Lasiochernes jalzici Hlebec & Harvey, 2024

Hlebec, Dora, Harms, Danilo, Kučinić, Mladen & Harvey, Mark S., 2024, Integrative taxonomy of the pseudoscorpion family Chernetidae (Pseudoscorpiones: Cheliferoidea): evidence for new range-restricted species in the Dinaric Karst, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (Zool. J. Linn. Soc.) 200 (3), pp. 644-669 : 655-659

Lasiochernes jalzici Hlebec & Harvey , sp. nov.

Zoobank registration: http://zoobank.org/ NomenclaturalActs/ 81756E62-FE06-4915-8E81- 13F9F7B0D3BC ( Figs 7–9 )

Type material: Holotype ♂, CROATIA: Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Cavtat, Gruda, Vilina špilja, 42°30ʹ23.8″N, 18°23ʹ28.7″E, 210 m a.s.l. (cave entrance), 14 November 2020, B. Jalžić ( CNHM650 ) . Paratype: 1♀, data as holotype except 23 March 2021 ( CNHM778 ) .

Diagnosis: Lasiochernes jalzici differs from other Lasiochernes species by the lack of long and dense setation on the male pedipalp femur ( Figs 7A , 8A ), and the non-rounded posterolateral margin of coxa IV ( Fig. 7C, D ).

Holotype: CNHM650 (DNA voucher CROBD760 ; GenBank ON 841846) served as the reference sequence . Paratype: CNHM778 (DNA voucher CROBD1019 ; GenBank ON 842122) shared COI haplotype.

See Supporting Information, Appendix S6 for a list of diagnostic nucleotides in the barcode fragment of the COI gene. Uncorrected pairwise genetic distances (p -distances) between Lasiochernes jalzici sp. nov. and other Lasiochernes species are listed in the Supporting Information, Appendix S9. Positions refer to the alignment available in the Supporting Information, Appendix S10.

Description (adults)

Colour: Pedipalps and anterior part of carapace deep reddishbrown, metazone reddish, coxae and tergites and legs yellow brown ( Fig. 7 ).

Pedipalp ( Fig. 8 ): All pedipalpal surfaces granulate; segments setose, slightly more densely setose in male, setae denticulate and sparsely distributed on chelal hand (♀) ( Fig. 8A, B ); patella with several dorsal lyrifissures ( Fig. 8A, B ); all segments robust but thinner in female; trochanter 1.66 (♂), 1.68 (♀), femur 2.32 (♂), 2.69 (♀), patella 2.05 (♂), 2.50 (♀), chela (with pedicel) 2.78 (♂), 3.10 (♀), chela (without pedicel) 2.60 (♂), 2.88 (♀), hand (without pedicel) 1.31 (♂), 1.50 (♀) × longer than broad, movable finger (without pedicel) 0.97 (♂), 1.03 (♀) × longer than hand. Fixed chelal finger with eight trichobothria, movable chelal finger with four trichobothria ( Fig. 8A, B ): eb and esb situated basally, est midway between esb and et, ib and ist situated subbasally, isb situated midway between ist and it, it situated subdistally, slightly closer to isb than to fingertip (♂); t situated subdistally, slightly closer to fingertip (♀), st situated midway between sb and t, slightly closer to sb (♀), and sb situated much closer to b than to st ( Fig. 8C, D ). Venom apparatus developed only in movable chelal finger, venom duct long, terminating in nodus ramosus between t and st. Pseudotactile setae absent. Chelal fingers not gaping; chelal teeth juxtadentate, slightly retrorse, basal teeth more rounded; fixed finger with 39 (♂), 42 (♀) small, largely unsclerotized teeth, plus 10 (♂), 11 (♀) retrolateral accessory teeth and 6 (♂), 5 (♀) distal prolateral accessory teeth; movable finger with 44 (♂), 48 (♀) teeth, plus 11 (♂), 9 (♀) retrolateral accessory teeth and 4 (♂, ♀) distal prolateral accessory teeth; sense-spots arranged: fixed chelal finger with 9 (♂) grouped basally, 12 (♀) retrolateral and 0 (♂), 11 (♀) prolateral of which 10 are grouped at the base of the finger, and movable chelal finger with 4 (♂), 6 (♀) retrolateral and 10 (♂) of which 7 are basal to ib and 3 close to isb, 0 (♀) prolateral.

Chelicera: With five setae on hand and one subdistal seta (gs) on movable finger; setae es, bs and sbs dentate, ls and is long and acuminate ( Fig. 9A ); galea well-developed, long, and thick with five terminal rami (♂), three terminal rami and three medial rami (♀) ( Fig. 9D, E ); with two dorsal lyrifissures and one ventral lyrifissure; rallum consisting of three blades with serrated anterior margins ( Fig. 9B, C ); serrula exterior with 17 (♂) and 20 (♀) blades; lamina exterior present.

