Punkochyzeria minaevi, Kolesnikov & Turbanov & Vorontsov, 2025
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5686.4.1 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F5D9B62C-F848-4427-8425-CB2EAD3AF2EC |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17017026 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F48797-1E74-8860-4CCD-FA88FC5BFEB4 |
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treatment provided by |
Plazi |
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scientific name |
Punkochyzeria minaevi |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Punkochyzeria minaevi sp. nov.
( Figs. 1–6 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 , 17A–C View FIGURE 17 , 18A–E View FIGURE 18 , Table 2)
Diagnosis. Long dorsal setae of two kinds: 1) slender, very densely ciliated or plumose, length of cilia at least twice the width of setal shaft ( Fig. 17A–C View FIGURE 17 ), density of cilia decreases to base of seta; and 2) slightly shorter, thicker, rigid, spine-like ( Fig. 17A, B View FIGURE 17 ). Posterior perimeter of opisthosoma with long ciliated or plumose setae ( Figs. 1E, I View FIGURE 1 , 5D View FIGURE 5 , 6C View FIGURE 6 ). Other dorsal opisthosomal setae moderately short, ciliated or plumose ( Fig. 5E View FIGURE 5 ). Odontus strong, its base in lateral projection equal to or wider than width of palptarsus ( Figs. 4C, D View FIGURE 4 , 18A–E View FIGURE 18 ). Palp tarsus extends beyond termination of odontus, shorter than twice the length of odontus ( Figs. 3E, F View FIGURE 3 , 4C, D View FIGURE 4 , 18A–E View FIGURE 18 ). Dorsal ctenidium of 1–2 spinose setae ( Figs. 4C, D View FIGURE 4 , 18A–E View FIGURE 18 ). Dorsal integument of opisthosoma reticulated ( Fig. 1H View FIGURE 1 ). Dorsal surface of opisthosoma without dense setation, with rare setae forming medial longitudinal row, with at least two setae laterad to medial row ( Fig. 1E, F View FIGURE 1 ).
Type material. Holotype PIN-5608/343a, paratype IM-1177a.
Occurrence and geological age. Mid-Cretaceous amber, Hukawng Valley, Kachin State, northern Myanmar.
Type deposition. PIN 5608 View Materials /343a—Borissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences ; IM-1177a—private collection of Ilya G. Minaev ( Ryazan, Russia) .
Description
Holotype ( PIN 5608 View Materials /343a, ex. IM-870). Postlarval stage, complete, well-preserved specimen, visible in dorsal, ventral and lateral aspects ( Figs. 1–4 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 ). Idiosoma (length 1050, width 570) markedly widened behind aspidosoma/ opisthosoma border and surrounded by cuticular rim, with four dorsal short rounded projections each bearing a tuft of long setae ( Figs. 1C, E View FIGURE 1 , 3A View FIGURE 3 ).
Chelicerae not visible, hidden under hypostome. Hypostome long, narrow ( Fig. 3B, C View FIGURE 3 ), with two ventral rows of 8–9 setae (setae not longer than twice the width of hypostome), and 1–2 lateral setae at apex, all setae setiform, barbed. Palps relatively slender ( Fig. 2B, C View FIGURE 2 ). Palp tibia with one strong claw (odontus), accessory claw (paradont) not discerned; dorsal ctenidium represented by one spinose seta ( Figs. 4C, D View FIGURE 4 , 18A, B View FIGURE 18 ). Distally palp with numerous setiform setae ( Figs. 4C, D View FIGURE 4 , 18A, B View FIGURE 18 ), not aligned into rows (combs) dorsally or ventrally. Proximal part of palpfemur bears barbed setae ( Fig. 3D View FIGURE 3 ). Palp tarsus oval, elongate, with numerous short setae, extending beyond termination of odontus, shorter than twice the length of odontus ( Figs. 3E, F View FIGURE 3 , 4C, D View FIGURE 4 , 18 A, B View FIGURE 18 ).
Aspidosoma clearly delimited, triangular in outline ( Fig. 2B, D View FIGURE 2 ). Naso, sensillary area, crista metopica and eyes not discerned, obscured by long dorsal setae located above them.
Long dorsal setae originating from four dorsal projections of two types: 1) numerous very long, slender, very densely ciliated or plumose, length of cilia at least twice the width of setal shaft ( Fig. 17A, C View FIGURE 17 ), varying in length, longest 940, ratio to idiosomal length 0.84, density of cilia decreases to base of seta; 2) slightly shorter, thicker, rigid, spine-like, without cilia, with small irregularities ( Fig. 17A, C View FIGURE 17 ). Plumose setae tend to appear distally near borders of tuft.
Other idiosomal setae: 3) numerous long (130–200), densely ciliated or plumose, located on posterior part of idiosoma ( Fig. 1E, I View FIGURE 1 ) and in anterior part of aspidosoma; 4) numerous moderately long, 2–3 times shorter than (3), ciliated, located in lateral and ventral parts of opisthosoma and on aspidosoma, absent on dorsal surface of opisthosoma ( Fig. 1E, F View FIGURE 1 ); 5) rare moderately long (about two times shorter than (3), without cilia and with short spines, located in longitudinal rows dorso-medially on opisthosoma ( Fig. 1F, G View FIGURE 1 ).
