Synsphyronus armasi, Harvey, 2025

Harvey, Mark S., 2025, Synsphyronus armasi, a new species (Pseudoscorpiones: Garypidae) from the Pilbara region of Western Australia, Zootaxa 5563 (1), pp. 382-387 : 383-384

Synsphyronus armasi , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:121A36E5-B79B-4788-8C6B-C7B4908EED05

( Figs. 1–12 )

Material examined. Holotype male. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Millstream-Chichester National Park, George River, 2.2 km SE. of Mt Montagu , 21°23′38”S, 117°19′46″E, 181 m, 26 March 2015, under rock, M.S. Harvey, J.A. Huey ( WAM T135834 ).

Other material. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 1 tritonymph, same data as holotype except 23 March 2015, M.S. Harvey et al. ( WAM T135794 ) .

Diagnosis. Only four other species of Synsphyronus have a trichobothrial pattern of seven trichobothria on the fixed chelal finger and one on the movable finger: Synsphyronus callus Hoff, 1947 , S. francesae Harvey, 2011 , S. nullarborensis Beier, 1969 and S. pharangites Cullen & Harvey, 2021 . Synsphyronus armasi differs from S. francesae and S. nullarborensis by the fused metatarsi and tarsi (separate in S. francesae and S. nullarborensis ), and from S. callus and S. phragmites by the long, slender chelal hand and fingers ( Fig. 5 ).

Description (adult). Colour ( Figs. 1‒4 ): sclerotized portions generally dark red-brown; tergites II‒X with paired darker patches. Waxy epicuticle. Setae generally aligned perpendicularly from body, each seta quadricarinate. Most cuticular surfaces roughened, but not granulate.

Chelicera: with 5 setae on hand and 1 subdistal seta on movable finger, all setae acuminate; setae sbs and bs shorter than others; 2 dorsal lyrifissures and 1 ventral lyrifissure; galea of ♂ unbranched with rounded distal tip; rallum of 3 blades ( Fig. 8 ), distal and medial blade with small spinules on leading edge, basal blade without spinules, medial and basal blades much shorter than distal blade; serrula exterior with 17 (♂) blades; lamina exterior present.

Pedipalp ( Fig. 5 ): trochanter with conical prolateral face, femur slightly procurved; trochanter 1.17 (♂), femur 3.89 (♂), patella 2.84 (♂), chela (with pedicel) 4.82 (♂), chela (without pedicel) 4.56 (♂), hand (without pedicel) 2.29 (♂) × longer than broad, movable finger 1.00 (♂) × longer than hand (without pedicel). Fixed chelal finger with 7 trichobothria, movable chelal finger with 1 trichobothrium ( Fig. 10 ): eb and esb situated basally, isb absent, est submedially but closer to esb than to et, et subdistally, ib and ist basally in diagonal row, and it submedially, well posterior to et; t situated submedially, st, sb and b absent; patch of microsetae present on retrolateral margin of fixed chelal finger distal to et. Venom apparatus present in both chelal fingers, venom ducts long. Chelal teeth: most teeth strongly retrorse, becoming basally ( Fig. 11 ); fixed finger with 41 (♂) teeth; movable finger with 29 (♂) teeth; accessory teeth absent.

Carapace ( Figs. 6 ): 0.83 (♂) × longer than broad; anterior margin slightly indented medially; subtriangular; with 2 pairs of corneate eyes situated ca. one-third carapace length from anterior margin; anterior eye rounded ( Fig. 7 ); with 27 setae, include 2 setae near anterior margin and 5 (♂) near posterior margin; with numerous lyrifissures; without furrows.

Coxal region: manducatory process rounded, with 3 apical acuminate setae, pedipalpal coxa with 7 (♂) additional setae; medial maxillary lyrifissure situated submedially; chaetotaxy of coxae I–IV: ♂, 2: 3: 4: 5.

Legs ( Fig. 9 ): junction between femora and patellae I and II slightly oblique to long axis; junction between femora and patellae III and IV very angulate; femora III and IV much smaller than patellae III and IV; femur + patella of leg IV 3.30 (♂) × longer than broad; metatarsi and tarsi fused and without tactile seta; subterminal tarsal setae arcuate and acute; arolium much longer than claws, not divided.

