DOI: 10.18195/issn.0312-3162.24(4).2008.387-394 f\ccord.' ottflC WcstCrIl AlIstrllliall !V1l1SClIlll 24: 387-394 (2008) The first troglomorphic pseudoscorpion of the family Olpiidae (Pseudoscorpiones), with remarks on the composition of the family Mark S. Harvey1,2 and Mei Chen Leng' [Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Western Australian Museum, Locked Bag 49, Welshpool DC, Western Australia 6986, Australia. Email: [email protected]. 'School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Abstract -A new genus and species of Olpiidae, Lillllllcolpilllll lillllllCi, is de- scribed from a pisolite mesa in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The sole specimen exhibits troglomorphic facies with highly reduced eyes, pallid colouration and slightly attenuated appendages, differing from all other cave- dwelling olpiids which lack troglomorphic facies. The affinities of the new genus are difficult to determine, but it is most similar to a group of genera characterised by the position of trichobothrium ish: f'.SClIdollOrJlS, AlIS!rollOrJlS, XCllolpilllll, ElIryolpilllll and possibly Hc!crofpilllll. The family Olpiidae is di- vided into two subfamilies, Olpiinae and IIesperolpiinae. INTRODUCTION (1986), who based his system on the observations Pseudoscorpions of the family Olpiidae are of Heurtault (1980a, 1980b, 1982) and Heurtault virtually cosmopolitan in distribution, usually and Rebiere (1983). occurring in xeric environments under rocks, The specimen was examined with an Olympus in leaf litter or beneath the bark of trees. Cave- BH-2 compound microscope and illustrated with dwelling olpiids are, however, quite rare, with the aid of a drawing tube. Measurements were only five species recorded from subterranean taken at the highest possible magnification using habitats: Ca/oclzeirlls tenerifae Mahnert 2002 an ocular graticule. The specimen was examined by from the Canary Islands (Mahnert 2(02), and preparing a temporary slide mount by immersing l Progaryplls gracilis Mahnert 2001, P. /iliac Mahnert the specimen in 20 ;;, lactic acid at room temperature 2001, P. nigrimanlls Mahnert 2001, and P. sdifer for several days, and mounting it on a microscope Mahnert 2001 from Brazil (Mahnert 2(01). All of slide with 10 or 12 mm coverslips supported by these species have large eyes and seem to exhibit small sections of 0.25 mm or 0.50 mm diameter no troglomorphic morphological modifications. nylon fishing line. After study the specimen Among specimens collected from subterranean were returned to 75% ethanol with the dissected habitats within mesas in the Pilbara region portions placed in 12 x 3 mm glass genitalia of Western Australia was a single male of an microvials (BioQuip Products, Inc.). Images of the unusual olpiid. The specimen has reduced eyes, whole animal were taken using a Micropublisher is slightly pale in colouration, and has slightly 5.0 digital camera mounted on a Leica MZ16 attenuate appendages. To further document the microscope. subterranean pseudoscorpion fauna of Western Australia we present a description of this species Family Olpiidae Banks 1895 based upon a single male specimen. We also Subfamily Olpiinae Banks 1895 propose a division of the Olpiidae into two subfamilies, Olpiinae and Hesperolpiinae, based Remarks primarily upon the length of the venom ducts. For most of the past 80 years, the Olpiidae were The specimen examined in the present study defined by a series of characters states outlined by is lodged in the Western Australian Museum, Chamberlin (1930, 1931) and Beier (1932). Although Perth (WAM). Terminology and mensuration numerous new genera have been described since mostly follows Chamberlin (1931), with the the 1930's, the family definition has barely altered. exception of the nomenclature of the chelicera The Olpiidae were recently restricted by Judson (Judson 2(07), pedipalps, legs and with some (1992, 1(93) by the removal of the garypinines to m inor mod ifications to the term inology of the a separate family, Carypinidae, and the removal trichobothria (Harvey 1992). In particular, it of the hesperolpiines as a subfamily of C;,1l'ypidae. should be noted that the terminology for the The status of the garypinines as a family was trichobothria used by Harvey (1992) differs confirmed by Judson (200S), who referred to his slightly from that used by other workers. The unpublished thesis (Judson 1(92) in defining the setal notation of metatarsus IV follows Muchmore group. With the exclusion of the garypinines from 388 M.S. Harvey, M.C. Leng the family Olpiidae, and the transfer of a further that the type species of Xenolpium, X. pacificum five genera (Neominniza Beier 1930, Oreolpium (With 1907) from New Zealand, possessed leg Benedict and