Table Of ContentThe first pseudogarypid in Rovno amber (Ukraine) (Pseudoscorpiones:
Pseudogarypidae)
HansHenderickx,EvgenyE.Perkovsky,LucVanHoorebeke&MatthieuBoone
Abstract.ThefirstPseudogarypuspseudoscorpionisrecordedfromRovnoamber(Ukraine).Thefossilispartiallyobscured
andpyretised,butitcouldbereconstructedvirtuallywithhighresolutionX-raycomputedtomography(micro-CT).Itwasaiso
compared with the Pseudogarypus speciesfrom late Eocene Baltic amber, and the conspecificywith Pseudogarypusminor
Beier,1947isargued.
Samenvatting.DeeerstePseudogarypus(Pseudoscorpiones:Pseudogarypidae)uitRovnoamber(Oekraïne)
DeeerstePseudogarypuspseudoschorpioenwerdgemelduitRovnoamber(Oekraïne).Hetfossielisgedeeltelijkzichtbaaren
gepyritiseerd,maarkonvirtueelgereconstrueerdwordendoormiddelhighresolutionX-raycomputedtomography(micro-CT).
HetwerdondermeervergelekenmetdePseudogarypus-soortenvanBaltischeamberuithetlaat-Eoceenendedeterminatie
alsPseudogarypusminorBeier,1947wordtgeargumenteerd.
Résumé.Premièrementiond'unPseudogarypus(Pseudoscorpiones:Pseudogarypidae)del'ambredeRovno(Ukraine)
Le premier pseudoscorpion du genre Pseudogarypus est mentionné de l'ambre de Rovno (Ukraine). Le fossile n'est que
partiellementvisibleetpyritisé,maisenutilisantlatomographieauxrayonsXdehauterésolution(micro-CT),ilpourraitmême
être reconstitué. L'exemplairefutcomparéavecdesespècesde Pseudogarypusdel'ambrebaltiquedel'éocènetardif,etla
conspécificitéavecPseudogarypusminorBeier,1947estargumentée.
Keywords:Pseudoscorpiones-Pseudogarypidae-micro-CTscan-Rovnoamberfossil.
Henderickx H.: Department of Biology, Universiteit Antwerpen (UA), Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerpen, Belgium,
(Addressforcorrespondence:Hemelrijkstraat4,B-2400Mol)[email protected]
Perkovsky E. E.: Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, NASU, 15 Bogdan Khmelnitsky Str., Kiev, 01601 Ukraine;
[email protected],[email protected]
Van Hoorebeke L., Boone M.: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Proeftuinstraat 86, B-9000 Ghent,
Belgium
Introduction amber and shows two cracks (Fig. 1). The lateral sides
andtheundersideareobscuredwithopaqueamber(Fig.
Rovno amber, represented bythe depositsfrom the 2a). Under the specimen is an internal flowline with
north ofthe Rovno region (Perkovsky etal. 2007, 2010) cracks, which makes it impossibleto make observations
contains a rich invertebrate fauna. It is geographically via the ventral plane. Lateral facets were grinded and
independentfrom Balticamber. Morethan170newtaxa polished to lookatthe chelal handsandto observethe
have been described from Rovno amber in the period chaetotaxy. Dorsal and ventral planparallel planes have
2002-2012, but both late Eocene ambers also join been grinded and polished to allow illumination and
numerous invertebrate species (Perkovsky et al. 2010; betterobservation. The specimen wastilted in different
Perkovsky2011). positions in low viscosityfluid to adjusttheobservation
In2012ageogarypidpseudoscorpionwasreportedin edgeformeasurements(Fig.3a,b,c,d).
Rovno amber, that appeared to be conspecific with Opticallyvisibledetailswereobservedand measured
GeogarypusgorskiiHenderickx,2006,aspeciesoriginally using reflected and translucent illumination with a Leitz
described from Baltic amber (Henderickx & Perkovsky microscope and a Canon MP-E objective in combination
2012 withZerenestackerimageprocessingsoftware.
).
