Ivoria taiensis Kontschán, 2019

Idiosoma subpentagonal, dorsally domed, marginal and dorsal shields fused anteriorly. All dorsal setae short, with pilose or serrate distal margins. Five pairs of sternal setae smooth or pilose. Genital shield of female subtriangular. Peritreme L-shaped or hook-shaped. Tritosternum with vase-like base, apically serrate, laciniae subdivided into two pairs of short lateral and one pair of long central branches. Hypostomal setae h1 robust, basally with lateral teeth, h2, h3, and h4 narrow and marginally serrate. Palptrochanter setae v1 robust and serrate, v2 situated on small protuberance and divided into a short smooth and a long, basally serrate and apically pilose branches. Corniculi small and horn-like, situated at posterior level of h2. Internal malae long and smooth. Chelicerae large and robust with internal sclerotized nodes, movable digit shorter than fixed digit, both digits bearing a large central tooth in addition to smaller subapical teeth. Leg I without ambulacral claws; majority of leg setae marginally pilose.

The robust and large chelicerae occur only in some genera within the Uropodina. The following genera Baloghjkaszabia Hirschmann, 1973, Kaszabjbaloghia Hirschmann, 1973, Wernerhirschmannia Hiramatsu, 1983, Multidenturopoda Wiśniewski & Hirschmann, 1991, Bloszykiella Kontschán, 2010, Editella Kontschán, 2011 and Jedediella Kontschán & Starý, 2012 have large and robust chelicerae; the most important differences among them are summarized in Kontschán (2019: table 1). Unfortunately, families of Uropodina are not well defined, and the classification system of Uropodina is confusing, so it is questionable which genera belong to the family Urodinychidae. The chelicerae of the other members (like species of the genus Uroobovella sensu lato) in the family Urodinychidae are small, narrow, and usually have a shorter or longer apical prolongation on the fixed digit.

Holotype. Female. ”Afrique Occidentale, Côte d’Ivore, Dropleu, tamisage sans tronc mort” (Ivory Coast, Dropleu), 7°24'31"N, 8°19'14"W, 10 Oct. 1980, V. Mahnert and J.L. Peret leg. Paratypes. Four females, with same collection data as those for the holotype.

Idiosoma subpentagonal, dorsally domed, marginal and dorsal shields fused anteriorly. All dorsal setae short, with pilose margins. Five pairs of sternal setae pilose. Genital shield of female triangular, anterior margin rounded and situated between coxae IV. Peritreme hook-shaped. Tritosternum with vase-like base, apically serrate, its laciniae subdivided into two pairs of short lateral branches and one pair of long central branches. Hypostomal setae h1 robust, with a short lateral branch and with numerous lateral teeth, h2, h3, and h4 narrow and marginally serrate. Palptrochanter setae v1 robust and serrate, v2 situated on small protuberance, basally serrate and apically pilose. Internal malae long and smooth with a short lateral branch.

Figure 1. 

Ivoria alourouai sp. nov., female, holotype, dorsal view.

Figure 2. 

Ivoria alourouai sp. nov., female, holotype, ventral view.

Female. Length of idiosoma 560–580, width at level of coxae IV 360–375 (N = 5), color reddish-brown. Shape of idiosoma pentagonal with vertex, dorsally domed.

Dorsal idiosoma (Figs 1, 4a, b). Anterior margin of vertex rounded and margins of vertex bearing marginally pilose setae, ca 32–36 long (Fig. 3a). Marginal and dorsal shields fused anteriorly, dorsal shield elevated on caudal region (Fig. 4b). Majority of dorsal shield covered by reticulate sculptured pattern. Long and robust marginally pilose setae (ca 32–36 long) situated on elevated central area of dorsal shield. 10–12 pairs of short (ca 24–26) and narrow marginally pilose setae situated lateral to elevated area. One pair of poroid situated close to posterior margin of elevated area. Marginal shield without sculptural pattern, inner margins undulate on central and caudal area. All setae on marginal shield ca 23–26 long and marginally pilose. Centro-caudal part of marginal shield separated and forming a quadrangular shield (ca 280–290 wide and ca 30–34 long). This shield bears long and robust marginally pilose setae (ca 32–36) placed on small protuberances.

Figure 3. 

Ivoria alourouai sp. nov., female, holotype. a setae on vertex b setae around anal opening c peritreme d ventral view of gnathosoma, coxae I and palp e lateral view of palp f lateral view of chelicera g ventral view of leg I h ventral view of leg II i lateral view of leg III j lateral view of leg IV.

Figure 4. 

Photos about Ivoria alourouai sp. nov., female, holotype. a dorsal view b latero-dorsal view c ventral view d latero-ventral view.

Ventral idiosoma (Figs 2, 4c, d). Five pairs of sternal setae pilose, st1 and st4 shorter (ca 7–8), st2, st3 and st5 longer (ca 10–12). Setae st1 inserted at level of anterior margin of coxae II, st2 at level of central region of coxae II, st3 at level of posterior margin of coxae III, st4 at level of central area of coxae III, st5 close to basal margin of genital shield. Sternal shield without sculptured pattern, one pair of poroid situated close to st3. 7–8 pairs of short (ca 21–25), marginally pilose ventral setae situated posterior to genital shield, surface around these setae covered by oval pits. 20–21 pairs of long (ca 34–36), marginally pilose setae placed on small protuberance situated on L-shaped longitudinal row from peritremes to anal opening. Ventral surface bears reticulate sculptural pattern posterior to pedofossae IV. Anal opening oval ca 10–12 long and ca 4–6 wide, anal valves narrow and with smooth surface (Fig. 3b). Genital shield triangular, length 100–105, width at basal level 105–115, situated between coxae IV and pedofossae IV; surface without sculptural pattern. Peritremes hook-shaped (Fig. 3c). Pedofossae deep, their surface smooth, separate furrow for tarsi IV absent. Tritosternum (Fig. 3d) with vase-like base, apically with one pair of spines, its laciniae subdivided into two pairs of short lateral branches and one pair of long central branches.

Gnathosoma (Fig. 3d-f). Corniculi small, smooth and horn-like, situated posterior to h2; internal malae smooth with a short lateral branch, two times longer than corniculi. Hypostomal setae h1 long (ca 90–95), robust and with a short lateral branch and with numerous lateral teeth. Setae h2 (ca 35–37), h3 and h4 (ca 20–24) marginally serrate. Deutosternal region without teeth or denticulate rows. Chelicerae large and robust with internal sclerotized nodes (Fig. 3f). Fixed digit of chelicerae longer (ca 146–150) than movable digit (ca 119–120); both digits of chelicerae bearing a large central tooth. Palp trochanter setae v1 robust and serrate (ca 49–52), v2 long (ca 90–92), basally serrate and apically pilose and situated on a small protuberance. Other setae on palp segments smooth (Fig. 3d, e). Palp apotele bifurcated. Epistome marginally serrate.

Legs (Fig. 3g–j). Length of legs (from base of coxae to apex of tarsus): I 340–350, II 380–385, III 330–340, IV 345–355. Leg I without ambulacral claws, majority of setae on all legs pilose, some setae on tarsi and the ventral area smooth.

The name of the new species is dedicated to Alouroua the mythical creator of the Akan (Baoule) people who are the major cultural group of the Ivory Coast.

Until now, only one species had been described from this poorly-known genus. The differences between of the two species are summarized in Table 1.