Pauroaspis chuanensis Li & Wu, 2025

Pauroaspis chuanensis Li & Wu , sp. nov.

Material examined. Holotype. Adult ♀, CHINA: Sichuan Province, / Yibin City , Changning County, Zhuhai Town , / 28.4975 N, 104.9248 E, 311 m, / on bamboo, / 6 November 2024, / coll. Yizhe Wang. Mounted with other 2 adult ♀♀ together on 1 slide (BFUC). The holotype specimen is marked with a black circle in permanent marker. GoogleMaps

Paratypes: Same data as holotype, 2 ♀♀ mounted together with holotype on 1 slide; GoogleMaps 2 ♀♀ mounted together on 1 slide; and GoogleMaps 7 ♀♀ mounted together on 1 slide ( BFUC) GoogleMaps .

Adult female

Appearance in life ( Fig. 1A–D View FIGURE 1 ). Body oval and purplish-red, enclosed in a thin and transparent test. Dorsal ridge absent; with dorsal filaments gathered in eight pairs of orange tufts, each tuft elongate and curving upward. Marginal filaments well developed, orange.

Slide-mounted material (n=12) ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ). Body subcircular or oval, but posterior of abdomen sharply narrowed, 1.0– 1.4 mm long and 0.9–1.0 mm wide. Antennae ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ) each with 1 segment, 12–13 μm long and 10–11 μm wide, bearing 2 sensory setae, each 12–15 μm long, and 2 short setae, each about 3 μm long. Labium with 1 segment, without setae. Eyes and legs absent. Spiracles numbering two pairs on venter of thorax, sclerotized, each spiracular opening containing 5 or 6 quinquelocular pores ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ). Each spiracular furrow between spiracle and margin containing 28–30 quinquelocular pores ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ) irregularly arranged in 2 or 3 rows. A pair of dorsal tubes ( Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 ) present near posterior end of abdomen, each tube 16–18 μm long and about 6 μm wide. Anal lobes absent. Anal apparatus ( Fig. 2D View FIGURE 2 ) about 20 μm long and 15 μm wide, with a sclerotized anal ring ( Fig. 2E View FIGURE 2 ) located at inner end of anal tube, ring without pores but probably bearing 2 setae (in all specimens, setae lost during preparation so anal ring only has 2 setal sockets visible). Apical setae degenerate ( Fig. 2D View FIGURE 2 ), each only 4–5 μm long.

Body margin with single row of ventral marginal 8-shaped pores ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ), each 12–14 μm long and 7–9 μm wide, row ending just anterior to narrowing of posterior abdomen. Quinquelocular pores ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ), each about 3 μm in diameter, present in 1 or 2 rows just mesad to row of marginal 8-shaped pores, along entire body margin; in narrowed posterior abdomen, spacing between adjacent quinquelocular pores wider. Each marginal 8-shaped pore associated with 4–6 quinquelocular pores.

Dorsum: Tubular ducts ( Fig. 2G View FIGURE 2 ) elongate with swollen ends, each 26–32 μm long and 3–4 μm wide, scattered across dorsum but absent from narrowed posterior abdomen. 8-shaped pores of 3 sizes, present in groups, each group containing 1 or 2 large 8-shaped pores ( Fig. 2H View FIGURE 2 ) each 21–22 μm long and 13–15 μm wide, and 6 smaller 8- shaped pores ( Fig. 2I View FIGURE 2 ), each same size as a marginal 8-shaped pore. Each side with 8 or 9 groups of 8-shaped pores, and with 2 or 3 smaller 8-shaped pores between adjacent groups; smaller 8-shaped pores also arranged in 2 rows just anterior to narrowed posterior abdomen. Minute 8-shaped pores ( Fig. 2J View FIGURE 2 ), each about 3 μm long and 2 μm wide, distributed across dorsum. Discoidal pores ( Fig. 2K View FIGURE 2 ) very sparse, each about 2 μm in diameter.

Venter : With dark-rimmed 8-shaped pores, each about 4 μm long and 2 μm wide ( Fig. 2L View FIGURE 2 ), forming a band in submargin; also with 8–10 pores on each side of mouthparts. Submarginal 8-shaped pores absent. Minute 8-shaped pores ( Fig. 2J View FIGURE 2 ) forming a row just mesad to marginal quinquelocular pores. Multilocular pores ( Fig. 2M View FIGURE 2 ) each about 5 μm in diameter and containing 10 loculi, present around vulva and forming 2 rows anterior to vulva and 1 row posterior to vulva, each row containing 5–9 pores. Sometimes a single multilocular pore present posterior to posteriormost row. Ventral setae each about 4 μm long, present between multilocular pores, in 3 rows with 4 setae per row. Discoidal pores ( Fig. 2K View FIGURE 2 ) very sparse.

Etymology. The specific epithet “ chuanensis ” is based on the commonly used abbreviation for Sichuan Province, “Chuan”, combined with the Latin suffix “ -ensis ”, indicating the place of origin.

Remarks. Pauroaspis chuanensis sp. nov. is similar to P. daedalea Gavrilov-Zimin, 2013 in possessing dorsal groups of 8-shaped pores and with the posterior abdomen sharply narrowed. However, it differs from P. daedalea by possessing the following features (condition of P. daedalea given in parentheses): (i) venter with dark-rimmed 8-shaped pores (without dark-rimmed 8-shaped pores on venter); (ii) ventral tubular ducts absent (minute tubular ducts present on venter, forming submarginal band); and (iii) minute 8-shaped pores present on dorsum (minute 8- shaped pores absent).