Kovalius logunovi, Tchemeris, 2023

Tchemeris, Aleksey N., 2023, Kovalius-a new genus of cave-dwelling harvestmen from the Caucasus (Opiliones Sclerosomatidae: Leiobuninae), Zootaxa 5227 (4), pp. 486-494 : 487-494

Kovalius logunovi sp. nov.

Figs 1–10

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6CEEB178-48E9-4015-BB73-46A550724289

Types. Holotype male( ZIN5201 ) Russia, NW Caucasus,region of Sochi , Alek Mt Range ,gorge ofAts River, 300m a.s.l., SokolovaCave,[43°41'19''N / 039°51'32''E], 17.IX.2015. A.G.Kovalleg . Paratypes: 1male,( ISEA O.001.0291) , 1female ( ZIN 5202 )—idem .

Etymology. The new species is named in honour of my mentor Dr. Dmitri V. Logunov, the Russian and English arachnologist (Manchester, UK), professional collector and author of a number of publications on world fauna of spiders, in particular the family Salticidae and some papers about Opiliones of Siberia.

Description. MALE. Measurements. Body: length 3.52; abdomen maximal width 2.60. Carapace length: 1.12; maximal width 1.92. Clypeus length (distance between anterior margin of carapace and ocularium): 0.58. Eye tubercle width: 0.54. Chelicera: basal segment 1.07 long; distal segment 1.64 long; chela maximal length 0.63. Length of pedipalpal trochanter, femur, patella, tibia and tarsus: 0.26 + 1.38 + 0.56 (apophysis 0.30 not included in total length) + 0.90 + 1.71 = 4.81. Length of leg segments (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus): I: 4.83 + 1.37 + 5.48 + 6.04 + 10.17 = 27.89; II: 8.87 + 1.80 + 9.72 + 8.92 + 23.47 = 52.78; III: 4.91 + 1.52 + 5.23 + 6.93 + 12.14 = 30.73; IV: 6.35 + 1.49 + 7.38 + 9.43 + 16.72 = 41.37. Penis 1.72 long, base width 0.225, glans 0.21 long, stylus 0.14 long.

Body medium sized with soft integument ( Figs 1–2 ). Carapace with scant short setae, carapace clearly separated from abdomen. Ozophores distinct. Ocularium ( Figs 1 -25) stocky, bearing scant short setae. Supra-cheliceral lamella small, unarmed. Meta- and mesopeltidium and all abdominal tergites and sternites with transverse rows of short setae.

Chelicerae of typical size ( Figs 5-6 ). First segment with ventral spine, dorsally with group of short setae. Second segment anteriorly with short and long setae, ectal surface with short setae grouped near chela.

Pedipalps not elongate ( Figs 1 , 3, 7 ). Patellae with distinctly pronounced inner apophysis exceeding half the length of patellae ( Fig. 7 ). Tibiae with small inner distal apophysis. Patellae, tibiae and tarsi densely covered with microsetae. All segments with variable length setae, longer on ventral surface of femur. Tarsal claw toothed ( Fig. 4 ).

Legs not long, thin, cylindrical in cross section ( Fig. 1 ). Femora I and III thickened, noticeably thickened femora I and provided with more developed armament than on other legs. All segments densely covered with trichomes and each accompanied by microsetae - a ‘sensillum chaeticum’. Coxae covered with long setae. Femora, patellae and tibiae with rows of short setae and acute inclined tubercles, more prominent on femora I. Tibia II with 4–5 pseudosegments.

Penis weakly sclerotized ( Figs 8–10 ) with extended base. Corpus, glans and stylus fused. Corpus moderately expanded from the glans towards the middle and narrowed to the base, ventrally with microdenticles from the center to the base ( Fig. 9 ). Wing-like oval structures directed upwards are provided below the middle of the corpus. These 'wings' are weakly developed and slightly protruding over sides of the corpus forming membrane-like cover. Glans in lateral view strongly expanded and forms a ‘window’ tightened by a transparent membrane in the center ( Fig. 8 ). Due to the thin cuticle protruding beyond the edge, the stylus in lateral view looks like harpoon. Apex of the stylus appearing flat in dorsal and ventral view, with widened base with lateral micropores. Base of penis sclerotized ( Fig. 10 ), wide and with two lobes.

