Neobisium (N.) sakishorense, Novák & Gogshelidze, 2025

Novák, János & Gogshelidze, Mariam, 2025, Three new cavernicolous Neobisium species from Caucasian caves in Georgia (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones), Zootaxa 5646 (4), pp. 575-585 : 579

Neobisium (N.) sakishorense sp. nov. ( Figs 3A–G )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:255E8705-239F-411E-9B80-E2F7243E69CF

Diagnosis (♀). A subterranean troglomorphic Neobisium from Georgia that differs from other Caucasian cave species of the genus in the following combination of characters: posterior margin of carapace with 5 setae, epistome triangular and pointed, one pair of eyes with flattened lens, with no darker pigmentation on the cuticle bethind them; tergites I–IV: 6:6:8:8; fixed and movable chelal fingers with 85 and 80 teeth; surface of pedipalpal femur smooth, 1.13 mm length (× 4.7), patella 0.93 mm (× 3.21), movable finger 1.05 mm; ratio between movable chelal finger and hand of chela with pedicel 1.10; ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable chelal finger 1.08; ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace 1.36.

Type material. Holotype: ♀, CaBOL-1036019, Georgia, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Region, Racha Karst Massif, Sakishore Cave (42°26’30.84”N 43° 9’30.59”E), 1172 m a.s.l., 25.05.2022, Shalva Barjadze leg.

Derivatio nominis. The species name sakishorense refers to the Sakishore Cave in Georgia, the type locality of the species.

Description of adult female (♀). Carapace, chelicerae, pedipalps and palpal coxae red-brown, opisthosoma and legs yellowish; pedipalps smooth; opisthosoma with granular pleural membrane.

Carapace 1.06 times as long as broad, surface smooth, one pairs of small eyes with flat lens, with no darker pigmentation on the cuticle behind them; anterior margin with long, pointed epistome, with a small base; carapace with 21 macrosetae (4:6:6:5) ( Fig. 3A ). Preocular microsetae absent.

Cheliceral palm with 6 setae ( Fig. 3B ); fixed finger with 17 teeth, movable finger with 7 teeth, the middle one slightly larger; gs ratio 0.66, spinneret broad and rounded, but not prominent; rallum with 8 blades, the distal two laterally pinnate; blades of serrulae interior and exterior not clearly visible.

Manducatory process with 5 setae. Coxal setae: pedipalp 8, I 10, II 9, III 7, IV 7; anterolateral process of coxa I strong triangular, anteromedial process prominent with denticles ( Fig. 3C ).

Tergal chaetotaxy I–X: 6:6:8:8:8:8:8:8:8:8. Sternal chaetotaxy II–X: 8:(2)12(2):(1)10(1):10:12:12:14:14:12. Anal cone with 2 ventral and 2 dorsal setae.

Pedipalp ( Fig. 3D ): trochanter 2.38 times as long as broad; femur 4.70 times as long as broad; patella 3.21 times as long as broad; hand of chela reaching its greatest width in the proximal third in dorsal view; 3 glandular pores on pedicel; fixed chelal finger homodentate, with 85 pointed contiguous teeth; movable chelal finger with 80 low, flattened contiguous teeth ( Fig. 3E ), trichobothria as in fig. 3F, relative position of trichobothria along chelal axis: it 0.21/ et 15/ est 0.18 / ist 0.42/ isb 0.79/ ib 0.85/ esb 0.98/ eb 0.99/ t 0.26/ st 0.39/ sb 0.63/ b 0.86.

Leg IV ( Fig. 3G ): trochanter 2.32 times as long as deep, femur + patella 3.44 times as long as deep, tibia 4.80 times, basitarsus 2.49 times, telotarsus 5.16 times as long as deep, ratio between basitarsus and telotarsus 0.60, subterminal seta bifurcate with serrated rami, claws with a very small dorsal tooth.

Ratio between movable finger and hand of chela with pedicel 1.10; ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable finger 1.08; ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace 1.36.

Measurements (in mm). Body length 2.68. Carapace 0.83 × 0.79. Chelicera 0.56 × 0.31; movable finger length 0.39. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.55 × 0.23; femur 1.13 × 0.24; patella 0.93 × 0.29; chela with pedicel 1.94; hand with pedicel length 0.95; movable finger length 1.05. Leg IV: trochanter 0.43 × 0.19; femur + patella 0.76 × 0.22; tibia 0.74 × 0.15; basitarsus 0.26 × 0.11; telotarsus 0.44 × 0.09.

Remarks. Neobisium (N.) sakishorense sp. nov. differs from N. kozmaniense sp. nov. and N. sakhadzianum by having a smooth pedipalpal femur (pedipalpal femur granulated in N. kozmaniense sp. nov. and N. sakhadzianum ). From N. verae and N. achaemenidum , by having a strong, triangular epistome, and a pedipalpal femur 4.70 times as long as broad, while this value is in N. achaemenidum × 9.26, and in N. verae × 8.31 ( Mahnert 1979; Nassirkhani & Mumladze 2018). It differs from N. birsteini in the lenth/width ratio of the pedipalpal femur, as it is × 7.54 in case of N. birsteini , and in having a strong triangular anterolateral process, while it is much shorter in N. birsteini ( Mahnert 1979) . Neobisium sakishorense sp. nov. differs from N. kotiasense sp. nov. in having only one pair of eyes (one pair of eyespots besides the first pair of eyes with flattened lens in N. kotiasense sp. nov.), in having the ratio between movable chelal finger and chelal hand 1.10 (1.14–1.46 in N. kotiasense ), in having the length of chela 1.94 mm (2.41–2.54 in N. kotiasense ), and in having pedipalpal femur length/width 4.70 (5.22–6.25 in N. kotiasense ).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Neobisium (N.) sakishorense sp. nov. female holotype (CaBOL-1036019). A: carapace, dorsal view; B: left chelicera, dorsal view; C: anterolateral and anteromedial process of right coxa I; D: right pedipalp, dorsal view; E: chelal dentition; F: left chela, lateral view; G: leg IV, lateral view.