Catatemnus ramus, 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 ramus sp. nov.

Figs 7 , 8 , 9 (枝猫伪蝎)

Type material.

Holotype: China • ♂; Yunnan Province, Longchuan County, Huguo Township; 24°33.682'N, 98°3.735'E; 1820 m a.s.l.; 09 Aug. 2013; Guanglin Xie leg.; Ps.-MHBU-YNLC13080901. Paratypes: • 2♂5♀; same data as the holotype; Ps.-MSWU-YNLC13080902-13080908.

Diagnosis (♂♀).

This new species is characterized by the rallum with two dentated blades instead of the usual one; with small body size (♂) 2.94-3.23 mm, (♀) 3.13-3.69 mm; carapace smooth but with a medial furrow; with two distinct, developed, eyespots situated near anterior margin of carapace. Palpal femur (♂) 2.59-2.76 ×, (♀) 2.50-2.51 ×, chela with pedicel (♂) 2.49-2.66 ×, (♀) 2.37-2.49 ×, chela without pedicel (♂) 2.31-2.45 ×, (♀) 2.25-2.35 × longer than broad.

Description.

Adult males (Figs 7A , 8A-E, G-I , 9A-C, E-I, K, M ). Color: anterior half of carapace yellowish brown, paler in posterior half; pedipalps reddish brown, paler in female; tergites brown, paler in legs; remainder yellow. Carapace (Figs 8A , 9A ): 1.25 × longer than broad; surface smooth, but with a medial furrow; with two distinct eyespots situated near anterior margin of carapace; anterior margin with four setae, posterior margin with eight or nine setae, 34 or 35 in total, each seta acicular and very slightly curved; more lyrifissures on posterior margin. Chelicera (Figs 9B, C, E ): 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 five large retrorse teeth and two or three small apical teeth, movable finger with one large teeth; galea present, shorter and with seven or eight branchlets (Fig. 9C ). Serrula interior connected to fixed finger for entire length, proximally modified to form velum, serrula exterior with 26 lamellae, the basal one longest; lamina exterior present. Rallum composed of four blades, the basal two blades shorter than others, the distal two dentated anteriorly, remainder smooth (Fig. 9E ). Pedipalp (Figs 8B-D , 9F, G ): stout, trochanter 1.52-1.59 ×, femur 2.59-2.76 ×, patella 1.93-1.94 ×, chela with pedicel (without pedicel) 2.49-2.66 × (2.31-2.45 ×), hand without pedicel 1.37-1.44 × longer than broad; movable chelal finger 0.56-0.61 × (0.63-0.71 ×) longer than hand with pedicel (without pedicel). Setae generally long and acuminate. Retrolateral surface of trochanter, prolateral surface of patella, surface of 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 est and esb nearly equal to that of ist and isb; 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. 9G ). Venom apparatus only present in fixed chelal finger, venom ducts curved and short, terminating in inflated nodus ramosus between et and est, closer to et. Both chelal fingers with a row of acute teeth, spaced contiguously along the margin, slightly rounded proximally: fixed chelal finger with 25 teeth; movable chelal finger with 32 teeth (nearly as large as teeth on fixed chelal finger), basal half with ten sense spots; without accessory teeth (Fig. 9G ). Femur without long tactile setae. Movable chelal finger slightly curved in lateral view (Figs 8D , 9G ). 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: 9: 8: 15: 16: 17: 16: 17: 15+ (2T): 10+ (4T). Sternites XI undivided and other sternites divided, sternal chaetotaxy IV-XI: 7-8: 9-7: 8-7: 7-7: 8-9: 7-6 (4T): 11 + (4T). Anus (tergite XII and sternite XII) without raised rim. Anterior genital operculum with 12 setae, posterior margin with eight setae on each side and one or two lyrifissures. Male genitalia (Figs 8E , 9K, M ): 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 lobe 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 8G-I , 9H, I ): typical, fairly smooth, slightly stout; junction between femora and patellae I and II oblique. Femoropatella of leg IV 2.82-2.83 × longer than deep; tibia 3.55-3.80 × longer than deep; with basal tactile setae on tarsal segment: tarsus 4.14-4.15 × longer than deep (TS = 0.09-0.11); subterminal tarsal setae arcuate and acute. Arolium slightly longer than claws, not divided; claws smooth.

Adult females (Figs 7B , 8F , 9D, J, L ): mostly same as the male, but a litter larger in body size; anterior half of carapace yellowish brown, paler in posterior half; pedipalps reddish brown, paler, and paler from fingertip to trochanter; tergites yellowish brown, paler in legs. Chelicera: hand with four setae; fixed finger with four large retrorse teeth and two or three small apical teeth, movable finger with a long, broadly rounded, subapical lobe; galea distinct relatively short, with seven or eight branchlets (Fig. 9D ); serrula exterior with 24 lamellae; rallum composed of four blades, the basal two blades shorter than others, the distal two dentated anteriorly, remainder smooth. Pedipalp: stout, trochanter 1.56-1.74 ×, femur 2.50-2.51 ×, patella 1.96-2.06 ×, chela (with pedicel) 2.37-2.49 ×, chela (without pedicel) 2.25-2.35 ×, hand (without pedicel) 1.49-1.56 × longer than broad, movable chelal finger 0.56-0.55 × (0.59-0.61 ×) longer than hand with pedicel (without pedicel).

