Table Of ContentRecordsofthe WesterrjAustralianMuseum 23: 13-18(2006).
A new species of Lechytia from eastern Australia
(Pseudoscorpiones: Lechytiidae)
MarkS. Harvey
DepartmentofTerrestrialInvertebrates,WesternAustralianMuseum,
LockedBag49,WelshpoolDC,WesternAustralia6986,Australia
Abstract - The first Australian representative of the chthonioid family
Lechytiidae, Lechytialibitanewspecies, isdescribedfromQueenslandwhere
itappearstofavourtreebarkmicrohabitatsinrainforesthabitats.
INTRODUCTION SYSTEMATICS
Members of the family Lechytiidae have a
sporadic distribution around the world with ten FamilyLechytiidaeChamberlin,1929
species recorded from the Americas, six species Genus LechytiaBalzan,1892
from Africa, one species from Turkey and five
species from Asia and the Pacific region (Harvey Lechytia Balzan 1892: 499; Harvey 1991: 186 (full
1991), extending as far east as Hawaii (Muchmore synonymy).
2000). The sole genus Lechytia Balzan has usually
been placed in its own tribe (e.g., Beier 1932; Typespecies
Chamberlin 1929; Muchmore 1975) or subfamily Roncus chthoniiformis Balzan, 1887, by original
(Morikawa 1960; Murthy and Ananthakrishnan designafion.
1977) within the Chthoniidae, but Harvey (1992)
proposed the Lechytiidae as a family distinct from Remarks
the remainder of the extant Chthonioidea, the Members of the family Lechytiidae share a
Chthoniidae and Tridenchthoniidae. Muchmore number of unusual features, the most peculiar of
(1975, 2000) divided the genus into two species- whichisthearrangementofthetrichobothriawhere
group, the L. arborea species-group tor L. arborea eband esbare situated on thedorsum ofthe chelal
Muchmore, L. sini Muchmore and L. sakagamii hand. In all other chthonioids, these trichobothria
Morikawa,andtheL.hoffispecies-groupfor L.hoffi are situated at the base of the chelal finger. This
Muchmore. The type species L. chthoniitormis featurewill servetodistinguishthem fromallother
(Balzan 1887) wasrecognisedasa memberofthe L. chthonioids.
arboreagroupbyMahnert(2001),buttheremaining SpeciesofLechytiahavebeenrecordedfrommany
species of the genus have not yet been placed. A parts of the world (Harvey 1991), including South
new species of Lechytia has been recently detected andcentralAmerica[L.ch&ioniiformis(Balzan,1887),
in eastern Australia which extends the distribution L. chilensisBeier, 1964, L. defamareiVitali-di Castri,
of the family for the first time into the Australian 1984, L,kuscheliBeier,1957, L.rnartiniquensisVitaM-
region.Thisnewspeciesisthesubjectofthispaper. di Castri, 1984 and L. trinitatis Beier, 1970], North
Thespecimens examined as part ofthis study are America (L. arborea Muchmore, 1975, L. cavicola
lodged in the Queensland Museum, Brisbane (QM) Muchmore, 1973, L. hoffi Muchmore, 1975 and L.
and the Western Australian Museum, Perth siniMuchmore, 1975),Asia(L.anatolicaBeier, 1965,
(WAM). Specimens were examined using dilute L. asiatica Redikorzev, 1938, L. himalayana Beier,
lactic acid under a compound microscope, and all 1974, L. indica Murthy and Ananthakrishnan, 1977
havebeenreturned toethanol.Terminology largely and L.madras/caSivaraman,1980),Africa[L. dentata
follows Chamberlin (1931) and Harvey (1992). In Mahnert, 1978, L. garambica Beier, 1972, L. leleupi
parficular, Ihave followed thenaming conventions Beier, 1959, L. maxima Beier, 1955b, L. natalensis
applied by Harvey (1992) based upon perceived (Tullgren, 1907) and L. serrulata Beier, 1955a] and
homologies in the trichobothria. In this case, this the Pacific region (LsakagamiiMorikawa, 1952). A
affects the names of fhe trichobofhria of fhe singlespecies, L. tertiariaSchawaller, 1980,hasbeen
movablefingerwhichareheretermedst,sb, band t described from Tertiary Amber deposits in the
(from themostbasaltothemostdistal). Inprevious DominicanRepublic(Schawaller, 1980).Thespecies
systemstheyaretermedb,sb,stand t. describedbelow is thefirsttobefound inAustralia.
