Homolophus chevrizovi Staręga & Snegovaya, 2008

Snegovaya, Nataly Yu. & Cokendolpher, James C., 2021, Further studies on harvestman genus Homolophus (Opiliones: Phalangiidae), with descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 4908 (3), pp. 301-353 : 329-331

Homolophus chevrizovi Staręga & Snegovaya, 2008

Figures 4 , 19–20

Homolophus chevrizovi Staręga & Snegovaya, 2008: 78–79 , figs. 13–18

Diagnosis. The species differs from all congeners, including the most closely related, Homolophus almasyi (Roewer, 1911) , H. asiaticus Gricenko, 1979a and H. gricenkoi Staręga & Snegovaya, 2008 , by the following: very long and slender legs; pedipalps and chelicera with only setae, no denticles. Few denticles anywhere on body.

Type Locality. Tajikistan, Khodjent distr. , Gissar Mt. Range, Khodja Obi Garm, 38°53’45.6”N, 68°47’53.6’’E, ca. 1740 m a.s.l., indoor .

Distribution. Tajikistan ( Fig. 4 ).

Specimens Examined. TAJIKISTAN, Varzob District, ca. 31 km N of Dushanbe, Kondara Canyon , 37°28’5.3’’N, 71°35’39.2’’E, 2400–2500 m a.s.l., 12– 14.07.2018, leg. D. V . Logunov (1 male, 2 females, 4 juv., MMUE) .

Description. Medium-sized harvestmen; body rectangular, with rounded corners; medium sclerotization of body cuticle, slender, 2.0 times longer than wide; length 4.0 mm, width 2.0 mm. Body with large dark-brown hourglass-shaped saddle, remainder of body light-brown, almost yellow with brown spots and light colored indistinct dashed longitudinal stripe down entire length of body (stripe only faintly indicated or absent on male, more obvious in female); covered by transverse rows of small denticles. Ocularium low, slightly wider than long, small, 1.0 times its length from anterior margin of cephalothorax, smooth without denticles. Legs very long, cylindrical in cross-section, slender, not thickened, covered by transverse row of small denticles and setae. Leg lengths (mm): I 8.0 + 1.6 + 6.8 + 6.0 + 13.0 = 35.4, II 14.0 + 2.0 + 12.5 + 5.0 + 21.0 = 54.2, III 7.0 + 1.6 + 6.5 + 9.5 + 15.0 = 39.6, IV 10.0 + 1.6 + 8.0 + 7.0 + 24.6 = 51.2. Pedipalps very long and slender, only with setae no denticles, Mt ventrally with strip of sensory microdenticles on basal 2/3 of segment. Pedipalp segment lengths (mm): 1.6 + 0.8 + 1.1 + 2.0 = 5.5. Chelicerae small, slender, lacking tabby marks, without denticles, only with setae. Cheliceral basal segment length 1.2 mm, ventrally with blunt rounded bulge, distal segment length 1.7 mm. Penis short, length (mm): truncus 2.5, glans 0.5, stylus 0.1; base widened, rounded, and gradually narrowing towards apex; truncus bowed, recurved in lateral view, dorsoventrally flattened; glans somewhat “banana-shaped”, with broadened basal portion and recess ventrally on each side.

Female differs mainly from male in body shape; less slender, 2.0 times longer than wide; length 5.0 mm, width 3.5 mm. Pedipalps (except for Ta sensory microdenticles), chelicerae, and legs not notably sexually dimorphic. Leg lengths (mm): I 8.2 + 2.0 + 7.0 + 8.5 + 14.1 = 39.8, II 14.6 + 2.2 + 13.0 + 11.5 + 29.5 = 112.1, III 8.5 + 2.0 + 7.0 + 10.1 + 15.2 = 42.8, IV 14.4 + 2.0 + 8.5 + 13.5 + 22.4 = 60.8. Pedipalp segment lengths (mm): 1.6 + 0.8 + 1.0 + 2.2 = 5.6. Cheliceral basal segment length 1.0 mm, distal segment length 1.1 mm.

Comments. The glans has but one pair of short spines near the stylus. Generally, in Homolophus there are two. This should be checked on future collections of males of this species.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Distribution of some Homolophus species in the Palearctic: Central and Inner Asia. Data for pale colored symbols taken from literature; identifications not verified.

FIGURE 19. Homolophus chevrizovi Staręga & Snegovaya, 2008: A, male body, dorsal; B, male ocularium, dorsal; C, female body, dorsal; D male right pedipalp, mesal; E, male right pedipalp, ectal; F, male right chelicera, ectal; G, male right chelicera, mesal; H, female right pedipalp, mesal; I, female right pedipalp, ectal; J, female right chelicera, ectal; K, female right chelicera, mesal.

FIGURE 20. Homolophus chevrizovi Staręga & Snegovaya, 2008, male: A, femur I, dorsal; B, penis, lateral; C, penis glans, lateral D, penis, dorsal; E, penis glans, dorsal.