Stenohya curvata, Zhao, Yong-Wei, Zhang, Feng & Jia, Ying, 2011

Zhao, Yong-Wei, Zhang, Feng & Jia, Ying, 2011, Two new species of the genus Stenohya Beier, 1967 (Pseudoscorpiones, Neobisiidae) from China, Zootaxa 2834, pp. 57-64 : 58-61

Stenohya curvata sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–19 )

Type material. Holotype male (Ar.-MHBU-YN 100303), China: Yunnan Province, Dali City, Cangshan Mountain [25°44'N, 100°05'E], alt. 2700 m, 3 March 2010, Zi-zhong Yang leg. Paratypes: three females, same data as for holotype.

Etymology. The name curvata is from the Latin meaning “curved or bent” and refers to the form of the movable chelal finger.

Diagnosis. This new species resembles S. hamata ( Leclerc & Mahnert, 1988) in having a spine on the chelal hand, but it can be distinguished from the latter by: the movable chelal finger curving in basal third ( Fig. 7 ), whereas it is straight in S. hamata ; the spine being situated laterally on the hand in S. curvata ( Figs. 4, 7, 8 ), as opposed to ventrally in S. hamata ; and a tubercle present near the spine ( Fig. 7 ), which is absent in S. hamata .

Description of male (holotype). Colour mostly brown, pedipalps and legs yellow. Setae of body straight and acicular.

Carapace. Smooth, 1.21 times longer than broad, with a total of 28 setae, including 6 on anterior margin and 8 on posterior margin, pairs of lyrifissures near the eyes and posterior margin; epistome small, triangular; 4 eyes, anterior pair with lens, posterior pair represented by eyespots; lateral margins slightly convex ( Fig. 1 ).

Abdomen. Pleural membrane strongly granulate. Tergal chaetotaxy: 6: 9: 10: 12: 11: 11: 12: 11: 11: 12: 8, including at least 4 tactile setae on tergites VI–XI; sternal chaetotaxy (IV–XI): 34: 28: 31: 30: 29: 22: 16: 4, sternites VI–VIII with 6–8 medial discal setae, clearly longer than the marginal ones ( Fig. 18 ); anal cone with 2 dorsal and 2 ventral setae. Anterior genital operculum with 37 small setae; posterior genital sternite with 20 scattered setae and 2 lyrifissures ( Fig. 16 ). Genitalia not studied.

Pedipalps ( Figs. 4–8 ). Apex of coxa rounded and with 5 setae; lateral face of coxa with 7 ordinary lyrifissures at margin and 2 curved lyrifissures behind them ( Figs. 2–3 ). Trochanter 2.11, femur 4.94, patella 3.67, chela (with pedicel) 4.39, chela (without pedicel) 4.26, hand (without pedicel) 1.89 times longer than broad, movable finger 1.44 times longer than hand (without pedicel). Venom apparatus present only in fixed chelal finger, venom duct very short. Anterior face of femur with several tubercles and not straight, depressed at the base; patella claviform, smooth; lateral surface of chelal hand with a spine at the base of fixed chelal finger ( Fig. 7 ); chelal fingers long and slender, movable finger curving in basal third ( Fig. 7 ). Fixed chelal finger with 8 trichobothria, movable finger with 4 ( Fig. 5 ); eb and esb situated on base of hand, grouped very closely with ib and isb; est, et and it grouped together distally; ist situated midway between isb and it, nearer to it than to isb; b and sb situated closer to each other in basal half, st and t close to each other in distal half of movable finger. Fixed chelal finger with 86 pointed teeth of unequal length, movable finger with about 78 teeth, which are pointed and of slightly unequal length in distal half, rounded and low in basal half ( Fig. 5 ).

Chelicera. Palm with 7 setae, movable finger with 1 sub-medial seta; fixed finger with 11 teeth; movable finger with 4 teeth ( Fig. 9 ); serrula exterior with 43 lamellae; serrula interior with 31 lamellae; galea elongated and divided into two main branches, each branch secondarily divided into 2–3 terminal branchlets ( Fig. 10 ); rallum of 7 blades, all blades with anteriorly-directed spinules, the basalmost blade about half of the length of the others, distalmost blade distinctly shorter than second one and somewhat widened at its base ( Fig. 12 ).

Legs ( Figs. 13–15 ). Leg I: trochanter 1.25, femur 4.78, patella 3.33, tibia 6.08, metatarsus 4.60, telotarsus 5.44 times as long as deep. Leg IV: trochanter 2.48, femur + patella 4.77, tibia 5.95, basitarsus 4.58, telotarsus 6.45 times as long as deep. Tibia IV with 3 tactile setae (TS 0.17, 0.38 and 0.61), basitarsus IV with 3 tactile setae (TS 0.13, 0.46 and 0.82), telotarsus IV with 2 tactile setae (TS 0.17 and 0.60). Subterminal tarsal seta bifurcate, dorsal tine also terminally bifurcate ( Fig. 15 ); arolium not divided, shorter than claws, which are slender and simple.

