Spinonychiurus pamirensis Martynova 1975, comb. nov.

Spinonychiurus pamirensis (Martynova, 1975) comb. nov.

(Figs 30–35)

Onychiurus pamirensis Martynova, 1975: 468.

Type material. Holotype male adult or subadult (shrunken) and moulting female; upper zone of soil, bottom of the “Zor” circus (4860 m alt.); Murgabsky area, Western Pamir, Tajikistan, leg. G. Chelnokov (preserved in the Martynova’s Collection in Zoological Institute of RAS, St. Petersburg, Russia).

Redescription. Color white. Length of adults: female 1.5 mm, male 1.2 mm. Body shape cylindrical with curved anal spines, a little longer than inner edge of hind claw (in relation ca. 1.15). Granulation of body surface fine and uniform, distinctly stronger around anterior and posterior cephalic pseudocelli. Antennal bases poorly marked by fine granulation.

Antennae nearly as long as head. Microsensillum of antennal segment IV in latero-external position, in proximal whorl of chaetae. Antennal IV sensilla difficult to recognize. Antennal III sensory organ with 5 guard chaetae, 5 papillae, 2 sensory rods, 2 granulated with 2 ribs and slightly bent sensory clubs, and microsensillum located slightly below antennal III sensory organ (Fig. 35).

Postantennal organ consists of 16–22 granulated vesicles (Fig. 31). Labial palp of A type.

Pseudocellar formula dorsally 34/233/44454 ventrally 1/000/0000. Arrangement of pseudocelli at hind margin of head as in Fig. 34. Subcoxae1 of I–III legs with 1 pseudocellus each. Parapseudocellar formula: 2/000/222213 (each anal valve with parapseudocellus). Ventral anterior cephalic parapseudocelli located near labial palp. Subcoxae1 of I–III legs with 1 parapseudocellus each.

Dorsal chaetotaxy nearly symmetrical (some asymmetries in subaxial chaetotaxy of abdominal terga IV and V are observed), well differentiated into apically rounded macro-, mesochaetae and apically pointed microchaetae. Thoracic terga II and III with microsensilla laterally. Body sensory chaetae s difficult to recognize. Thoracic tergum I with 8+8 chaetae. Abdominal tergum IV with m0 and a0 chaetae (asymmetries in types are observed). Abdominal tergum V with p0 and a0 chaetae (m0 probably present but asymmetries in types are observed). Subcoxae1 of I–III legs with 4, 5, 5 chaetae respectively.

Thoracic sterna I–III with 0+0, 2+2, 3+3 chaetae respectively. Ventral tube of female with 9+9 chaetae and 1+1 chaetae at base. Furca reduced to small area of fine granulation and three rows of manubrial chaetae behind its posterior edge. Claws without teeth. Empodial appendage without basal lamella, shorter than inner edge of claw (ratio 0.75–0.8) (Fig. 30). Tibiotarsi I–III with 11 chaetae in distal whorl.

Males probably with ventral organ. One thickened chaeta in holotype is observed (Fig. 33). The chaeta located probably on ventral tube in posterolateral position, but because of bad condition of specimen this character needs to be confirmed.

Remarks. Within the genus the species is conspicuous for its granulated sensory clubs in antennal III sensory organ. It belongs to the group of species with of 11 chaetae in distal whorl of tibiotarsi. Relatively short anal spines and presence of the second pit in antennal tip point its similarity to S. tianshanicus (see also remarks of S. tianshanicus).