Quasihomeopronematus nordestinus, De VisK & VervaetK & ReybroeckK & VanlommelK & HavermaetK & Foqué & MarcossiK & PalliniK & AssisK & LeeuwenK & UeckermannK, 2024

Quasihomeopronematus nordestinus n. gen. n. sp.

Differential diagnosis

The genus resembles Homeopronematus but differs in the absence of ps1.

We describe this new genus, following André (1980) who introduced the principle that new combinations of idiosomal or leg chaetotaxy lead to genera. However, we could also have described a subgenus for species having the characteristic of losing ps1. References can be found for both options. However, if we apply this principle to establish a subgenus based only on the absence of ps1, this leads to confusion with other genera:

• Ueckermaniella would be a subgenus of Metapronematus , both have the same leg chaetotaxy, but the former has four ag and 11 dorsals (3 ps), the latter three ag and 10 dorsals

(2 ps). The loss of an ag and a ps seta goes together in this case.

• We have several species or genera with the leg chaetotaxy of Neopronematus but with

10 or 11 dorsals instead of nine in Neopronematus (h2 and ps2 missing, but we interpret as

ps1 and ps2 missing): Dasilcoferla nadirae ( Silva, Da-Costa & Ferla, 2017)( Da Silva et al.

2017; De Vis et al. 2024) with 10 dorsals (ps1 lacking) and a new Brazilian species with 11 opisthosomals (De Vis et al. in preparation).

On the other hand, we find examples where a new genus was not erected:

• The subgenus Neotydeolus of Proctotydaeus lacks ps2, while the other subgenera do not ( Kaźmierski 1998).

• Pausia litchiae lacks one ps ( Da Silva et al. 2017) while Pausia described by Kuznetsov and Lifshitz (1972) does not.

André (1980) evidently did not follow the synonymy of Pausia with Naudea ( Baker and Delfinado 1976) , because besides the opisthosomal chaetotaxy also the leg chaetotaxy is different. Pausia has 11 opisthosomals, six setae on tarsus II and III and five on tarsus IV while Naudea has 10 opisthosomals and seven setae on tarsi II to IV.

We also see other characteristics that might be considered for separating genera:

• The short forked ag3 can be found in Quasihomeopronematus as in Homeopronematus ( Baker 1968 ; Knop and Hoy 1983a) but also in all but one species of Neopronematus ( N. aegeae Panou, Emmanouel & Kaźmierski, 2000 ) ( Panou et al. 2000 ; Darbemamieh et al. 2015).

In conclusion, to avoid increasing genera confusion, we follow André (1980) and create a new genus. Future studies might reorganise the genera in the Pronematinae based on an analysis of all relevant genus characteristics. However, the genus descriptions might need amplification as in most cases they are limited to chaetotaxy, and other characteristics that might be generic are only mentioned in species descriptions.

and venter (right) of holotype female.