Ecologica Montenegrina 11: 23-27 (2017) This journal is available online at: www.biotaxa.org/em

The first description of the female external morphology of Bisetocreagris cheni Jia, Zhao & Zhang, 2010 (Pseudoscorpiones, Neobisiidae) from China

ZHIZHONG GAO, FENG ZHANG, DAWEI HUANG *

The Key Laboratory of Invertebrate Systematics and Application, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071002, P. R. China; E-mail: [email protected] *Corresponding author: [email protected], [email protected].

Received: 15 June 2017│ Accepted by V. Pešić: 5 July 2017 │ Published online: 7 July 2017.

The Bisetocreagris (Neobisiidae: Microcreagrinae), erected by Ćurčić (1983), is widely distributed in Asia (Harvey, 2013). The genus can be distinguished from other related genera by the following combination of characters: the presence of two small setae each on each side of the anteromedian groove of sternite III in males (Jia et al, 2010), trichobothrial pattern: et-it near distal finger tip, est isolated in distal half of fixed finger, ib-isb-ist grouped closely together at the finger base, eb-esb on lateral distal side of hand, thus five trichobothria grouped basally (Mahnert and Li, 2016). Bisetocreagris cheni Jia, Zhao & Zhang, 2010 was originally described from Zhejiang Province, China based on the description of a single male specimen collected by Zhangfu Chen in 1987. In order to find the lacking female specimens, we investigated the same locality for collecting material and successfully sampled several pseudoscorpion specimens. The male specimens were identified as B. cheni after comparing them with the holotype, while the female specimens have habitus and outstanding characters similar to the males, and also conform to the characters of B. cheni. Therefore, we have concluded that both male and female specimens from the collected sample are conspecific, and we present the description of the external morphology of the female of B. cheni for the first time in this study． The pseudoscorpion material was preserved in 80% ethyl alcohol. Photographs were taken by a Leica M205A stereomicroscope equipped with a Leica DFC550 camera and LAS software (ver. 4.6), which were also used for the microscopic examination and measuring. Detailed examination was carried out with an Olympus BX53 compound microscope. Temporary slide mounts were made in glycerol. Terminology and measurements mostly follow Chamberlin (1931), with some minor modifications concerning the terminology of trichobothria (Harvey 1992), chelicerae (Judson 2007) and faces of appendages (Harvey et al. 2012). Chelae and chelal hand are measured in lateral view. All measurements are given in mm. The following abbreviations are used in the text. Trichobothria: 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; The specimens are deposited in the collection of the Museum of Hebei University (MHBU), Baoding City, China.

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FIRST DESCRIPTION OF FEMALE OF BISETOCREAGRIS CHENI JIA, ZHAO & ZHANG, 2010

Family Neobisiidae Chamberlin, 1930 Genus Bisetocreagris Ćurčić, 1983

Bisetocreagris cheni Jia, Zhao & Zhang, 2010 (Figs. 1–2) Bisetocreagris cheni Jia, Zhao & Zhang, 2010: 65–68, Figs. 1–13 (♂).

Material examined: two males and six females (MHBU), China: Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou City, Tonglu County, Mt. Tongjun [29°48'N, 119°41'E], 18 m a.s.l, 30 October 2013, leg. Zhizhong Gao & Fubin Zhang.

Type-material examined: holotype male (Museum ID # Ar.-MHBU-ZJ070804), MHBU, precise collecting data see Jia et al (2010).

Description of the females (Fig.1b) Pedipalpal articles and chelicerae reddish brown. Caparace, abdomen and walking legs yellowish. Body setae straight and acicular. Carapace. Smooth, 0.95–1.02 times as longer as broad (Fig. 2b) with a total of 35–37 setae, including four on anterior margin and 12–14 on posterior margin; with four distinct simple eyes with flattened lenses; paired lyrifissures near eyes and posterior margin; epistome small, triangular.

Figure 1. Bisetocreagris cheni Jia, Zhao & Zhang, 2010, a. male habitus, dorsal view; b. female habitus, dorsal view. Scale bars: 2.00 mm (a, b).

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Figure 2. Bisetocreagris cheni Jia, Zhao & Zhang, 2010, female: a. carapace, dorsal view; b. right chelicera, dorsal view; c. galea; d. rallum; e. left pedipalpal chela, retro-lateral view; f. left pedipalp without chela, dorsal view; g. genital area, ventral view; h. right leg I, lateral view; i. right leg IV, lateral view. Scale bars: 0.05 mm (c and d) and 0.5 mm (a, b, e–i).