14 M.S.Harvey
Lechytialibitasp.nov. subdistal bladestronglyrecumbent, othersstraight;
Figures1-14 galeaof S absent, thatof 9 ashortroundednubbin.
Carapace (Figure 4) with 2 small corneate eyes;
Material examined
anterior margin finely denticulate (Figure 5); with
Ho/otypc 18 setae arranged 6: 4: 4: 2: 2; the pre-ocular seta
d, Windsor Tableland, Queensland, about 50% length of other setae in anterior row;
AUSTRALIA, 16°16'S, 145°08'E, 1160 m, site 2, with4pairsoflyrifissures,onepairsituatedantero-
pyrethrum, 27 December 1988, E. Schmidt and medially, thesecond pairsituated interno-lateral to
ANZSES (QMSI7220). the eyes, the third pair situated slightly interior to
the sole pair of setae of the intermediate row, and
the fourth pair situated exterior to the sole pair of
Parah/pes
hsouAlmoUmtiSytTp,eRA2(6LQ°I1M0A':SS,67Q61u85e02)e°;n20s1'lEa,$n,d6:O0a01kvm$,i,epwsyaSrmteaetthedrFauotmraesotan,s 6us:entd6a:iev6:iod4f:ed1t;hTe2tTep1rog:salt0;ecr9hi,oare6t:or6to:aw6x.:y6:F6e,6r:g66i::te56s:-66:a:n56d:-64:s:t16e:rTn26iT:t1e6:s:
trees, rainforest, 26 May 2002, G. Monteith (QM 0; sternal chaetotaxy 6, 10-11: (3)32-33(3): (3)8-
S64848);2 $, PeeramonScrub, 17°19'S, 145°37'E,750 10[4+4|(3): 10: 7-8: 8: 8: 8: 2TT2: -: 2; 9, 6: (3)6(3):
m, pyrethrum on trees, 9 December 1995, G. (3)8(3): 10:8:8:8: 8:8:-:2. Allsetaeborderingmale
NMoEn.teoifthK(aQlpMovSv4e57r7,6)2;41°3d9,'SM,t1F5o1rt°2W0i'lEl,iam7,006 kmm, GsetneirtnailtieaIoIIf mbiafluercnaottesotruditerdifuirncadteetai(l;Fiogfurfeem1a3l)e.
JMFpaooyrnnreutesaettri,hytrh2u205m0°,(15,Q2r’MMa5i.4n"SfSS4o,h1r0eas71wt35,)2(;°W13837ATMSd2e,"TpE63t,2e6m09t1b,r)ee.erBahu1op9l8ll9eo,wS,Gt.a1Bt2.e mm(wFaeeianmgkdublurryecaa1nst0c)eol:redrys,omt2poi+rzo3eot:dche4lsw:ysi4t-5hpw:liitU4ch--a7ts:e2h.a7;dpCie9sod,txa2alf+lr3s:aemct4eh:a.ae5,e:Pt6lao-ebt7uoa:ruxa7tyl;
equalin length (Figure10), thedistalsetaterminally
bifurcate (Figure 11), plus an additional 3 setae
Diagnosis
situated close to trochanteral foramen; coxal spines
seTpraircahteodbobtyhraibaoustb1aanrdeolbar(dfioarmmeetrelry; cshbelaalndteestth) waintdhisnmtaelrlc,oxtarliatnugbuelracrleapiacbaslenptro(jFecitgiuorne w1i0)t;hcsoixnagleI
0r.e4d1u9c-e0d.4t3o5a(dl)a,mi0n.a462for($m)osmtmofifninlgenegrtlhe,ngatnhd; c4h.e1l1a- sIestiatsuiattueadtendeaartbtarsoech(aFnitgeurrael1f2)o;raomtehenr.sLeetgaesornobcuosxta,
h4.a2n2d(0d.)2,003.(7d6),(0$.)21t0im(e$s) mlomngeirnltehnagnth.broad; chelal ftheamnur+dpeaetpe;llhaeteIrVot2a.r0s3ate(;d),tar1s.i96wi(t9h) ttwiomeselolnognagteer
glandopeningsalongdorsal.surface(seeMuchmore
DeAsdcurilpttiCoonlourpalebrown. Pedipalp(Figures1-3): 2a0r0o0l)iumeasclihghwtliythshocrrteenrutlhaatneclmaawrsgi(nFisgu(rFei9g)u,rcela9w)s;
trochanter 1.64-1.66 (d), 1.55 ($), femur 3.29-3.74 simple.
