Catatemnus laminosus, Hou & Zhao & Zhang, 2023

Hou, Yanmeng, Zhao, Lingchen & Zhang, Feng, 2023, First record of the genus Catatemnus Beier, 1932 from China, with the description of six new species (Pseudoscorpiones, Atemnidae), ZooKeys 1168, pp. 295-327 : 295

Catatemnus laminosus sp. nov.

Figs 4 , 5 , 6 (多层猫伪蝎)

Type material.

Holotype: China • ♂; Yunnan Province, Menghai County, Mengsong Township, Nabanhe River National Nature Reserve; 22°6.779'N, 100°35.109'E; 1813 m a.s.l.; 23 Jul. 2018; Chi Jin and Chen Zhang leg.; Ps.-MHBU-YNBN181701. Paratypes: • 2♀; same data as the holotype; Ps.-MSWU-YNBN181702-181703.

Diagnosis (♂♀).

This new species is characterized by carapace smooth but with a medial furrow; with two distinct developed eyespots situated near anterior margin of carapace. Palpal femur (♂) 2.46 ×, (♀) 2.39-2.51 ×, chela with pedicel (♂) 2.68 ×, (♀) 2.54-2.57 ×, chela without pedicel (♂) 2.43 ×, (♀) 2.29-2.35 × longer than broad; distance between est and esb farther or nearly equal to that of ist and isb; serrula exterior with 27 or 29 lamellae; male genitalia: the longitudinal fold of medial diverticula (d) with a projection midway along its length, forming a digitiform bulge.

Description.

Adult male (Figs 4A , 5A-E, G-I , 6A, B, D, E-G, I-K ). Color: carapace and tergites dark brown; pedipalps reddish brown, paler in trochanter; chelicerae pale yellow. Carapace (Figs 5A , 6A ): 1.24 × longer than broad; surface smooth, but with a medial furrow; with two distinct eyespots situated near anterior margin of carapace; anterior margin with six setae, posterior margin with seven setae, 47 in total, each seta acicular and very slightly curved; with lyrifissures on both halves. Chelicera (Fig. 6B, D ): much smaller than carapace length; surface smooth; four setae (sbs absent) and two lyrifissures (exterior condylar lyrifissure and exterior lyrifissure) present on hand; movable finger with one galeal seta (shorter than others); bs and es dentate apically, is and ls long and acute. Fixed finger with six large retrorse teeth and three small apical teeth, movable finger with two large teeth; galea present, slender and apically with five dentations (Fig. 6B ). Serrula interior connected to fixed finger for entire length, proximally modified to form velum, serrula exterior with 27 or 29 lamellae, the basal one longest; lamina exterior present. Rallum composed of four blades, the basal two blades shorter than others, the distal one dentated anteriorly, remainder smooth (Fig. 6D ). Pedipalp (Figs 5B-D , 6G, K ): slightly stout, trochanter 1.80 ×, femur 2.46 ×, patella 2.02 ×, chela with pedicel (without pedicel) 2.68 × (2.43 ×), hand with pedicel (without pedicel) 1.71 × (1.46 ×) longer than broad; movable chelal finger 0.57 × (0.67 ×) longer than hand with pedicel (without pedicel) and 0.37 × (0.41 ×) longer than chela with pedicel (without pedicel). Setae generally long and acuminate. Retrolateral surface of trochanter and hand, prolateral surface of patella, femur, and hand granular; trochanter with a rounded ventral tubercle and a well-developed conical dorsal tubercle. Fixed chelal finger with eight trichobothria, movable chelal finger with four trichobothria: eb and esb situated at base of fixed finger on retrolateral face, esb slightly distal to eb; ib and isb situated at base of fixed finger on prolateral face, isb slightly distal to ib; est in the middle of fixed finger; et near sub-distal of fixed finger; est closer to et than to esb; it slightly distal to est and proximal to et; ist situated proximal to est and distal to isb; it closer to ist than to fingertip; distance between ist and isb twice that of ist and it; b and sb situated at base of movable finger on retrolateral face; t in the middle of movable finger and at same level as est; sb closer to b than to st; st midway between t and sb (Fig. 6G ). Venom apparatus only present in fixed chelal finger, venom ducts curved and short, terminating in inflated nodus ramosus between et and est. Both chelal fingers with a row of acute teeth, spaced contiguously along the margin, slightly rounded proximally: fixed chelal finger with 26 or 28 teeth, with 12 sense spots between esb and est; movable chelal finger with 30 or 33 teeth (nearly as large as teeth on fixed chelal finger), basal half with ten sense spots; without accessory teeth (Fig. 6G ). Femur without long tactile setae. Movable chelal finger slightly curved in lateral view (Figs 5B , 6G ). Opisthosoma: typical, all setae long and acuminate, setal bases distinct larger; pleural membrane longitudinally striate, without setae. Tergites I and XI undivided and other tergites incompletely divided, tergal chaetotaxy I-XI: 8: 8: 8: 12: 13: 7-8: 7-7: 8-7: 8-9: 8-8 (14 + 2T): 16 (14 + 2T). Sternites incompletely divided, sternal chaetotaxy IV-XI: 6-5: 8-9: 8-8: 7-7: 7-8: 8-8: 8-8 (14 + 2T): 14 (10 + 4T). Anus (tergite XII and sternite XII) without raised rim. Anterior genital operculum with 18 setae, posterior margin with nine setae. Male genitalia (Figs 5E , 6I, J ): the distal part (l) of lateral apodemes with a distinctive inner ridge curved into semicircle; the hooked branch (br) bowed distally and terminated in a plate-like tip; the proximal part with a distinct dark sclerotized bar (c); the longitudinal fold of medial diverticula (d) with a projection midway along its length, forming a digitiform bulge; the ejaculatory canal atrium (e) not well-developed, curved distally; the lateral rods (f) long and diverging proximally; the tip of dorsal apodeme (g) completely joined; the ventral diverticulum (h) bilobed; genital atrium without genital setae. Legs (Figs 5G-I , 6E, F ): typical, fairly smooth, slightly stout; junction between femora and patellae I and II oblique. Femoropatella of leg IV 2.74 × longer than deep; tibia 3.43 × longer than deep; with basal tactile setae on tarsal segment: tarsus 4.23 × longer than deep (TS = 0.11); subterminal tarsal setae arcuate and acute. Arolium slightly shorter than claws, not divided; claws smooth.