Dimensions (length/breadth or, in the case of the legs, length/depth in mm). Males (females in parentheses): body length 2.94-3.23 (3.13-3.69). Carapace 1.09-1.14/0.87-0.91 (1.16-1.20/0.91-0.95). Pedipalp: trochanter 0.50-0.54/0.33-0.34 (0.56-0.61/0.35-0.36), femur 0.96-1.02/0.37 (1.00-1.03/0.40-0.41), patella 0.87-0.93/0.45-0.48 (0.90-0.99/0.46-0.48), chela (with pedicel) 1.52-1.65/0.61-0.62 (1.68-1.72/0.69-0.71), chela (without pedicel) 1.41-1.52 (1.60-1.62), hand (with pedicel) 0.98-0.99 (1.13-1.19), hand (without pedicel) 0.85-0.88 (1.03-1.11), movable finger length 0.55-0.60 (0.63-0.66). Leg I: trochanter 0.21-0.22/0.19-0.20 (0.41-0.43/0.27-0.29), femur 0.31-0.35/0.24 (0.33-0.36/0.19-0.22), patella 0.50-0.56/0.21-0.24 (0.53-0.56/0.21-0.23), tibia 0.53-0.59/0.16-0.17 (0.51-0.61/0.15-0.17), tarsus 0.51-0.53/0.11 (0.46-0.53/0.10-0.12). Leg IV: trochanter 0.39-0.48/0.22-0.26 (0.44-0.45/0.24-0.29), femoropatella 0.96-1.02/0.34-0.36 (1.00-1.02/0.36-0.37), tibia 0.76-0.78/0.20-0.22 (0.80-0.83/0.21-0.22), tarsus 0.54-0.58/0.13-0.14 (0.56-0.57/0.14).

Remarks.

Catatemnus ramus sp. nov. can be distinguished from C. birmanicus by the smaller body size (e.g., body length (♂) 2.94-3.23 mm vs 4.27 mm, (♀) 3.13-3.69 mm vs 4.62 mm; palpal femur (♂) 2.59-2.76 × vs 2.44 ×, (♀) 2.50-2.51 × vs 2.36 × longer than broad, length (♂) 0.96-1.02 mm vs 1.09 mm, (♀) 1.00-1.03 mm vs 0.92 mm) and the trait of eyespots (with two distinct eyespots vs with two faint eyespots); from C. concavus by the trait of eyespots (with two distinct eyespots vs with two faint eyespots) and the slender pedipalps (♀) (e.g., palpal femur 2.50-2.51 × vs 2.29 × longer than broad); from C. monitor by the trait of eyespots (with two distinct eyespots vs no eyespots visible), the trait of rallum (rallum with two dentated blades vs with one dentated blade only) and the traits of pedipalps (distinctly granular vs minutely granular); 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) granular vs surface of palps smooth; palpal femur 2.59-2.76 × vs 2.40 × longer than broad, length 0.96-1.02 mm vs 1.15 mm; movable finger teeth length 0.55-0.60 mm vs 0.70 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 ramus (branched) and refers to the characters of the rallum with two dentate blades.

Figures

Figure 7. Catatemnus ramus sp. nov. A holotype male, habitus (dorsal view) B paratype female, habitus (dorsal view). Scale bars: 1.00 mm.

Figure 8. Catatemnus ramus sp. nov., holotype male (A-E, G-I), paratype female (F) A carapace (dorsal view) B left pedipalp (dorsal view) C left chela (lateral view) D left chelal fingers (lateral view) E male genital area (ventral view) F female genital area (ventral view) G left leg I (lateral view) H left leg IV (lateral view) I tarsus of left leg IV (lateral view). Scale bars: 0.50 mm (B); 0.20 mm (A, C-H); 0.10 mm (I).

Figure 9. Catatemnus ramus sp. nov., holotype male (A-C, E-I, K, M), paratype female (D, J, L) A carapace (dorsal view) B left chelicera (dorsal view) C male galea D female galea E rallum F left pedipalp (dorsal view) G left chelal fingers (lateral view), with details of trichobothrial pattern H left leg I (lateral view) I left leg IV (lateral view) J female genital area (ventral view) K male genital area (ventral view) L spermatheca M male genital organ. Scale bars: 0.50 mm (F); 0.20 mm (A, H-K); 0.10 mm (B-E, G, L, M). 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.