Body darker dorsally, carapace with brownish patterns and spots, laterally with dark brown and whitish spots. Abdomen dark ochre in center and with large dark brown patterns and small round and oval light ochre spots on sides, anteriorly with light ochre band, last tergites entirely dark brown. Ocularium dark brown. Venter light ochre to ochre on coxae and ochre-brown on abdomen. Chelicerae light ochre with ochre spots. Pedipalps ventrally light ochre; femora, patellae, tibiae dorsally brown with small rounded ochre spots, tarsi completely ochre. Legs ochre, with small brown and light ochre spots on trochanters. Penis light ochre, with stylus and ventral border of glans brown.

FEMALE. Measurements. Body: length 4.36; abdomen maximal width 2.88. Carapace length: 1.59; width in maximal 2.61. Clypeus length: 0.40. Eye tubercle width: 0.55. Chelicera: basal segment 1.01 long; distal segment 1.13 long; chela maximal long 0.54. Length of pedipalpal segments (trochanter, femur, patella, tibia, tarsus): 0.29 + 1.23 + 0.52 (apophysis 0.47 not included in total length) + 1.10 + 1.62 = 4.76. Length of leg segments (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus): I: 3.45 + 1.16 + 3.46 + 3.72 + 7.32 = 19.11; II: 6.22 + 1.68 + 6.63 + 5.82 + 18.82 = 39.17; III: 3.64 + 1.31 + 3.90 + 4.08 + 7.62 = 20.55; IV: 4.78 + 1.48 + 5.22 + 5.92 + 16.83 = 34.23.

General appearance as in male, but with longer, wider body. Apophysis of pedipalpal patellae and tibiae noticeably larger than in male. Tibia II same as male with 4–5 pseudosegments.

Ecology. Kovalius logunovi sp. nov. is a troglophilic species. The specimens were collected in Sokolova Cave about 15–25 m from its entrance, on the wall of the cave gallery in the subhorizontal part of the cave, slightly above the cave lake located at the entrance to the cave and on the wall of this gallery above the puddles located behind the lake ( Figs 13–16 ). Light does not penetrate into the cave; there is always darkness and a cool cave microclimate. The 10.2 о С air temperature and almost 100% absolute air humidity were registered when specimens were collected.

Brief description of Sokolova (Atsinskaya) Cave Based on Caves (2017), Sokolova (Atsinskaya) Cave was formed in subhorizontal Upper Jurassic limestones, and presents the lower part of the hydrological system of the Alek Mt Range divided into small blocks. The cave's entrance gallery first drops sharply, forming a small siphon lake, then the cave passage turns into a series of ledges leading to an underground river. Forty meters from the fork upstream is situated 8-meter waterfall, behind which appear two parallel courses located at different levels. An underground river flows along the right (lower) course in 0.8–2.5-m depth; the left (upper) course is dry, with accumulations of clay, pebbles and numerous leaks. After 50 m, the passages merge again, forming one high gallery about 100 m in length. A lake with "upper" siphons is formed in a distant of the gallery. Extent of the cave is 600 m, depth 20 m, area 2000 m 2, volume 8400 m 3, altitude 65 m.

Remarks. The Sokolova Cave fauna is unique and is the type locality for two troglobiont species of ground beetles ( Insecta: Carabidae ), Caucasaphaenops molchanovi Belousov, 1999 and Caucasorites kovali Belousov, 1999 ( Belousov, 1999) .

Distribution. Russia: the type locality only ( Fig. 17 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–2. Kovalius logunovi sp. nov., male holotype: 1—body dorsal view, 2—body lateral view. Scale bar 1,0 mm.

FIGURES 3–7. Kovalius logunovi sp. nov., male holotype: 3—right pedipalp inner view, 4—tarsal claw of palp, 5—second and third segments of left chelicerae frontal view, 6—left chelicerae lateral view, 7—patellae and tibiae of left pedipalp dorsal view. 3, 5-7—scale bar 0,5 mm, 4—scale bar 0,25 mm.

FIGURES 8–10. Kovalius logunovi sp. nov., penis of male holotype: 8—lateral view, 9—ventral view, 10—dorsal view. Scale bar 0,5 mm.

FIGURES 13–18. Type locality of Kovalius logunovi sp. nov. and specimen in situ: 13—entrance to the Sokolova Cave; 14- 16 habitat in type locality: 14—on the wall at the entrance nearby the lake; 15—16 wall with seeping water and stalagmite; 17—cave river (13—15, photo: R. Vargovitsh; 16—17, photo: A. Koval); 18—waterfall and river within the cave (photo: R. Vargovitsh).