Adult females (Figs 4B , 5F , 6C, H ): mostly same as the male, but distinct larger; pedipalps color paler than that of male; carapace 1.17-1.23 × longer than broad. Chelicera: galea distinct large, with five large dentations and a bifurcate tip (Fig. 6C ); serrula exterior with 21 lamellae. Pedipalp: stout, trochanter 1.61-1.68 ×, femur 2.39-2.51 ×, patella 2.11-2.15 ×, chela (with pedicel) 2.54-2.57 ×, chela (without pedicel) 2.29-2.35 ×, hand (with pedicel) 1.65-1.69 ×, hand (without pedicel) 1.40-1.47 × longer than broad, movable chelal finger 0.55-0.58 × (0.63-0.68 ×) longer than hand with pedicel (without pedicel) and 0.36-0.38 × (0.39-0.42 ×) longer than chela with pedicel (without pedicel). Opisthosoma: genital structure (Figs 5F , 6H ) simple, spermathecae provided with separated median cribriform plates; anterior genital operculum with 11 short setae, posterior margin with four marginal setae on each side, arranged in a row. Legs: femoropatella of leg IV 2.73-2.75 × longer than deep; tibia 3.30-3.71 × longer than deep; with basal tactile setae on tarsal segment: tarsus 4.21-4.43 × longer than deep (TS = 0.08).

