water table, M.K. Curran, J.S. Cocking ( WAM T134915 ).

Diagnosis. Indohya currani has 16 carapaceal setae and lacks eyes, thus resembling I. gollum , I. napierensis and I. typhlops . It differs from I. gollum and I. napierensis in being smaller [e.g. chela (with pedicel) 0.855 (♀) mm vs. greater than 1.8 mm in I. gollum and I. napierensis ], and from I. typhlops by its narrow chela [chela (with pedicel) 3.98 (♀) × longer than broad vs. 3.21 (♀) × longer than broad in I. typhlops ] and by having more teeth on the fixed chelal finger [46 teeth (♀), vs. 41 teeth (♀).

There are no unique nucleotide substitutions in COI mtDNA that distinguish this species from all other species of Indohya . The single sequenced specimen differs from all other sequenced specimens of Indohya by 17.6–27.3% (Table 2).

Description (adult). Colour ( Fig. 54 ): Carapace and pedipalps deep yellow-brown, tergites light brown.

Setae and cuticle: setae long, mostly straight and acicular; most cuticular surfaces smooth and glossy.

Chelicera: surface smooth; hand with 5 setae, movable finger with 1 sub-medial seta, all setae acuminate; galea present, long, slender and slightly curved; fixed finger with 12 (♀) teeth, each approximately same size; movable finger with 6, each approximately same size; with 2 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissures; lamina exterior absent; rallum with 8 blades, all blades with anterior spinules, basal blade shorter than others.

Pedipalp ( Fig. 55B ): long and slender; trochanter smooth, 2.47 (♀) ×; femur broadened distally, basal half lightly granulate, without dorsal tactile seta, with 3 stout retrolateral setae near base, 4.63 (♀) ×; patella broadened distally, smooth, pedicel not strongly pronounced but basal portion slimmer than distal portion, with several small lyrifissures situated basally on dorsal surface, 3.12 (♀) ×; chela ( Fig. 55C ): hand cylindrical, with prolateral face lightly granulate, chela (with pedicel) 3.98 (♀) ×, chela (without pedicel) 3.77 (♀) ×, hand (without pedicel) 1.53 (♀) × longer than broad, movable finger 1.41 (♀) × longer than hand (without pedicel). Fixed finger with 8 trichobothria, eb, esb and isb in straight row at base of finger, ib situated dorsally at the end of the chelal hand, isb at the basal end of the fixed finger, ib situated on dorsum of chelal hand, it closer to et than to est, et slightly distal to it; movable finger with 4 trichobothria, sb closer to b than to st, st situated much closer to t than to sb, ratio sb–st / sb–b = 1.26 (♀), t acuminate. Both fingers straight in lateral view. Fixed and movable fingers granulate basally, smooth elsewhere. Chelal teeth ( Figs. 55D, E ) juxtadentate, fixed finger with 46 (♀) teeth, teeth 1–2, 31, 34, 37, 39 acute, 3–30, 32, 33, 35, 36, 38 and 40–46 rounded, movable finger with 16, low teeth. Venom apparatus present only in movable chelal finger, venom duct long, terminating in nodus ramosus between sb and st.

Cephalothorax: carapace ( Fig. 55A ) sub-rectangular; smooth; anterior margin slightly convex; epistome absent; lateral margins slightly convex; 0.96 (♀) × longer than broad; ♀ with 16 setae arranged 4: 2: 4: 4: 2; without furrows; eyes absent. Manducatory process distally triangular, with 2 distal setae; pedipalpal coxa with 6 additional setae. Coxa I with anterior margin not modified; chaetotaxy of coxae I–IV: ♀, 4: 5: 5: 6.

Legs: femora I and II much longer than patellae I and II, respectively; femora I and II with basal swelling; femora I and II each with 2 primary slit sensilla, 1 sub-basally directed longitudinally and 1 sub-distally directed transversely; junction between anterior femora and patellae perpendicular; junction between posterior femora and patellae slightly oblique; femora III and IV much smaller than patellae III and IV, respectively; femur + patella IV 3.33 (♀) × longer than broad; metatarsi shorter than tarsi; subterminal tarsal seta acuminate; claws smooth, arolium slightly shorter than claws; arolium not divided.