Dimensions (length/breadth or depth, in mm). Body length ca. 3.3. Carapace 1.15/0.95; diameter of anterior eye 0.10; diameter of posterior eye 0.09. Pedipalps: trochanter 0.78/0.37, femur 1.58/0.32, patella 1.49/0.43, chela (with pedicel) 2.50/0.57, chela (without pedicel) 2.43, hand length (without pedicel) 1.08, movable finger length 1.56. Chelicera 0.68/0.30, movable finger length 0.44. Leg I: trochanter 0.30/0.24, femur 0.86/0.18, patella 0.60/ 0.18, tibia 0.73/0.12, basitarsus 0.46/0.10, telotarsus 0.49/0.09. Leg IV: trochanter 0.62/0.25, femur + patella 1.43/ 0.30, tibia 1.13/0.19, basitarsus 0.55/0.12, telotarsus 0.71/0.11.

Description of paratype females. Like holotype, except as follows. Carapace 1.15–1.28 times longer than broad, with a total of 24–30 setae, including 4–6 setae on anterior margin and 8–10 setae on posterior margin. Tergal chaetotaxy: 6–8: 7–10: 9–11: 10–11: 10–11: 10–14: 10–14: 11–14: 11–12: 9–11: 7–8, including at least 4 tactile setae on tergites VI–XI. Anterior genital sternite with 7–8 small median setae and 15 marginal setae and 2 lyrifissures; posterior genital sternite with 22–24 scattered marginal setae and 5 setae on each stigma and 3 lyrifissures ( Fig. 17 ). Chaetotaxy of sternites IV–XI: 32–36: 22–24: 25–26: 22–24: 22–24: 19–22: 12–14: 4–8, sternites VI– VIII with a pair of medial discal setae, clearly longer than marginal setae ( Fig. 19 ); anal cone with 2 dorsal and 2 ventral setae.

Pedipalps. Trochanter 1.80–2.14, femur 5.00–5.24, patella 3.29–3.33, chela (with pedicel) 4.19–4.37, chela (without pedicel) 4.03–4.17, hand (without pedicel) 1.85–1.92 times longer than broad, movable finger 1.29–1.30 times longer than hand (without pedicel). Anterior face of femur with small tubercles; patella and chelal hand smooth, without spine. Fixed chelal finger with 85–90 pointed teeth of unequal length, movable finger with about 77–85 teeth which are pointed and of slightly unequal length in distal half, rounded and low in basal half, all the teeth contiguous ( Fig. 6 ).

Chelicera. Serrula exterior with 42–44 lamellae; serrula interior with 31–34 lamellae; galea elongate and divided into two main branches, each branch secondarily divided into 2–4 terminal branchlets ( Fig. 11 ); rallum of 8 blades.

Legs. Leg I: trochanter 1.38–1.40, femur 4.26–4.58, patella 3.87–4.06, tibia 5.08–5.23, basitarsus 4.20–4.50, telotarsus 5.33–5.56 times as long as deep. Leg IV: trochanter 2.60, femur + patella 4.03–4.41, tibia 6.39–6.68, basitarsus 4.67–5.45, telotarsus 6.45 times as long as deep.

Dimensions (length/breadth or depth, in mm). Body length ca. 3.0–3.1. Carapace 1.12–1.20/0.94–0.97; diameter of anterior eye 0.10; diameter of posterior eye 0.09. Pedipalps: trochanter 0.67–0.75/0.32–0.38, femur 1.52–1.60/0.29–0.32, patella 1.30–1.35/0.39–0.41, chela (with pedicel) 2.60–2.62/0.60–0.62, chela (without pedicel) 2.50–2.54, hand length (without pedicel) 1.15–1.18, movable finger length 1.48–150. Chelicera 0.69–0.71/ 0.30–0.33, movable finger length 0.47–0.49. Leg I: trochanter 0.33–0.35/0.24–0.25, femur 0.81–0.87/0.19, patella 0.58–0.65/0.15–0.16, tibia 0.66–0.68/0.13–0.14, basitarsus 0.42–0.45/0.10–0.11, telotarsus 0.50–0.52/0.09–0.10. Leg IV: trochanter 0.60–0.65/0.22–0.25, femur + patella 1.41–1.45/0.32–0.36, tibia 1.15–1.27/0.18–0.19, basitarsus 0.56–0.60/0.11–0.12, telotarsus 0.71–0.72/0.10–0.11.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Stenohya curvata sp. nov., male holotype (1 – 5, 7 – 9) and female paratype (6). 1, carapace, dorsal view; 2, carapace, lateral view; 3, coxa of right pedipalp, lateral view, showing several lyrifissures; 4, left pedipalp, dorsal view; 5, right chela, lateral view, showing trichobothriotaxy and teeth; 6, right pedipalp of female, dorsal view, with detail of teeth in lateral view; 7, right chela, ventral view showing curved movable finger and a spine; 8, right chela, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (1, 5, 6, 7, 8); 1 mm (2, 4).

FIGURES 9 – 19. Stenohya curvata sp. nov., male holotype (9, 10, 12 – 16, 18) and female paratype (11, 17, 19). 9, right chelicera, dorsal view; 10, galea, male; 11, galea, female; 12, rallum; 13, left leg I; 14, left leg IV; 15, subterminal seta of leg IV; 16 genital operculum, male; 17, genital operculum, female; 18, abdomen, male, ventral view, showing sternites VI – VIII with 6 – 8 medial discal setae; 19, female sternites VI – VIII with 2 medial discal setae. Scale bars: 0.25 mm (9, 16, 17); 0.05 mm (10 – 12); 0.5 mm (13, 14, 18, 19).