Carapace: Granulate and rectangular; approximately as long as broad; eyes or eyespots absent; two transverse furrows; posterior transverse furrow slightly closer to posterior margin of carapace than anterior furrow; posterior furrow with medial longitudinal, both furrows slightly recurved ( Fig. 7A, B ); with 73 (♂), 77 (♀) short, clavate setae including 7 (♂, ♀) setae near straight anterior margin and 10 (♂), 12 (♀) setae near posterior margin.

Coxal region: Maxillae and coxae smooth; manducatory process pointed, with three apical acuminate setae, with one small sub-oral seta on medial edge, and 50 (♂), 56 (♀) additional setae. Chaetotaxy of coxae I–IV: ♂: 20: 21: 30: 61; ♀: 30: 35: 47: 82.

Legs: Femur + patella of leg IV 4.54 (♂), 4.45 (♀) × longer than deep; tarsus IV with long tactile seta located medially, TS ratio = 0.53 (♂), 0.54 (♀); arolium shorter than claws; claws simple ( Fig. 9G ).

Abdomen: Tergite I (♂, ♀) barely divided, II–X (♂, ♀) with medial suture line. Tergites without pale patches. Tergal chaetotaxy: ♂, 12: 11: 13: 17: 14: 15: 16: 15: 13: 9: 11: 2; ♀, 13: 13: 18: 20: 19: 18: 21: 16: 15: 13: 6: 2; setae lightly dentate. Sternal chaetotaxy: ♂, 32: (3) 17 [3 + 3] (4): (4) 14 (4): 22: 22: 21: 21: 20: 17: 10: 2; ♀, 32: (3) 11 (2): (5) 8 (4): 23: 24: 25: 22: 25: 15: 13: 2. Tergites and sternites without tactile setae. Pleural membrane wrinkled plicate, without setae.

Genitalia: Male with typical chernetid morphology; female with single T-shaped spermatheca, length of each receptaculum much shorter than median stalk ( Fig. 9F, H, I ).

Dimensions (mm): Male holotype: body length 3.00. Pedipalps: trochanter 0.530 / 0.320, femur 0.870 / 0.375, patella 0.820 / 0.400, chela (with pedicel) 1.450 / 0.520, chela (without pedicel) 1.350, hand (without pedicel) length 0.680, movable finger length 0.700. Chelicera: movable finger length (♂): 0.230. Carapace 0.970 / 0.990. Leg IV: femur + patella 0.795 / 0.175, tibia 0.645 / 0.145, tarsus 0.420 / 0.110, TS = 0.530.

Dimensions (mm): Female paratype: body length 3.26. Pedipalps: trochanter 0.580 / 0.345, femur 0.900 / 0.335, patella 0.900 / 0.360, chela (with pedicel) 1.610 / 0.520, chela (without pedicel) 1.500, hand (without pedicel) length 0.780, movable finger length 0.760. Chelicera: movable finger length (♀): 0.220. Carapace 1.010 / 1.000. Leg IV: femur + patella 0.890 / 0.200, tibia 0.695 / 0.130, tarsus 0.480 / 0.100, TS = 0.540.

Etymology: This species is named for Branko Jalžić ( CBSS, Zagreb, Croatia), in honour of his contributions to cave biology and assistance to the first author.

Remarks: Lasiochernes jalzici sp. nov. is known only from the type locality, Vilina špilja cave in southern Croatia (for ground plan and longitudinal section see Jalžić et al. 2013). All specimens were found under stones near the end of the cave in the dark zone. The ground is partially covered with clay and speleothem is sporadic. No additional specimens could be found in other caves in the area, despite significant collecting efforts. Only a single haplotype was recorded for all genetic markers in all specimens, indicating low genetic diversity. Note that Vilina špilja cave is also the type locality of the gastropod Virpazaria pageti kleteckii Štamol and Subai, 2012 and the harvestman Cyphophthalmus silhavyi (Kratochvíl, 1938) . Also note that no bats have been recorded in the cave.

Figures

Figure 7. Lasiochernes jalzici sp. nov.. A, holotype male, habitus (CNHM650), dorsal.B, paratype female, habitus (CNHM778), dorsal. C, holotype male, cephalothorax, ventral. D, paratype female, cephalothorax, ventral. Scale lines = 1 mm (A, B), 0.5 mm (C, D).

Figure 8. Lasiochernes jalzici sp. nov.. A, holotype male (CNHM650), right pedipalp, dorsal.B, paratype female (CNHM778), right pedipalp, dorsal. C, holotype male, left chela, retrolateral. D, paratype female, left chela, retrolateral. Scale lines = 0.25 mm.

Figure 9. Lasiochernes jalzici sp. nov.. A, paratype female (CNHM778), right chelicera, dorsal. B, holotype male (CNHM650), left rallum, lateral. C, paratype female, left rallum, lateral. D, holotype male, left galea, dorsal. E, paratype female, left galea, dorsal. F, holotype male, genital opercula (sternites II and III). G, holotype male, right leg IV, retrolateral. H, paratype female, genital opercula (sternites II and III). I, paratype female, spermathecae. Scale lines = 0.25 mm (G), 0.1 mm (A, F, H, I), 0.05 mm (B, C, D, E).