Toliaranella pumila, Lorenz & Loria & Harvey & Harms, 2022

Lorenz, Michelle, Loria, Stephanie F., Harvey, Mark S. & Harms, Danilo, 2022, The Hercules pseudoscorpions from Madagascar: A systematic study of Feaellidae (Pseudoscorpiones: Feaelloidea) highlights regional endemism and diversity in one of the " hottest " biodiversity hotspots, Arthropod Systematics & amp; Phylogeny 80, pp. 649-691 : 649

Toliaranella pumila sp. nov.

Type material examined.

MADAGASCAR: Holotype ♂ (CAS 9071606 [BLF5966]), allotype ♀ (ZMH-A0016718), paratypes: 25 ♂, 4 ♀ (CAS 9071606 [BLF5966]), 8 ♂, 3 ♀ (ZMH-A0016719 - ZMH-A0016729), Toliara Province, Forêt de Tsinjoriaky, 22°48′08″S 43°25′14″E, 6 March 2002, B.L. Fisher.

Additional material examined.

MADAGASCAR: Toliara Province [Atsimo-Andrefana Region]: 25 ♂, 10 ♀, 39 nymphs (CAS 9071598 [BLF 6070]), 6 ♂, 1 ♀, 5 nymphs (CAS 9071743 [BLF 6068]), Foret de Beroboka , 22°13′59″S 43°21′59″E, 12-16 March 2002, Fisher, Griswold et al .

Diagnosis.

Smallest body sizes of Toliaranella species and of all Malagasy feaellids (e.g., body length 1.56/1.96 ♂/♀ versus 1.60-1.85/2.04-2.33 ♂/♀; Pedipalps: femur length 0.44/0.53 ♂/♀ versus 0.45-0.55/0.56-0.67 ♂/♀); most robust male pedipalpal femur of Toliaranella (femur 1.63 × longer than broad versus 1.65-1.72); cheotaxy: est on fixed finger on same sagittal level as sb on movable finger (est more distal than sb in T. griswoldi sp. nov. and T. fisheri sp. nov.).

Etymology.

This species is named after the latin ' pumilus, - a, - um ' which means “dwarf”. The specific epithet references the small size of all specimens.

Description.

The following description is based on holotype and allotype. - Carapace (Fig. 20A ): 1.29-1.44 (♂), 1.24-1.47 (♀) times longer than broad. - Pedipalp (Fig. 20C, D ): Femora very robust (1.55-1.69 (♂), 1.43-1.80 (♀) times longer than broad; trichobothrial pattern: same as in Mahajanganella gen. nov., except: est on fixed finger on same sagittal level as sb on movable finger. Chelal fixed finger with 9-10 teeth in the OR, 12-15 in the MR and 8-12 in the IR; movable finger with 6-10 teeth in the OR, 9-11 in the MR and 9-10 in the IR; fixed finger with 6 equally sized and one larger terminal tooth, movable finger with 7 equally sized terminal teeth. - Chelicera, legs, abdomen and genital region: With same characters as all members before. - Coxal region: See genus description. - Dimensions (mm): Holotype ♂: Body length 1.47; abdomen length 1.02, width (with pleura) 0.93, width (without pleura) 0.86; carapace length 0.45, width 0.32. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.21; femur length 0.45, width 0.27; patella 0.35; chela (without pedicel) 0.38; hand length 0.08, width 0.11; movable finger 0.30. Leg I: trochanter 0.08; femur 0.12; patella 0.15; tibia 0.11; tarsus 0.22. Leg IV: trochanter: 0.13; femur 0.11; patella 0.23; tibia 0.21; tarsus 0.26. Allotype ♀: Body length 2.08; abdomen length 1.51, width (with pleura) 1.39, width (without pleura) 1.15; carapace length 0.55, width 0.40. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.26; femur length 0.58, width 0.36; patella 0.42; chela (without pedicel) 0.43; hand length 0.11, width 0.13; movable finger 0.35. Leg I: trochanter 0.09; femur 0.18; patella 0.19; tibia 0.15; tarsus 0.26. Leg IV: trochanter 0.15; femur 0.13; patella 0.27; tibia 0.28; tarsus 0.33.

Variation.

Body length 1.47-1.66 (♂), 1.83-2.11 (♀); abdomen length 1.02-1.16 (♂), 1.33-1.51 (♀); width (with pleura) 0.93-0.98 (♂), 1.13-1.39 (♀); width (without pleura) 0.83-0.88 (♂), 0.96-1.15 (♀); 1.19-1.32 (♂), 1.25-1.47 (♀) times longer than broad; carapace length 0.43-0.47 (♂), 0.48-0.55 (♀); width 0.32-0.35 (♂), 0.36-0.41 (♀); 1.29-1.41 (♂), 1.24-1.47 (♀) times longer than broad. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.18-0.22 (♂), 0.22-0.27 (♀); femur length 0.42-0.46 (♂), 0.48-0.58 (♀); width 0.25-0.30 (♂), 0.30-0.36 (♀); 1.50-1.84 (♂), 1.43-1.80 (♀) times longer than broad; patella 0.33-0.35 (♂), 0.40-0.43 (♀); chela (without pedicel) 0.37-0.39 (♂), 0.42-0.46 (♀); hand length 0.07-0.10 (♂), 0.09-0.12 (♀); width 0.11-0.12 (♂), 0.13-0.14 (♀); movable finger 0.30-0.31 (♂), 0.35-0.37 (♀).

GenBank Code.

OP589953. The species differs from all congeners by more than 5.3% in the H3 dataset.

Habitat.

Specimens were found in sifted litter of tropical dry forest (leaf mold, rotten wood) at an elevation of 375 m.

Distribution.

Presently known from the type locality (BLF9556) and one additional locality (BLF6070) in the Atsimo-Andrefana Region (formerly Toliara Province).

Figures

Figure 20. Drawings of Toliaranella pumila sp. nov.: A carapace from dorsal; B leg IV; C left chela from dorsal with trichobothrial pattern; D right pedipalp from dorsal. Scale bars: 0.2 mm (A - C); 0.4 mm (D).