Dimensions (length/breadth or, in the case of the legs, length/depth in mm). Male (females in parentheses): body length 4.00 (5.72-5.86). Carapace 1.13/0.91 (1.23-1.29/1.05). Pedipalp: trochanter 0.63/0.35 (0.57-0.58/0.34-0.36), femur 1.01/0.41 (0.98/0.39-0.41), patella 1.01/0.50 (0.97-0.99/0.46), chela (with pedicel) 1.69/0.63 (1.73-1.75/0.68), chela (without pedicel) 1.53 (1.56-1.60), hand (with pedicel) 1.08 (1.12-1.15), hand (without pedicel) 0.92 (0.95-1.00), movable finger length 0.62 (0.63-0.65). Leg I: trochanter 0.21/0.20 (0.23-0.24/0.19-0.20), femur 0.33/0.26 (0.34-0.35/0.26), patella 0.54/0.24 (0.55-0.57/0.22-0.23), tibia 0.57/0.17 (0.58-0.59/0.17-0.18), tarsus 0.50/0.12 (0.51-0.52/0.11-0.12). Leg IV: trochanter 0.40/0.25 (0.41-0.42/0.27-0.28), femoropatella 0.96/0.35 (0.99-1.01/0.36-0.37), tibia 0.72/0.21 (0.76-0.78/0.21-0.23), tarsus 0.55/0.13 (0.59-0.62/0.14).

Remarks.

Catatemnus laminosus sp. nov. can be distinguished from C. birmanicus by the trait of eyespots (with two distinct eyespots vs with two faint eyespots) and the traits of tergites (e.g., tergite III incompletely divided vs with trace of a division); from C. concavus by the trait of eyespots (with two distinct eyespots vs with two faint eyespots) and the traits of pedipalps (the dorsal surface of femur and hand almost smooth vs with minute and low granules everywhere except on fingers); from C. monitor by the trait of eyespots (with two distinct eyespots vs no eyespots visible) and the shorter legs (♂) (e.g., tibia of leg IV 3.43 × vs 3.88 × longer than broad, length 0.72 mm vs 0.84 mm; tarsus of leg IV 4.23 × vs 5.00 ×, length 0.55 mm vs 0.63 mm); from C. nicobarensis by the trait of eyespots (with two distinct eyespots vs with two indistinct eyespots) and the traits of the palpal trochanter (anterior surface granular vs smooth or almost smooth); from C. thorelli by the trait of furrow on the carapace (distinctly curved vs almost straight) and the traits of pedipalps (surface of all segments (except chelal fingers) more or less granular vs surface of palps smooth; chelal hand (with pedicel) 1.71 × vs 1.68 × longer than broad, length 1.08 mm vs 1.25 mm) ( Thorell 1889; Balzan 1891; With 1906; Beier 1932).

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality.

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from a Latin word laminosus (lamellar) and refers to the characters of serrula exterior with many lamellae.

Figures

Figure 4. Catatemnus laminosus sp. nov. A holotype male, habitus (dorsal view) B paratype female, habitus (dorsal view). Scale bars: 2.00 mm.

Figure 5. Catatemnus laminosus sp. nov., holotype male (A-E, G-I), paratype female (F) A carapace (dorsal view) B left chela (lateral view) C left chelal fingers (lateral view) D left pedipalp (dorsal view) E male genital area (ventral view) F female genital area (ventral view) G tarsus of left leg IV (lateral view) H left leg I (lateral view) I left leg IV (lateral view). Scale bars: 0.50 mm (A, C, D, F, I); 0.20 mm (B, E, G, H).

Figure 6. Catatemnus laminosus sp. nov., holotype male (A, B, D-G, I-K), paratype female (C, H) A carapace (dorsal view) B male galea C female galea D rallum E left leg I (lateral view) F left leg IV (lateral view) G left chelal fingers (lateral view), with details of trichobothrial pattern H female genital area (ventral view) I male genital area (ventral view) J male genital organ K left pedipalp (dorsal view). Scale bars: 0.50 mm (E, F, K); 0.25 mm (A, G-J); 0.10 mm (B-D). Abbreviations: b = basal; sb = sub-basal; st = sub-terminal; t = terminal; ib = interior basal; isb = interior sub-basal; ist = interior sub-terminal; it = interior terminal; eb = exterior basal; esb = exterior sub-basal; est = exterior sub-terminal; et = exterior terminal; a = lateral apodeme; br = hooked branch; c = sclerotized bar; d = longitudinal fold of medial diverticulum; e = ejaculatory canal atrium; f = lateral rods; g = dorsal apodeme; h = ventral diverticulum; l = lateral lip of lateral apodeme.