Malcolm 1978, Protogarypinus Beier morphology characteristic of the Olpiini requiring 1954, TeratolpiuJ1l Beier 1959 and Thaumatolpium the automatic synonymy of the two tribes. In Beier 1931) from the Olpiidae to the Garypinidae the meantime, Hoff (1964) included a third tribe by Harvey and Stahlavsky (unpublished data), the - Hesperolpiini Hoff 1964 - within the Olpiinae family now contains 33 genera (Table 1). based upon the long venom ducts within the Hoff (1945) divided the Olpiinae into the tribes chelal fingers, and the patella of leg I shorter than Olpiini Banks 1895 and Xenolpiini Hoff 1945 the femur, with a freely mobile joint. Hoff (1964) based upon the morphology of the first pair included Hesperolpium and Aphelolpium within of legs in which the femur are longer than the the Hesperolpiini, which was augmented by the patella in Olpiini, with a freely moveable joint, inclusion of Planctolpium Hoff 1964 by Muchmore but the two segments are subequal in Xenolpiini, (1979), previously described as a member of the thus allowing only restricted movement. Both Garypidae (Hoff 1964). Long venom ducts are tribes were rediagnosed by Hoff (1964), but were also found in a variety of other olpiids: Apolpium subsequently used only intermittently by later Chamberlin 1930 (Chamberlin 1931; Tooren researchers. They were abandoned by Heurtault 2002; Harvey, personal observation), Calocheirus (1980b), who presented new data on the type Chamberlin 1930 (Mahnert 1986, 2002), Cardiolpium species of several Old World genera, including Mahnert 1986 (Mahnert 1986), Ectactolpium Beier the type genera of the two tribes, Olpium L. 1947 (Harvey, personal observation), Nanolpium Koch 1873 and Xenolpium Chamberlin 1930. In Beier 1947 (Harvey, personal observation), particular, Heurtault (1979, 1980a, 1980b) found Progarypus Beier 1931 (Mahnert 2001; Harvey, Table 1 Genera assigned to the Olpiidae. Family Olpiidae Banks 1895 Subfamily Olpiinae Banks 1895 AntiLlolpium Muchmore 1991 Austrohoms Beier 1966 Banksolpium Muchmore 1986 Beierolpium Heurtault 1977 Calocheiridius Beier and Turk 1952 Euryolpium Redikorzev 1938 Halominniza Mahnert 1975 Heterolpium Sivaraman 1980 Hoffhorus Heurtault 1977 Homs Chamberlin 1930 Indolpium Hoff 1945 Leptolpium Tooren 2002 Linnaeolpiurn gen. novo Minniza Simon 1881 Neopachyolpium Hoff 1945 Nipponogarypus Morikawa 1955 Novohorus Hoff 1945 Olpiolum Beier 1931 Olpium L. Koch 1873 Pachyolpium Beier 1931 Parolpium Beier 1931 Pseudohorus Beier 1946 Xenolpium Chamberlin 1930 Subfamily Hesperolpiinae Hoff 1964 Aphelolpium Hoff 1964 Apolpium Chamberlin 1930 Calocheirus Chamberlin 1930 Cardiolpium Mahnert 1986 Ectactolpium Beier 1947 Hesperolpium Chamberlin 1930 Nanolpium Beier 1947 Planctolpium Hoff 1964 Progarypus Beier 1931 Stenolpiodes Beier 1959 Figure 1 sp. nov., holotype male Stenolpiun1 Beier 1955 Linnaeolpium linnaei (WAM T82354). Firsttroglomorphic Olpiidae 389 personal observation), Stcllolpiodcs Beier 1959 venom ducts characteristic of the rlesperolpiinae U~larvey, personal observation) and Stcllolpilllll are also found in Ceogarypidae, Carypidae, Beier 1955 (Mahnert 1984; Harvey, personal Larcidae and some Carypinidae (Allzlilyolpilll/1 observation). All of these genera, along with and Ncoal/1blyolpillllz). The lack of any features ApiTclolpilllll, f-icspcrolpilllll and Pla/lctolpilllll, arc providing firm evidence for the monophyly here regarded as hesperolpiines, based upon the of the Olpiidae suggests that the Olpiinae and criteria explicitly outlined by Hoff (1964). Hesperolpiinae may not be sister taxa, concordant Although we concur with Heurtault (1979, with the analyses of Murienne cl al. (2008), and 1980a, 1980b) that a satisfactory division between that other character systems need to be explored the Olpiini and Xenolpiini is unobtainable, we to establish their affinities and status within the agree with Hoff (1964) that the hesperolpiines Carypoidea. appear to represent a distinct diagnosable entity, which is here recognised as a subfamily of the Genus LilllwcolpiulIl gen. novo Olpiidae. The proposal by Judson (1992, 1993) that the ~Iesperolpiinae represents a member of Type species the Garypidae remains untested (but see below). Li/lllllColpilll11 lillllaci sp. novo The Hesperolpiinae contains 11 genera, whereas the relimited Olpiinae contains 22 genera (Table Diagnosis 1). Nearly all Olpiinae possess short venom ducts Lillllllcolpilll11 differ from all other olpiid genera where they generally do not reach ct in the fixed by the following combination of characters: two chelal finger or t in the moveable chelal finger. blades in the cheliceral rallum (Figure 8), reduced The most obvious exception is Mi/llliza barkizalllac eyes (Figure 2), the lack of enlarged tactile setae Mahnert