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 : 115

Indohya sp. PSE215

( Fig. 6B )

Indohya species A : Harvey & Volschenk 2008: 402, figs, 15, 57.

Material examined. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 1 adult (left chela only), Argyle Diamond Mine, bore MB30 S, 16°41′22″S, 128°27′05″E, 10 October 2002, W.F. Humphreys, R . Webb ( WAM T62575 ) .

Description (adult). See Harvey and Volschenk (2007).

Distribution and remarks. Indohya sp. PSE215 is represented by a single adult chela that was collected from a subterranean bore in the region of the Argyle Diamond Mine ( Fig. 6B ). Although collected from an underground ecosystem, it cannot be determined whether it is a troglobitic species due to the lack of the remainder of the body. However, the size of the chela (1.15 mm long) and its slender proportions strongly suggest that it is a member of the hypogean community. The dimensions of the chela (1.15 mm in I. sp. PSE215, and 0.855 (♀) mm in I. currani ) and the positions of trichobothria eb, esb and isb (widely spaced in I. sp. PSE215, and closely spaced in I. currani ) suggest that it is not conspecific with I. currani , which is known from subterranean biotopes only 10 km west of the site of I. sp. PSE215. Although we regard that the specimen represents an undescribed species, we have not provided it with a new species name as we only have access to a single chela and we lack sequence data.

The site is situated within the Ord Victoria Plain bioregion.

Conservation assessment. Although Indohya sp. PSE215 has only been collected at a single location, its actual distribution is unknown. The species 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.