Cunaxa arabica Mirza, Kamran and Alatawi 2025, sp. n.

Cunaxa arabica Mirza, Kamran and Alatawi sp. n. Diagnosis Hysterosomal shield present, basifemora IV without setae; palp telofemur with cone-like apophysis, palpgenu and tibiotarsus without robust nail-like setae. Description Female (n = 3). Idiosoma 303 (295–305) long, 246 (246–250) wide. Dorsum (Figure 1). Propodosomal shield smooth, 52 (51–52) long, 146 (144–146) wide, bearing two pairs of trichobothria (at and pt), two pairs of tactile setae (lps and mps). Setae lps near pt, pt 1.2 times longer than at, mps 4.1 times longer than lps.Hysterosoma with six pairs of setae (c1, c2, d, e, f, h1),and one pair of lyrifissures (ip) situated laterally to f.Hysterosomal shield smooth 128 (125–130) long, 160 (157–164) wide. Setae c1, c2, d and e smooth, present on hysterosomal shield, while setae f and h1 slightly serrated present on the integument; f extending past base of h1. Setal lengths and distances: at 197 (195 – 196), pt 235 (230 – 234), lps 7 (7–8), mps 29 (28–29), c1 21 (22), c2 30 (28–29), d 32 (32–33), e 28 (26–28), f 23 (49–51), h1 30 (37–41), at–at 18 (16–18), pt–pt 115 (112–120), lps–lps 100 (99–100), mps–mps 42 (41–43), lps–mps 34 (34), at–lps 51 (50–51), pt–mps 34 (32–34), pt–lps 16 (15–16), at–mps 52 (51–52), at– pt 66 (64–65), c1–c1 69 (68–69), c2–c2 128 (127–128), d–d 66 (65–66), e–e 56 (56–57), f–f 14 (13–14), h1–h1 38 (35–37), c1–c2 38 (37), c1–d 47 (46–47), c2–d 39 (40–41), d–e 42 (42–43), e– f 30 (31–32), f–h1 15 (15–16). Venter (Figure 2). Coxae I–II and III–IV contiguous and each with dotted striae. Area between coxae I–IV with simple dense longitudinal striae; areas anterior and posterior ag1 with transverse striae.All ventral setae smooth and pointed; setae 3a located on tiny platelets. Epimeral formula:3(1a, 1b, 1c)-1(2b)-3(3b, 3c, 3d)-2(4b, 4c); two pairs of intercoxal setae (3a and 4a, 11 (11 – 16), 15 (15 – 21) long, respectively); three pairs of aggenital setae; genital plates 37 (38–43) long,36 (22–25) wide,with four pairs of genital setae (g1–g4), 16 (13–17),15 (14–16),16 (15–17) and 14 (16–16) in length, respectively; setae g2–g3 arranged in longitudinal row; one pair of pseudanal setae. Genital papillae not visible; genital papillae not visible; one pair of pseudanal setae (ps1), 11 (11–12) long; one pair of h2, 19 (17–20) long, and one pair of lyrifissures (ih) close to h2. Gnathosoma. Palp (Figure 3) five-segmented, 197 (185 – 197) long, all segments with fine denticles. Palp chaetotaxy: trochanter none; basifemur with 1 simple seta (d1); telofemur with 1 simple seta (d) and 1 long finger-like apophysis; genu with 2 simple setae (d, l”) and a spine-like seta (l’); tibiotarsus with 3 simple setae, of which proximal one the longest, 1 spine-like seta and 1 distal solenidion, claw well-developed. Subcapitulum (Figure 4) 131 (121 – 131) long, 82 (79 – 83) wide, two pairs of adoral setae (ads1–ads2), 5 (5) and 4 (4) in length, respectively; four pairs of hypognathal setae (hg1–hg4), 16 (15 – 16), 18 (16–18), 20 (20–25) and 33 (33–38) in length, respectively. Chelicera (Figure 5) 119 (107) long, segment I with fine papillae, segment II with sparse longitudinal striae, cheliceral seta 5 (5–7) in length; chela developed. Distances of hg setae: hg1–hg1 3 (3–6), hg2–hg2 7 (6–7), hg3–hg3 25 (22–25), hg4– hg4 62 (61–67), hg1–hg2 20 (16–20), hg2–hg3 46 (43–51), hg3–hg4 20 (20–25). Legs (Figures 6–9). Lengths of leg I–IV: 328 (262–320), 278 (237–287), 303 (278–320) and 336 (320–353). Lengths of tarsi I–IV: 144 (107–139), 114 (93–120), 115 (101–116) and 116 (98–128). T smooth on tibia IV 54 (54–62) in length. Legs I–IV chaetotaxy as follows: coxae I–IV 3–1–3–2 sts; Tr I–IV: 1–1–2–1 sts; BFe I–IV: 4–4–3–0 sts; TFe I–IV 4–4–4–4 sts; GeI {1 asl (σ3), 1 mst}, {2 asl (σ1–2)}, 4 sts; GeII 2 asl (σ1–2), 5 sts; GeIII 1 asl (σ), 5 sts; GeIV 1 asl (σ), 5 sts; TiI {2 asl (φ1–2), 1 mst}, 4 sts; TiII 2 asl (φ1–2), 4 sts; TiIII 1 bsl (φ), 5 sts; TiIV 1 dT, 4 sts; TaI 4 solenidia (ω1–4), 1 fam., 2 eupathidia (pζ’, pζ”), 25 sts; TaII 1 solenidion (ω), 2 eupathidia (pζ’, pζ”), 24 sts; TaIII 26 sts; TaIV 18 sts. Type material. Holotype and two paratype females, from soil under Ficus spp. (Moraceae), Mandaq, Baha, SAUDI ARABIA, 20.04.091°N, 42.20.125°E, 15 September 2021, coll. E.M. Khan and N.A. Elgoni. Etymology The specific epithet refers to the region (Arabian Peninsula) from which the type specimens are reported. Remarks The new species, C. arabica sp. n., is similar to C. violaphila Sergeyenko (2009) in having basifemora I, III and IV with 4, 3 and 0 setae, respectively. However, the new species can be distinguished from C.violaphila by the presence of hysterosomal shield (vs hysterosomal shield absent); both the propodosomal and hysterosomal shields entirely smooth (vs papillated region on propodosomal shield near the base of setae vi and laterally to setae sce), palpgenu and tibiotarsus without robust nail-like setae (vs nail-like setae present on palpgenu and tibiotarsus), telofemur III–IV each with 4 sts macroseta absent (vs each with 3 sts, macroseta present), genu I–II with 1 asl, 4 sts, (vs 2 asl, 5 sts), tibia II with 2 solenidia and 4 sts (vs 1 solenidion and 5 sts).