(d), 3.17-3.90 (9), patella 1.65-1.86 (d), 1.60-1.90
(9) and chela 4.08^.36 (d), 3.75-3.94 (9) times Dimensions (mm)
longer than broad; chelal hand 1.86-196 (d), 1.71- Males: Holotype (QM SI7220) followed by other
1.88 (9) times longer than broad; movable chelal males (where applicable): Body length 1.17 (0.88-
finger1.24-1.35(d), 1.20-1.35(9)timeslongerthan 0.98). Pedipalps: trochanter 0.123/0.074, femur
hand; femur with anterior face flattened so that a 0.288/0.077 (0.265-0.28/0.073-0.082), patella 0.160/
faintkeelispresentontheantero-dorsalandantero- 0.092 (0.138-0.160/0.080-0.097), chela 0.435/0.103
ventral margins; chelal fingers with approximately (0.395-0.419/0.092-0.102), hand length 0.200 (0.175-
7distal teeth, remainingteeth obsolete, fused intoa 0.200), movable finger length 0.256 (0.235-0.260).
lamina (Figure 1);fixed chelal fingerandhandwith Chelicera 0.211/0.115, movable finger length 0.112.
8 trichobothria, movable chelal finger with 4 Carapace 0.315/0.307 (0.29-0.31/0.253-0.286); eye
trichobothria(Figure1);ib, isb,ebandesbondorsum diameter 0.031). Leg 1: femur 0.178/0.046, patella
of hand; ib and isb situated basally; eb and esb 0.090/0.053, tibia 0.109/0.035, tarsus 0.186/0.028. Leg
situated medially; b situated slightly closer to sb IV: femur + patella 0.320/0.157, tibia 0.208/0.093,
than to h bandsbonly aboutoneareolar diameter metatarsus0.112/0.051, tarsus0.186/0.029.
apart; xs situated slightly distal to et near tip of Females:Paratype(QMS67680)followedbyother
tfriixcehdobfoitnhgreri,a;eavcehnohamirasphpoarrtaetrusthaabnsetnhto.seChoeflioctehrear f1.e2m0a)l.esPe(dwihpearlepsa:ppltircoabclhea)n:teBrod0y.1l2e9n/g0t.h0813.,22f(e1.m0u6r-
s(eFtiaguornesm6o,v7a)blweithfin5gesre;tafeixoedn fhianngderawnidth13mesdmiaalll 00..310044/0(.00.91659/(00..029815--00..130200)/,0.0c8h5e-l0a.009.04)6,2/p0a.t1e2l3la(00..411656-/
tmeuetchh, tshheodritsetral-tmhoasnt thoaontdh,lawrgietsht;2mosvmaabllle tfeientghe;r m0.o4v5a5/b0l.e11f0i-n0g.e1r20l)e,nghtahn0d.2l6e2ng(t0.h2400.-201.027(50)..19C8h-e0l.i2c2e5r)a,
flagellum (Figure 8) consisting of 7 blades, the 0.223/0.122, movable finger length 0.127. Carapace
15
AnewAustralian Lechytia
Figures1-9 Lechytia libita, sp. nov., holotypemaleunless stated otherwise; 1, leftchela; 2, detail ofdistal portionof
fingers; 3, right pedipalp; 4, carapace; 5, epistome; 6, chelicera; 7, movablemcmheliceral finger (paratmypme
female); 8, flagellum;m9,mright tarsus 1 (paratype female). Scale lines; 0.05 (Figures 6, 7); 0.1
(FiguresI,4,5,9);0.2 (Figure3).
16 M.S.Harvey
0.352/0.328 (0.290-0.340/0.285—0.345); eye diameter by about one areolar diameter, but it differs from
0.023. Leg I: femur 0.188/0.051, patella 0.103/0.458, all of these species by its smaller size: L. chilensis
tibia 0.109/0.036, tarsus 0.186/0.026. Leg IV; femur+ from Chile [e.g., chelal hand 0.24 mm ($)], L.
patella 0.315/0.161, tibia 0.224/0.070, metatarsus kuscheh from Juan Fernandez Island [e.g. chelal
0.122/0.056, tarsus0.198/0.269. hand0.25-0.26mm (d), 0.285mm ($)], L. serrulata
from Zaire [e.g., chelal hand 0.24 mm (d)[, L.