Abdomen: tergites not divided; tergal chaetotaxy ♀, 4: 6: 6: 6: 6: 6: 6: 8: 7: 8 (including 2 tactile setae): 5 (including 2 tactile setae): 2; arranged in single rows; sternal chaetotaxy ♀, 6: (1) 8 (1): (3) 7 (3): 10: 9: 10: 10: 10: 10: 7 (including 2 tactile setae): 2; setae of anterior genital operculum (sternite II) of ♀ minute; posterior tergites and sternites with several tactile setae; medial sternites without suture line; pleural membrane uniformly granulate; without setae; stigmatic helix present.

Genitalia: female: with large gonosac that is covered with scattered pores.

Dimensions (mm): female holotype ( WAM T134915 ). Body length (excluding chelicerae) 1.34. Pedipalp : trochanter 0.235 / 0.095 , femur 0.555 / 0.120, patella 0.390 / 0.125, chela (with pedicel) 0.855 / 0.215, chela (without pedicel) 0.81, hand (without pedicel) 0.330, movable finger length 0.465. Carapace 0.395 / 0.410 . Leg IV: femur + patella 0.400 / 0.120, tibia 0.280 / 0.065, metatarsus 0.155 / 0.045, tarsus 0.250 / 0.035.

Distribution and remarks. Indohya currani has been collected from a single borehole at the Matsu mine site SSW. of Kununurra ( Fig. 6B ). The site is situated within the Ord Victoria Plain bioregion. The species was previously known by WAM identification code Indohya ‘PSE181’.

This species has been collected only 10 km from the only known record of Indohya sp. PSE215 which is represented by a single adult chela that was collected from a subterranean bore in the region of the Argyle Diamond Mine ( Fig. 6B ). As discussed under Indohya sp. PSE215, they differ in size [chela (with pedicel) 1.15 mm in I. sp. PSE215, and 0.855 (♀) mm in I. currani ] and the positions of trichobothria eb, esb and isb (widely spaced in I. sp. PSE215, and closely spaced in I. currani ).

Conservation assessment. Indohya currani has been found at a single site in the eastern Kimberley. The total extent of the subterranean habitat is unknown, and the surface terrain is not heavily dissected or constrained by mesas. There are insufficient data to assess whether this species meets the status of threatened using the criteria developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (2012).

Etymology. This species is named for Mike Curran, collector of the holotype and many other interesting subterranean invertebrates.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Maximum likelihood phylogeny of Hyidae and other neobisioids, based on alignment of concatenated COI, 18S and 28S. Ultrafast bootstrap values are presented for nodes greater than 80%.

FIGURE 2. Maximum likelihood phylogeny of Australian Indohya, using COI, 18S and 28S concatenated dataset. Bootstrap values are presented for all nodes. The genes amplified for each specimen are depicted with black squares in the gene matrix.

FIGURE 3. Maximum likelihood phylogeny of Australian Indohya, using COI. Bootstrap values are presented for all nodes.

FIGURE 6. Maps of north-western Australia depicting recorded distributions of the three epigean species of Indohya from the Kimberley:A, epigean species; B, troglobitic species.

FIGURE 54. Indohya currani Harvey& Burger, n. sp., holotype female (WAMT134915):A, dorsal; B,ventral;C, cephalothorax, dorsal. Scale lines = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 55. Indohya currani Harvey & Burger, n. sp., holotype female (WAM T134915):A, carapace; B, right pedipalp, dorsal; C, right chela, retrolateral; D, right fixed finger, chelal teeth, retrolateral; E, right movable finger, chelal teeth, retrolateral. Scale lines = 0.2 mm (Figs. A–C), 0.1 mm (Figs. D, E).