Indohya sp.

Harvey, Mark S., Burger, Mieke A. A., Abrams, Kym M., Finston, Terrie L., Huey, Joel A. & Perina, Giulia, 2023, The systematics of the pseudoscorpion genus Indohya (Pseudoscorpiones: Hyidae) in Australia, Zootaxa 5342 (1), pp. 1-119 : 116

Indohya sp. PSE240

( Fig. 6A )

Material examined. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 1 nymph, North Maret Island, lower gully, ‘ Lost World’ , site NMAR19 , 14°24′29.9″S, 124°58′47.9″E, 22 March 2007, sifted litter, J.M. Waldock, K.L. Edward ( WAM T82554 ; specimen consumed during DNA extraction) .

Distribution and remarks. Indohya sp. PSE240 has been collected at a single site on North Maret Island in the Kimberley region of Western Australia ( Fig. 6A ), an island within the Northern Kimberley bioregion.

There are substantial molecular differences between this species and its sister taxon I. karenae (p-values = 12.7–12.8%) which provides sufficient evidence that they represent distinct taxa. Unfortunately, the only known specimen from North Maret Island, a nymph, was destroyed during the DNA extraction process which precludes any morphological assessments. North and South Maret Islands are only 3.5 km apart but even this small distance seems to be sufficient to eliminate gene flow in the past.

Conservation assessment. The collecting site on North Maret Island appears to be relatively undisturbed and I. PSE240 does not meet the status of threatened using the criteria developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (2012).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Maps of north-western Australia depicting recorded distributions of the three epigean species of Indohya from the Kimberley:A, epigean species; B, troglobitic species.