Walchia ( Ripiaspichia ) africaeaustralis Stekolnikov, 2025

Walchia ( Ripiaspichia) africaeaustralis Stekolnikov , sp. nov.

( Figs. 7–9 View FIGURE 7 View FIGURE 8 View FIGURE 9 )

Diagnosis. SIF = 5B-N-3-2110.0000; fPp = B/N/NNN; fCx = 1.1.1; fSt = 2.2; fsp = 7.6.6; fD = 2H-6-6-6-4- 2+(2–6), DS = 28–32, V = 33–37, NDV = 65–67; Ip = 664–693; eyes 1 + 1; scutum nearly pentagonal, with greatly projected, broadly rounded and lightly scalloped posterior margin; PW more than 1.5 times larger AW; sensillary bases between levels of PLs and ALs, close to lateral scutal margins; PL> AL; sensilla expanded, covered with setules; cheliceral blade with tricuspid cap; microtarsala I ( ε) proximal to tarsala I ( ω); ventrofemorala branched. Measurements are given in Table 3.

Description of larva. IDIOSOMA ( Figs. 7 View FIGURE 7 , 8A, D–G View FIGURE 8 ). Eyes 1 + 1, situated at level of ALs; 28–32 barbed dorsal idiosomal setae, distribution by rows—2H-6-6-6-4-2+(2–6); two sternal setae between coxae I and II and two between coxae III; 33–37 ventral setae; NDV = 65–67.

GNATHOSOMA ( Fig. 8B, C View FIGURE 8 ). Cheliceral blade with tricuspid cap; gnathobase (infracapitulum) with small puncta, bears one pair of branched tritorostral setae; galeal (deutorostral) seta nude; palpal claw (odontus) with three prongs; palpal femur with few puncta; palpal femoral seta branched; palpal genual and tibial setae nude; palpal tarsus with five unspecialized setae (four thin ventral and one thick dorsal) and tarsala ( ω).

SCUTUM ( Figs. 7A View FIGURE 7 , 8A View FIGURE 8 ). With small dense puncta, nearly pentagonal, with greatly projected, broadly rounded and lightly scalloped posterior margin, covered with cracks in all specimens examined; sensillary (trichobothrial) bases situated at equal distances from ALs and PLs, close to lateral scutal margins; all scutal setae barbed similarly to dorsal idiosomal setae; sensilla (trichobothria) expanded, covered with setules, broken in all specimens examined.

LEGS ( Fig. 9 View FIGURE 9 ). Legs I seven-segmented, legs II and III six-segmented (with undivided femur), all with one pair of claws and claw-like empodium. Sensory setae: Leg I: 2 genualae ( σ), microgenuala ( κ), 2 tibialae ( φ) in tandem, microtibiala ( κ) near distal tibiala, tarsala ( ω), famulus ( ε) proximal to tarsala, subterminala ( ζ), nude parasubterminala ( z), pretarsala ( ζ). Leg II: genuala ( σ), 2 tibialae ( φ) in tandem, tarsala ( ω), famulus ( ε) behind tarsala, pretarsala ( ζ). Leg III: genuala ( σ). Unspecialized setae (leg I, II, III): coxa 2, 1, 1; trochanter 1, 1, 1; femur 6 (basifemur 1, telofemur 5), 6, 4 (including branched ventrofemorala); genu 4, 3, 3; tibia 8, 6, 6; tarsus 22, 16, 15; all feathered or branched.

Type material. Holotype: larva ( ZIN 18478-1 View Materials ), ex Paraxerus cepapi (No. SAWCPc15), South Africa, Mpumalanga province, South African Wildlife College, near Hoedspruit, Savanna , February 2023, coll. Inge Raubenheimer. Paratypes: two larvae ( ZIN 18478-2 View Materials and 18478-3), with same data. Initially, all three specimens were mounted on one slide. The slide was re-mounted in ZIN and the specimens were placed on separate slides .

Etymology. The species epithet africaeaustralis means “South African” in Latin and reflects the fact that this species is the first species of Walchia recorded in South Africa.

Differential diagnosis. The new species is similar to Walchia ( Ripiaspichia) mima ( Traub and Evans, 1957) by the shape of scutum, arrangement of dorsal idiosomal setae, the cheliceral blade with tricuspid cap only (without additional teeth), and identical set of specialized leg setae, but differs in the presence of eyes, only one seta on coxa III vs. two (fCx = 1.1.1 vs. 1.1.2), nude dorsal palpal tibial seta (fPp = B/N/NNN vs. B/N/B(b)NN), and a higher number of ventral idiosomal setae (V = 33–37 vs. ca. 24) ( Traub & Evans 1957).