Sellanucheza longispina sp. nov.
Figs 9, 10, 11
Type material.
• Holotype ♂ (SMF), Laos, Bolikhamsay Province, Lak Sao, Tham Mankhone, large halled tourist cave (Fig. 15 A, B), with some electric lights at the entrance, 501 m a. s. l., 18°13'16.1"N, 104°48'45.9"E, 21. 07. 2016, leg. P. Jäger.
Diagnosis.
The new species is distinguished from congeners by its large size (ca 49 mm) and the unique presence of sternal cones on both rings 5 and 6 (vs usually either ring 5 alone or ventroposterior tubercles from ring 6 on in S. laotica sp. nov.). It also differs from the pallid S. laotica sp. nov. by its dark blackish brown coloration. The gonopods are characteristic: process A (pa) long, spiniform and subequal in length to the solenophore (vs shorter, spiniform and suberect in S. laotica sp. nov., or the solenophore much shorter in S. grandis); process B (pb) large, laminiform and bifid (vs small and acute in S. variata and S. grandis); the solenophore is stout and deeply bifid, while the solenomere is flagelliform (vs stout in S. laotica sp. nov.).
Description.
Length 48.6 mm (♂), width of midbody pro- and metazona 4.8 and 5.7 mm (♂), respectively.
Coloration of alcohol material after nine years of preservation, faded to blackish brown (Fig. 9 B – H), posterior halves of metaterga, paraterga and epiproct pale light brown to yellowish (Fig. 9 A – F), head and antennae dark brown, tip of antenna dark brown, venter and legs pale brown to yellowish (Fig. 9 G – I).
Clypeolabral region densely setose (Fig. 9 B), vertex sparsely so, epicranial suture distinct. Antennae moderately long, reaching body ring 4 (♂) when stretched dorsally. In width, head <ring 4 <3 <5 <6 <7 <collum <ring 2 <8 <9–17 (♂) (Fig. 9 A); thereafter body gently and gradually tapering.
Collum semilunar, setation pattern untraceable; surface rugulose, middle slightly flattened; paraterga rounded and subtriangular, devoid of lateral incisions; posterior corner very narrowly rounded, not extending past tergal margin (Fig. 9 A, B).
Tegument smooth and shining, prozona finely shagreened, metaterga smooth and leathery; surface below paraterga finely microgranulate (Fig. 9 A – G). Postcollum metaterga with two transverse rows of setae traceable at least as insertion points: 3 + 3 in anterior (pre-sulcus) and 4 + 4 in posterior (post-sulcus) row; posterior row barely traceable. Axial line visible both on pro- and metazona.
Paraterga well developed (Fig. 9 A – E, F), set high (at upper 1 / 3 of body), slightly upturned, but lying below dorsum; anterior edge broadly rounded and narrowly bordered, fused to callus; lateral edge without incisions; posterior corner very narrowly rounded, not produced past rear tergal margin except for rings 2 and 3 (Fig. 9 A, B); posterior edge nearly straight. Paraterga 2 broad, anterior edge angular and rounded, lateral edge without incisions (Fig. 9 A). Calluses on paraterga narrow, demarcated by a sulcus only dorsally. Ozopore evident, lateral, lying in an ovoid groove at ca 1 / 3 metatergal length in front of posterior corner (Fig. 9 B, D, E).
Transverse sulcus distinct (Fig. 9 A, C, F), complete on metaterga 5–18, narrow, line-shaped, deep, reaching bases of paraterga, faintly ribbed at bottom, incomplete and nearly wanting on rings 4 and 19 (Fig. 9 A, F). Stricture between pro- and metazona narrow, ribbed at bottom down to base of paraterga (Fig. 9 C, D). Pleurosternal carinae complete high crests, each with a sharp posterior tooth on rings 2–4, thereafter increasingly strongly reduced and remaining visible only as a bulge anteriorly until ring 7 (Fig. 9 B, D, E).
Epiproct (Fig. 9 E – G) conical, rounded dorsoventrally, with two small apical papillae; tip subtruncate; pre-apical papillae evident, lying close to tip (Fig. 9 G). Hypoproct nearly semi-circular (Fig. 9 G), posterior tip broadly rounded, setiferous knobs at posterior edge very small and moderately well separated.
Sterna sparsely setose, without modifications; cross-impressions shallow (Fig. 9 G). Rings 5 and 6 each with a paramedian pair of evident, basally contiguous cones located anteriorly near each coxa; cones between coxae 4 and 6 being more prominent and larger than those between coxae 5 and 7 (Fig. 9 H, I). A paramedian pair of small, but evident tubercles in front of gonopod aperture. Legs moderately long and slender, midbody legs ca 1.1–1.3 × as long as body height; ♂ prefemora without modifications; tarsal brushes present until ♂ ring 12.
Gonopods (Figs 10, 11) relatively simple, clearly coiled. Coxite long, slender, cylindrical, suberect, densely setose distodorsally (Figs 10 A, 10 D, 11 A, 11 B). Prefemorite (pfe) densely setose, as usual, ovoid, elongate, short, ca 1 / 4–1 / 5 length of acropodite (Figs 10 A – E, 11 A – C). Femorite (fe) relatively stout, long, curved dorsad (Figs 10 A, 10 B, 10 D, 10 E, 11 A, 11 B); distal part supplied with a prominent, stout, laminiform, linguiform, apically rounded process pb directed anteriad, the latter being bifid (Figs 10 A – F, 11 A – C), with ventral lobule further split into two small acute points (Figs 10 A – C, 10 F, 11 C). Process pa conspicuous, spiniform, long, slender, acute, subequal in length to solenophore, curved anteromesad (Figs 10 A – C, 11 A, 11 C). Solenophore (sph) long, stout, strongly coiled, deeply bifid distally, both lobules being blunt or rounded (Figs 10 A – E, 11 A, 11 C); solenophore almost completely sheathing solenomere. Solenomere (sl) long, slender, flagelliform, tip acute and slightly projecting distad past solenophore (Figs 10 A – E, 11 A, 11 C).
Remarks.
Sellanucheza longispina sp. nov. represents a second species of the genus to be recorded from a limestone cave environment in northeastern Laos, specifically marking the first record from Bolikhamsay Province. Compared to the pallid S. laotica sp. nov., this species retains dark pigmentation, suggesting that it may be a troglophile. Morphologically, the presence of sternal cones on both rings 5 and 6 represents a unique novelty for the genus. Geographically, the species appears to be narrowly endemic to the karst systems of Bolikhamsay Province it inhabits.
Etymology.
To emphasize the distinctively long and spiniform gonopodal process A; noun in apposition.
Publication Date: 2026-06-23