Remarks maxima from Kenya [e.g., chelal hand 0.28 mm (d,
Lechytialibitabelongs to the‘L. arborea' species- $)], and L. cavicola from Mexico [e.g., chela length
groupas defined by Muchmore (1975), as thedistal 0.51-0.52 mm (d), 0.51 mm (?), chelal hand 0.235-
seta of the pedipalpal coxa is bifurcate (Figure 11), 0.25 mm (d), 0.24 mm (9)]. In addition, the chelal
the chelal teeth are strongly reduced (Figure 1), teeth are reduced to a thin lamina in L. libita, L.
tergiteXI hasa chaetotaxyof1T2T1, themalegalea chilensis, L. kuscheh, and L. cavicola, but are well-
is much reduced in comparison with the female defined in L. serrulata and L. maxima. Lechytia
(Figures 6, 7) and the tarsal gland openings are libita also differs from some of the lamina-bearing
e(nJluadrsgoend19a9n2d;Mpouscshesmsorceren20u0l0a)t.eImtairsgmionsst(sFiimgiulraert9o) scpheilceinessisbyhatshea rcehlealtaivwehdiicmhenissi4o.8ns($o)f ttihemecshelloan:geLr.
athnodsebsapreecsileisghotflyLseecphayrtaitaedinfwrhoimcehacthriocthhoebro,tuhsruiaalslyb 4t.h3an($b)rotaidm,eswhliolngeetrhethcahnelbarooafdL;.Lk.ulsicbihteahhaiss4a.8ch(edl)a,
AnewAustralianLechytia 17
that is 4.11-4.22 (S), 3.76 ($) times longer than (Muchmore 1975). Some of the type material of L.
broad. Geographically, L. libita is closest to L. anatolica from Turkey was taken under bark of a
sakagamii from the Pacific region and L. asiatica rottingpine(Beier1965),and Lechytiadelamareiwas
Redikorzev from Vietnam. It differs from L. collected under bark on Guadeloupe (Vitali-di
sakagamiiby therelative positions of trichobothria Castri 1984). Lechytia himalayana has been taken
sband b, which areseparatedby aboutoneareolar from the bark of Rhododendron and Abies
diameterintheAustralianspeciesandbyabouthalf (Schawaller 1987).
an areolar diameter in L. sakagamii (Beier 1957:
figure 3c; Morikawa 1960: plate 7, figure 10; Etymology
Muchmore 2000: figure 5b). Lechytia libita also The specific epithet is a Latin noun alluding to
differs from L. asiaticain the positions ofsband b, the pleasure of finding the first species of Lechytia
which are contiguous in L. asiatica [Dr Mark inAustralia{libitus,Latin,pleasing,agreeable).
Judson, in litt., has kindly examined the two
syntypes (1 d, 1 $) of L. asiatica which are lodged
inMuseumnationald'HistoireNaturelle,Paris]. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Distribution I am very grateful to Robert Raven and Owen
beLefcohuyntdiainliAbiutsatrisaltihaeafinrdsthmaesmbbeeernorfecthoerdgeednufsrotmo ScoelelemcatinonswhofothkeinQduleyenpsrloanvdideMduseauccme,ssMattothtehwe
cr14ao)ir.ntfiAoclrolelsoatuvsahiaslbpaiebtclaietessreicanosredaaslsltsekurgnngoeQwsunteteshnpasetlcaLi.nmdelinbs(iFtaiwgeiusrreea Ssdp'heHaciwsitmfoeoinrrse,thetnodaotMnuaraertlikloenJ,uodfPstaohrneisB()aMuupfsloreeuSmtpartnoeavtiFiodorinenasglt
takenfromtreehabitats.Whilstacorticoloushabitat information regarding the syntypes of L. asiatica,
is generally unusual for chthonioid pseudo- and to Mark Judson and Volker Mahnert for their
scorpions - they are more abundant in leaf litter constructivecommentsonadraftofthemanuscript.
and soil - a corticolous environment is not
unknown amongst lechytiids. Lechytia arborea has
been collected from "base of leafofcabbage palm" REFERENCES
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