Lechytia novaezealandiae, Christophoryová & Krajčovičová, 2020

Christophoryova, Jana & Krajcovicova, Katarina, 2020, The first species of the pseudoscorpion genus Lechytia Balzan, 1892 (Pseudoscorpiones, Chthoniidae) from New Zealand, ZooKeys 1000, pp. 19-29 : 19

Lechytia novaezealandiae sp. nov. Figures 1 , 2 , 3

Material examined.

Holotype: New Zealand • ♂; North Island , Waikato District , near Lake Waikare [-37.456, 175.189]; 5 m a.s.l.; 25 Jul. 1980; Galina Fedorovna Kurcheva leg.; moss; AF.000964 . Paratype: • ♀; same data as holotype; AF.000965 .

Diagnosis.

The new species belongs to the " arborea " group and is characterised by the following combination of characteristics: trichobothria b and sb situated less than 1 areolar diameter apart; palpal chela 3.17-3.30 × and palpal hand 1.58-1.60 × longer than broad; palpal femur 0.21-0.24 mm, palpal hand 0.16-0.19 mm and chelal moveable finger 0.19-0.22 mm long.

Description.

Adults (Figs 2 , 3 ). Carapace (Fig. 3A ): 1.08 × (♂), 0.94 × (♀) longer than broad; with two small corneate eyes; anterior margin denticulate, more markedly in female; in female with 18 setae arranged 6: 4: 4: 2: 2, in male with 17 setae arranged 6: 4: 3: 2: 2; without furrows; with four pairs of lyrifissures, first pair situated antero-medially, the second pair situated interno-lateral to the eyes, the third pair situated slightly interior to the sole pair of setae of the intermediate row, and the fourth pair situated exterior to the sole pair of setae of the posterior row (Fig. 3A ). Coxae (Fig. 3C ): manducatory process with two distal setae, about equal in length, the distal setae terminally bifurcate (Fig. 3C ); coxal spines and intercoxal tubercle absent; chaetotaxy of coxae (Fig. 3C ): palpal coxae 3 (♂, ♀); pedal coxae I 4 (♂), 3-4 (♀); coxae II 4-5 (♂), 5 (♀); coxae III 6-7 (♂, ♀); coxae IV 6-7 (♂), 7 (♀); coxa I with small, triangular apical projection with single seta situated at base, other setae on coxa I situated near trochanteral foramen (Fig. 3C ). For lyrifissures, see Fig. 3C . Chelicera (Fig. 3B ): 1.50 × (♂), 1.67 × (♀) longer than broad; five acuminate setae and one lyrifissure on hand; moveable finger with one medial seta; both fixed and moveable finger with four (♂) or five (♀) teeth, the distal-most tooth on both fingers largest; galea of ♂ absent, that of ♀ a short rounded nubbin; serrula exterior with 15 blades; rallum consisting of seven blades, subdistal blade strongly recumbent, others in straight row. Pedipalp (Fig. 3D ): all setae acuminate; trochanter 1.57 × (♂), 1.71 × (♀); femur 3.00 × (♂, ♀); patella 1.71 × (♂), 1.67 × (♀); chela 3.30 × (♂), 3.17 × (♀); hand 1.60 × (♂), 1.58 × (♀) longer than broad. Fixed chelal finger and hand with eight trichobothria, ib, isb, eb and esb on dorsum of hand, ib and isb basally, esb medially, eb closer to ib and isb than to esb; ist, est and it situated basally on fixed finger, et and dx distally; moveable chelal finger with four trichobothria, b closer to sb than to t; b and sb less than one areolar diameter apart; sensilla absent (Fig. 3D ). Venom apparatus absent. Fixed and moveable finger with approximately 9-12 distal small teeth followed by remaining obsolete teeth, fused into a lamina; accessory teeth absent (Fig. 3D ). Opisthosoma: tergites and sternites undivided; setae acuminate. Tergal chaetotaxy I-X: (♂, ♀) 6: 6: 6: 6: 6: 6: 6: 6: 6: 4: 1T2T1. Tergal lyrifissures I-X: (♂) 5: 4: 4: 6: 4: 4: 4: 4: 6: 2; (♀) 2: 2: 2: 4: 4: 2: 2: 2: 2: 4. Sternal chaetotaxy II-X: (♂) 10: 15: 12: 9: 8: 6: 6: 6: 6 (Fig. 3F ); (♀) 8: 12: 12: 12: 9: 8: 8: 6: 6. All 19 setae bordering male sternite III bifurcate. Sternal lyrifissures II-X: (♂) 4: 2: 2: 2: 2: 2: 2: 1: 0; (♀) 2: 2: 2: 2: 2: 2: 2: 2: 0. Sternal pores II-X: (♂) 1: 2: 3: 5: 2: 2: 2: 2: 8; (♀) 2: 4: 6: 4: 3: 4: 4: 4: 8. Genitalia not studied in detail; those of female weakly sclerotised with U-shaped frame. Leg I: trochanter 1.40 × (♂, ♀); femur 3.67 × (♂), 3.25 × (♀); patella 1.50 × (♂), 1.75 × (♀); tibia 2.00 × (♂), 2.33 × (♀); tarsus 5.50 × (♂), 4.67 × (♀) deeper than broad. Leg IV: trochanter 1.17 × (♂), 1.14 × (♀); femoropatella 1.91 × (♂), 1.77 × (♀); tibia 2.60 × (♂), 3.00 × (♀); metatarsus 2.00 × (♂, ♀); tarsus 5.50 × (♂), 4.33 × (♀) deeper than broad. Legs robust, heterotarsate; tarsi with two elongate gland openings along the dorsal surface, each with crenulated margins (Fig. 3G ); arolium slightly shorter than claws, claws simple.