Abdomen: tergites II–X (♂) with incomplete median suture line and sternite IV (♂) with complete suture line ( Figs. 1–3 ). Tergal chaetotaxy: ♂, 4: 4: 7: 8: 7: 8: 8: 7: 7: 8: 2: 2; uniseriate; all setae quadricarinate. Sternal chaetotaxy: ♂, 5: (0) 2 [2 + 2] (0): (0) 2 (0): 4: 4: 6: 6: 8: 7: 2: 2; uniseriate; all setae quadricarinate except for setae on sternites II–IV and medial setae on sternites V–VI, which are acuminate. Spiracles without helix. Anal plates (tergite XII and sternite XII) situated within sternite XI, surrounded by slightly raised rim. Pleural membrane wrinkled-plicate; without any setae.

Genitalia: male: lateral apodeme laterally extended and distally broadened; anterior apodeme acute; a pair of acute dorsal apodemes; lateral rod very broad ventrally and with a blunt, anterior projection; ejaculatory canal atrium large and cup-shaped.

Dimensions: male holotype ( WAM T135834 ): Body length 2.67. Pedipalps: trochanter 0.345 / 0.295 , femur 0.875 / 0.225, patella 0.625 / 0.220, chela (with pedicel) 1.325 / 0.275, chela (without pedicel) 1.255, hand (without pedicel) length 0.630, movable finger length 0.630. Carapace 0.705 / 0.845; eye diameter, anterior 0.050, posterior 0.065. Leg IV: femur + patella 0.610 / 0.185, tibia 0.610 / 0.210, tarsus 0.300 / 0.145.

Description (tritonymph). Colour: pale brown, most tergites and sternites with paired spots; carapace and pedipalps slightly darker than abdomen.

Chelicera: with 5 setae on hand and 1 on movable finger; galea unbranched.

Pedipalp: trochanter 1.43, femur 3.73, patella 2.59, chela (with pedicel) 4.38, chela (without pedicel) 4.16, hand (without pedicel) 2.02 × longer than broad, and movable finger 1.07 × longer than hand (without pedicel). Fixed chelal finger with 6 trichobothria, movable chelal finger with 1 trichobothrium ( Fig. 12 ): eb, ist and ib situated basally; est situated medially; et subdistally; and it submedially; t submedially.

Carapace: 0.82 × longer than broad; with 29 setae including 2 setae near anterior margin and 4 near posterior margin.

Coxal region: manducatory process with 2 apical acuminate setae, pedipalpal coxa with 7 additional setae; chaetotaxy of coxae I–IV: 2: 2–3: 5: 5–6.

Legs: metatarsi and tarsi fused.

Abdomen: tergal chaetotaxy: 4: 5: 6: 6: 7: 7: 7: 8: 7: 6: 2: 2. Sternal chaetotaxy: 0: (0) 2 (0): (0) 2 (0): 3: 4: 4: 5: 7: 6: 4: 2.

Dimensions (mm) (WAM T135794): body length 2.30. Pedipalps: trochanter 0.315 / 0.220, femur 0.690 / 0.185, patella 0.505 / 0.195, chela (with pedicel) 1.095 / 0.250, chela (without pedicel) 1.040, hand length (without pedicel) 0.505, movable finger length 0.540. Carapace 0.635 / 0.775.

Remarks. The two specimens of Synsphyronus armasi were collected from the underside of rocks on a southfacing hillside in Millstream-Chichester National Park, which was also the site from which the only known specimens of Feaella linetteae Harvey, Abrams, Beavis, Hillyer and Huey, 2016 were collected ( Harvey et al. 2016).

The species was previously known by WAM identification code Synsphyronus ‘PSE262’.

Molecular data. The GenBank accession codes for the sequence data obtained for these specimens are displayed in Table 1 .

Etymology. This species is named for Dr Luis Armas on occasion of his 80 th birthday and in recognition of his outstanding achievements in arachnology.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Synsphyronus armasi, sp. nov., holotype male (WAM T135834): 1, dorsal; 2, ventral; 3, cephalothorax, dorsal; 4, right chela, retrolateral. Scale lines = 1 mm (Fig. 1), 0.5 mm (Fig. 4).

FIGURES 5–12. Synsphyronus armasi, sp. nov., holotype male (WAM T135834), unless stated otherwise: 5, left pedipalp, dorsal; 6, carapace, dorsal; 7, left eyes, dorsal; 8, left rallum, lateral; 9, right leg IV, retrolateral; 10, right chela, retrolateral; 11, right chelal fingers, retrolateral; 12, left chela, retrolateral, tritonymph (WAM T135794). Scale lines = 0.5 mm (Figs. 5, 6, 9, 12), 0.25 mm (Figs. 10, 11), 0.1 mm (Fig. 7), 0.05 mm (Fig. 8).