Dorsal integument of opisthosoma distinctly reticulated with irregular cells of polygonal shape ( Fig. 1H View FIGURE 1 ). Genital opening located behind level of coxae IV, surrounded by paired sclerites (valves) ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ); each valve covered with setae. Anus surrounded with sclerotized valves and situated approx. half way between posterior margin of genital opening and termination of idiosoma ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ).
Legs moderately robust. Legs I and IV longer than II and III, and a little longer than idiosoma ( Fig. 3A View FIGURE 3 ). Legs I with slightly wider segments than other legs. Leg segments covered with numerous setae of different kinds: ciliated, barbed or smooth ( Fig. 3G–K View FIGURE 3 ). Tarsi II–IV long, each terminates with paired claws of similar size and shape ( Fig. 3I–K View FIGURE 3 ), tarsus I slightly shorter, with pair of shorter claws ( Fig. 3G, H View FIGURE 3 ), empodium not resolved.
Paratype (IM-1177a). Postlarval stage, complete, well-preserved specimen ( Figs. 5 View FIGURE 5 , 6 View FIGURE 6 ), located at border between layers of amber and compressed in lateral direction ( Fig. 6A, B View FIGURE 6 ); due to optical distortions, resolution in dorsal and ventral aspects limited. Left part of idiosoma dorsally obscured by bubble ( Figs. 5A, B View FIGURE 5 , 6A View FIGURE 6 ). Specimen mostly visible in lateral aspects ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ).
Idiosomal length 1040, width 470 (but significantly underestimated due to lateral distortion).
Types of idiosomal setation similar to holotype specimen, some details of setation better resolved in lateral aspects. Longest dorsal setae 740, ratio to idiosomal length 0.71. Dorsal surface of opisthosoma not resolved, obscured by long setae. Setation best resolved in lateral aspect ( Fig. 5D View FIGURE 5 )
Chelicerae not visible, hidden under hypostome. Hypostome long, narrow, with two ventral rows of at least 9 barbed setae, and 1–2 lateral setae at apex (setae not longer than double width of hypostome) ( Fig. 6D View FIGURE 6 ). Palps relatively slender ( Fig. 6C View FIGURE 6 ), details well visible in lateral aspect ( Fig. 18C–E View FIGURE 18 ). Left palp viewed in medio-lateral aspect shows a structure that can be interpreted either as a weakly developed paradont or as a single spinose seta of ctenidium ( Fig. 18C, D View FIGURE 18 , arrow). Setae on palp smooth, barbed and ciliated (in proximal part of palp). Palp tarsus oval, elongate, slightly longer than odontus ( Fig. 18C, D View FIGURE 18 ). Crista metopica with two sensillary areas located next to each other, PSA with indistinct posterior process ( Fig. 5C View FIGURE 5 ). Naso not discerned, obscured by legs. Front legs are raised in antenna-like fashion ( Fig. 5A, B, D View FIGURE 5 ).
Larva: unknown.
Etymology. Punkochyzeria minaevi sp. nov. is named after Ilya G. Minaev ( Ryazan, Russia), the owner of the studied specimens. Ilya has provided the amber pieces for our study and has kindly donated three holotype specimens for permanent deposition in the museum collection.
Remarks. Although not all characters are resolved in both studied specimens, we consider them conspecific based on a number of similarities: details of long dorsal setae ( Fig.17A–C View FIGURE 17 ), of other idiosomal setae and morphology of palps ( Fig.18A–E View FIGURE 18 ).
The reticulations of integument of the dorsal opisthosoma ( Fig. 1H View FIGURE 1 ) could be confused with an artifact either remaining after the loss of numerous setae, usually covering the body in Pteridopodinae ( Mayoral et al. 2018) or resulting from the incorrect focusing at setal bases or terminations. However, the imaging of the same surface with CLSM clearly shows that most of the dorsal opisthosoma lacks setation, with only a central longitudinal row of setae and a couple of setae lateral to it clearly fluorescent against the darker body cuticle ( Fig. 1E, F View FIGURE 1 ). In addition, the extracted fragment of dorsal opisthosomal cuticle of another species of Punkochyzeria gen. nov. ( P. khoyi sp. nov.) was imaged using different methods, including SEM (see below), which confirmed the presence of the polygonal structure of the dorsal integument.
In both specimens setation was better resolved by CLSM (compare Figs. 2B and D View FIGURE 2 , 6B and C View FIGURE 6 ).
A single strong seta above the base of odontus ( Fig.18 C, D View FIGURE 18 , arrow) could be initially considered a weakly developed paradont. However, the other two species of Punkochyzeria gen. nov. possess similarly shaped spinose setae aligned in a row of three or five (=ctenidium) ( Fig. 18 F, I View FIGURE 18 , arrows).
Given this, we consider this seta in P. minaevi sp. nov. as representing a ctenidium. Despite that, in P. minaevi sp. nov., the number of spinose dorsal setae near the base of odontus is uncertain (one or two, Fig. 18 A, B View FIGURE 18 ), we consider this number as one of the species-specific characters. The lifetime loss of the ctenidium setae is unlikely, as both studied specimens show similar morphology of each of the palps.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.