Abdomen. Pleural membrane granulated. Tergal chaetotaxy: 12–16: 13–15: 14–16: 16–17: 15–17: 16–17: 18–19: 14–16: 13–16: 13–14: 6–8. haetotaxy of sternites IV–XI: 13–14: 16–19: 19–21: 19–20: 19–20: 18–

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FIRST DESCRIPTION OF FEMALE OF BISETOCREAGRIS CHENI JIA, ZHAO & ZHANG, 2010

19: 16–18: 6–7. Anterior genital sternite with 3–6 medially situated setae, posterior genital sternite with a row of 13–16 longer setae on posterior sternite margin (Fig. 2g). Chelicerae. Cheliceral palm with seven setae, movable cheliceral finger with one sub-medial seta; fixed cheliceral finger with 6–7 teeth; movable finger with 8–10 small teeth of irregular shape (Fig. 2b) serrula exterior with 41–44 lamellae; serrula interior with 38–40 lamella. Galea with two major bifurcations, from which each one being branched into four (Fig.2c). Rallum eight bladed, all blades with anteriorly- directed spinules, basalmost the shortest, second and third ones at base almost at the same level(Fig, 2d) Pedipalps. Apex of coxa rounded, with five setae. Trochanter 1.28–1.44, femur 2.49–2.74 times as long as broad, patella 1.70–1.72 times as long as broad, chela (with pedicel) 2.35–2.39 times as long as broad, chela (without pedicel) 2.25 times as long as broad, movable finger 0.77–0.91 times as long as hand (without pedicel). Venom apparatus present only in the fixed chelal finger, venom duct very short. Femur straight, depressed at base, smooth; patella claviform, glossy (Fig. 2f).Chelal fingers shorter than palm. Fixed chelal finger with eight trichobothria, movable finger with four (Fig. 2e), eb and esb situated on lateral margin of hand; ist situated near ib; st slightly closer to t than to sb. Fixed chelal finger with 63–72 rounded teeth, while movable finger bears 62–69 rounded teeth. Legs. Leg I (Fig. 2h): trochanter 1.14–1.27 times as long as broad, femur 2.54–2.80 times as long as broad, patella 2.55–2.63 times as long as broad, tibia 4.31–4.67 times as long as broad, basitarsus 2.31–2.50 times as long as broad, telotarsus 3.82–3.91 times as long as broad. Leg IV: trochanter 1.22–1.23 times as long as broad, femur + patella 2.71–2.91 times as long as broad, tibia 4.33–4.38 times as long as broad, basitarsus 2.41–2.50 times as long as broad, telotarsus 3.60–3.80 times as long as broad. Tibia IV (TS=0.36– 0.39), basitarsus IV (TS=0.12–0.13), and telotarsus IV (TS=0.40–0.43) with a single tactile setae each (Fig.2i), TS showing location of tactile seta as ratio of a/b, where a = distance of seta from proximal joint and b = length of leg segment.

Measurements (length/breadth, in mm). Body length 5.07–6.28. Carapace 1.09–1.12/1.07–1.18. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.59–0.65/0.45–0.46, femur 1.22–1.26/0.44–0.46, patella 1.07–1.10/0.63–0.64, chela (with pedicel) 2.13–2.16/0.89–0.92, chela (without pedicel) 2.00–2.07/0.89–0.92, hand length (without pedicel) 1.17–1.18, movable finger length 0.90–1.07. Chelicera: 0.79–0.84/0.48, movable finger length 0.66–0.67. Leg I: trochanter 0.25–0.28/0.22, femur 0.56–0.61/0.20–0.24, patella 0.50–0.51/0.19–0.20, tibia 0.69– 0.70/0.15–0.16, basitarsus 0.30/0.12–0.13, telotarsus 0.42–0.43/0.11. Leg IV: trochanter 0.39–0.43/0.32– 0.35, femur + patella 1.22–1.25/0.43–0.45, tibia 1.04–1.05/0.24, basitarsus 0.40–0.41/0.16–0.17, telotarsus 0.54–0.57/0.15.

Distribution. On the grounds of the present knowledge, B. cheni is present only in China (Zhejiang).

Acknowledgements This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31372154), and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (MOST Grant No. 2015FY210300).

References

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