Paciwithius, Romero-Ortiz & Sarmiento & Harvey, 2023

Romero-Ortiz, Catalina, Sarmiento, Carlos E. & Harvey, Mark S., 2023, A new genus and five new species of pseudoscorpions (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpiones, Withiidae) from Colombia, ZooKeys 1184, pp. 301-326 : 301

Genus Paciwithius gen. nov.

Type species.

Paciwithius chimbilacus sp. nov.

Diagnosis.

Paciwithius can be distinguished from all other withiids by the absence of tergal keels, absence of eyespots, absence of a tactile seta on tarsus IV, the trichobothrium it is midway between isb and et, the presence of a patch of glandular setae on sternite VIII with an elongated shape, and the first three to six tergites are entire. The male genitalia have dorsal apodemes extending over its entire length, lateral apodemes extending over most of the ejaculatory canal atrium, ejaculatory canal curved dorsally in lateral view and lateral rods straight, extending beyond the lateral apodemes in dorsal view. This genus was mentioned as "nr. Victorwithius " in Romero-Ortiz and Sarmiento (2021).

Etymology.

The genus name refers to the Latin for peace, pax. Colombia has had a long history of violence and since the peace agreement in 2016, much effort has been put into making this country a peaceful land, including the Truth Commission ( Comisión de la Verdad). Thanks to all the efforts for peace, we do believe that the change is inevitable. The name is masculine.

Remarks.

This new genus is placed within the Cacodemoniini as it has the triangular elongation made by the fusion of the dorsal and the lateral apodemes in the male genitalia that are characteristic of that tribe ( Harvey 2015; Romero-Ortiz and Sarmiento 2021). The trichobothrial pattern has it and isb separated, and the only other Neotropical cacodemoniine genera with the same pattern are Tropidowithius Beier, 1955, Balanowithius Beier, 1959, and Victorwithius Feio, 1944. Paciwithius gen. nov. differs from males of Victorwithius by the patches of glandular setae on several sternites (restricted to sternite VIII in Victorwithius ), and differs from Tropidowithius , Balanowithius , and Victorwithius by the lack of eyespots and the lack of a tarsal tactile seta, which are present in these three latter genera. The only other withiid genera that lack a tactile seta on tarsus IV are Nannowithius Beier, 1932 and Termitowithius Muchmore, 1990 (see Harvey 2015).