Here we analyseanotherinteresting pseudoscorpion
specimen from Rovno amber. This specimen is X-rayscanningandreconstruction
moderately preserved, but the observation could be ThefossilwasscannedattheGhentUniversityCenter
completed with high resolution X-ray computed for Tomography (UGCT) using the dual-head system
tomography (micro-CT) and again it was possible to (Masschaele et al. 2007). Given the sample size, the
attributethespecimentoanexistingspecies. transmissiën tube head was used. A total of 1801
projection images of 1450x1820 pixels were recorded
Materialsand methods usingthe Varian PaxScan 2520V at an exposuretime of
2000ms per projection. A geometrical magnification of
Amberfossil approximately 60 was used, yielding a reconstructed
Theexamined pseudoscorpion K-27423wasfound in voxel size of 2.11^ pm^. The 3D volume was
Klesov (Rovno region) and is deposited in the collection reconstructed using the in-house developed software
oftheSchmalhausenInstituteofZoology. packageOctopus(www.octopusreconstruction.com)and
Thespecimenisfossilisedina32x9x6mmpieceof renderings were made using Volume Graphics
amber, engraved K-27423. It appears complete, but VGStudioMax(www.volumegraphics.com).
larger parts are covered with white opaque amber. The Due to the high amount of highiy-attenuating
visible dorsal side is somewhatdiscoloured with whitish material present in thefossil (Fig. 4a, b), most probably
Phegea41(4)Ol.xii.2013:90 ISSN0771-5277
pyrite, phase contrast edge enhancement was minimal, carapaceoftheholotypeofP.pangaeaHenderickx,2006
despitetheobject-to-detectordistanceofapproximately which is wider than long (Henderickx et al. 2006). The
850 mm. Uniike previous visualized fossil pseudoscor- teeth of the pedipalpal finger could be observed with
pions in amber(Henderickxetal. 2006, 2012) somefine translucent light, (Fig. 5a, Fig. 3c)and appearspaced, as
detailscouldthusnotclearlybevisualized. Nevertheless, inP.minor,differentfromP.pangaea(Fig.3g)whichhas
the 3D renderings provide useful morphological a contiguous row of teeth on both pedipalpal fingers
information. (Henderickxetal.2006:48).
a
c
0.36x0.13(2.7)
mm
1
3
Figure3a:PseucJogarypusminorinRovnoamber,rightchela,paraxial
viewwithtranslucentindicationofthethreeaxialtrichobothriaofthe
Figure2.PseudogarypusminorinRovnoamber,rightlateralview,2a: pedipalpalfinger. Fig.3b, c,d: Pseudogarypus minor in Rovnoamber,
visiblelight,2bmicro-CTreconstruction,samescale. left chela, tilted in different positions to allow measurements
(indicated)andobservationoftheteeth(3c).Figure3e:Pseudogarypus
Systematics synchrotron, holotype, left chela of holotype, mirror view; Fig. 3f:
Pseudogarypusminor, rightchela (accordingtoBeier, 1947); Fig.3g:
Pseudogarypuspangaea,holotype,leftchela.
FossilPseudogarypidae
Five fossil species of Pseudogarypidae Chamberlin,
1923 (Feaelloidea) have been described from Baltic
amber.AnoverviewisgiveninFlenderickxetal.2012.
TheRovnospecimen:diagnosis
(measurementsinmm,ifnotindicated)
This pseudoscorpion from Rovno amber is a typical
Pseudogarypus, it has 4 well visible eyes on
protuberances, a carapace with posterolateral
protuberances anterior to carapacal alae and pleural
membranes raised into folds (Fig. 2b). It is a small
specimen(bodylength2mm(Fig.4),witharelativeshort
femur (0.63 x 0.13, L/W index 4.8) This excludes the
species with a relative long pedipalpal femur
{Pseudogarypus synchrotron Henderickx, 2012 (Fig. 3e), sFeitgtuirnegs4ao,fbt:hePsreeucdoonsgtarruycptuisonmoinno3rbainreRdoivfnfeorenatmbteor,shomwictrhoe-CiTntesrcnaanl,
P. hemprichli Beier, 1937 and P. extensus Beier, 1937). pyritecrystallisation.
Thecarapaceisaslongaswide(0.56mmx0.56mm),as
Pseudogarypusminor Beier, 1947 figured in the original
description (Beier 1947: 194), different from the
ISSN0771-5277 Phegea41(4)Ol.xii.2013:91
characteristicofaPseudogarypustritonnymph.Thesmall
sizecouldthereforebeexplainedbythesubadultstateof
the specimen. The ventral side, visible with micro-CT
scan (Fig. 4a, b) does notshowa well developed genital
plate, onlya minorcurve indicatingthatthespecimen is
probablyasubadultmale.
Conclusion
We can conclude that the Rovno specimen is a
tritonnymph, conspecific with Pseudogarypus minor, a
speciesdescribedfromEoceneBalticamber.
Figure5: Acknowledgements
The Rovno specimen appearstherefore more similar The Micro-CT scans, beamtime and reconstructions
with P. minor, but is significant smaller than the latter: were fully supported by the Ghent University,
thefemurlength isonly0.63 mm (0.79 in P. minor, Fig. DepartmentofSubatomicandRadiationPhysics.
3f). However, a ventral illumination revealed only tree
trichobothria on the axial side of the chelal fingers, a
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