Dimensions

(length/width or, in the case of the legs, length/depth) in mm. Body length 0.78 (♂), 0.97 (♀). Pedipalp: trochanter 0.11/0.07 (♂), 0.12/0.07 (♀); femur 0.21/0.07 (♂), 0.24/0.08 (♀); patella 0.12/0.07 (♂), 0.15/0.09 (♀); chela 0.33/0.10 (♂), 0.38/0.12 (♀); hand 0.16/0.10 (♂), 0.19/0.12 (♀); moveable finger 0.19 (♂), 0.22 (♀). Chelicera 0.15/0.10 (♂), 0.20/0.12 (♀); moveable finger 0.09 (♂), 0.10 (♀). Carapace 0.28/0.26 (♂), 0.30/0.32 (♀). Leg I: trochanter 0.07/0.05 (♂, ♀); femur 0.11/0.03 (♂), 0.13/0.04 (♀); patella 0.06/0.04 (♂), 0.07/0.04 (♀); tibia 0.06/0.03 (♂), 0.07/0.03 (♀); tarsus 0.11/0.02 (♂), 0.14/0.03 (♀). Leg IV: trochanter 0.07/0.06 (♂), 0.08/0.07 (♀); femoropatella 0.21/0.11 (♂), 0.23/0.13 (♀); tibia 0.13/0.05 (♂), 0.15/0.05 (♀); metatarsus 0.08/0.04 (♂, ♀); tarsus 0.11/0.02 (♂), 0.13/0.03 (♀).

Etymology.

The specific epithet refers to the island country of New Zealand, on which this species occurs.

Distribution and habitat.

Lechytia novaezealandiae sp. nov. Is at present known only from the type locality near Lake Waikare, Waikato District, North Island, New Zealand at an altitude of 5 m. The specimens were collected in moss in July.

Figures

Figure 1. Distribution of Lechytia novaezealandiae sp. nov. in New Zealand (orange circle).

Figure 2. Lechytia novaezealandiae sp. nov., paratype female, dorsal. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 3. Lechytia novaezealandiae sp. nov., adults, dorsal A carapace (female) B right chelicera (male) C coxae (male) D right chela, showing trichobothrial pattern (male) E detail of structure on palpal hand F chaetotaxy of genital area (sternites II-III) (male) G Right leg I (female). Abbreviations: moveable chelal finger: t - terminal, b - basal, sb - subbasal, st - subterminal; fixed chelal finger: dx - duplex trichobothria, et - exterior terminal, it - interior terminal, est - exterior subterminal, ist - interior subterminal, esb - exterior subbasal, eb - exterior basal, isb - interior subbasal, ib - interior basal. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.