Armascirus stellatus Chen & Jin 2026, sp. nov.

Armascirus stellatus Chen & Jin sp. nov. Figs 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 Diagnosis. Female. Proterosomal and median shields are covered with star-shaped reticulations, which are composed of papillae and reticulations, resembling stars connecting tracks (Figs 19, 21–23). The median shield large and with three pairs of simple setae (c 1, d 1, and e 1), with no lateral plates present; palp basifemur with one short pointed apophysis, telofemur two elongate apophyses. Description. Female (n = 4). Idiosoma long 507 (507–600), wide 374 (374–441). Dorsum (Figs 17, 19–21). Proterosomal shield 166 (157–166) long, 275 (213–275) wide, and covered with star-shaped reticulations, which consists of papillae (4–7, with 5 or 6 most common) and reticulation, resembling stars connecting tracks (Figs 19, 21, 22). It bears two pairs of trichobothria (at and pt), two pairs of tactile setae (lps and mps), lps closer to pt than at, pt longer than at. Hysterosomal (median) shield 223 (173–223) long, 266 (213–266) wide, and covered with star-shaped reticulations and with three pairs of simple setae (c 1, d 1, e 1); median shield laterally flanked by longitudinal striae with papillae, area between median shield and h 1 with transverse striae with papillae. Setae f 1, h 1, and one pair of lyrifissures (im) situated on integument. Setal lengths and distances: at 293 (291–300), pt 393 (393–452), lps 18 (14–18), mps 20 (12–20), c 1 32 (28–32), c 2 20 (20–22), d 1 34 (27–34), e 1 43 (37–43), f 1 62 (54–62), h 1 68 (56–68); at – at 32 (32–37), pt – pt 256 (245–256), lps – lps 231 (219–231), mps – mps 107 (100–107), lps – mps 76 (76–77), at – lps 133 (122–133), pt – mps 68 (71–68), pt – lps 31 (31–36), at – mps 139 (133–139), at – pt 158 (156–158), c 1 – c 1 171 (140–171), c 2 – c 2 276 (267–276), d 1 – d 1 110 (99–110), e 1 – e 1 109 (98–109), f 1 – f 1 70 (63–70), h 1 – h 1 42 (42–44), c 1 – c 2 80 (78–80), c 1 – d 1 110 (99–110), c 2 – d 1 106 (100–106), d 1 – e 1 76 (68–76), e 1 – f 1 35 (35–52), f 1 – h 1 41 (38–41). Venter (Figs 18, 22, 23). Coxae I – IV with reticulations, area between coxae I – II plate groups with longitudinal striae; area between ppgs and hgs 1 with longitudinal striae; areas between hgs 1 and genital plates with transverse striae. Setal formula of coxal plates I – IV: 3 (1 a – c) - 2 (2 a, 2 c) - 3 (3 a – c) - 3 (4 a – c) sts; one pair of propodogastral setae (ppgs), 28 (28–35) in length, and five pairs of hysterogastral setae (hgs 1 – hgs 5), 32 (32–39), 37 (37–42), 41 (41–43), 43 (43–44) and 44 (44–46) in length. Genital plates with reticulations and papillae, two pairs of visible genital papillae and four pairs of genital setae (g 1 – g 4) that 30 (27–30), 36 (34–36), 31 (31–32) and 34 (34–36) in length, respectively. Anal region with longitudinal striae, two pairs of pseudanal setae (ps 1 – ps 2), 28 (22–28) and 30 (24–30) in length, and one pair of lyrifissures (ih). Gnathosoma (Figs 24, 25, 26, 27, 28). Palp (Figs 24, 25, 26). Five-segmented, 399 (370–399) long, basifemur and telofemur with reticulations. Palp chaetotaxy: trochanter none; basifemur one dorsal simple seta and one short pointed apophysis; telofemur one dorsal spine-like seta, one pointed apophysis and one blunt apophysis; genu two spine-like setae, two simple setae and one elongate pointed apophysis; tibiotarsus three simple setae, one of which is longer near the inner base, one spine-like seta and one distal solenidion; claw well developed. Chelicera (Fig. 27). 265 (254–265) long, with reticulations and papillae; cheliceral seta 23 (22–25) in length; chela developed. Subcapitulum (Fig. 28) 303 (303–312) long, 143 (143–156) wide, with reticulations; two pairs of short adoral setae, ads 1 – ads 2, 20 (20–20) and 8 (5–8) in length; four pairs of hypostome setae, hg 1 – hg 4, 31 (30–31), 48 (40–48), 17 (17–20) and 83 (83–84) in length, respectively. Distances of hg setae: hg 1 – hg 1 6 (6–7), hg 2 – hg 2 22 (22–25), hg 3 – hg 3 57 (50–57), hg 4 – hg 4 83 (83–113), hg 1 – hg 2 60 (60–62), hg 2 – hg 3 112 (103–112), hg 3 – hg 4 50 (43–50). Legs (Figs 29–32). With reticulations, lengths of leg I – IV: 515 (503–515), 450 (450–480), 507 (490–507), 521 (521–525); lengths of tarsus I – IV: 187 (184–187), 156 (156–163), 178 (165–178), 173 (173–175). T on tibia IV 93 (88–93) in length. Legs I – IV chaetotaxy: Coxae I – IV 3-2 - 3 - 3 sts; trochanters I – IV 1-1 - 2 - 1 sts; basifemora I – IV 4-5 - 4 - 2 sts; telofemora I – IV 4-4 - 4 - 4 sts. Genu I 2 asl, {1 asl, 1 mst}, 4 sts; genu II 2 asl, 4 sts; genu III 1 asl, 5 sts; genu IV 1 asl, 5 sts. Tibia I {1 asl, 1 mst}, 4 sts; tibia II 1 asl, 5 sts; tibia III 1 bsl, 5 sts; tibia IV 1 smooth T, 4 sts. Tarsus I 4 asl, 1 fam, 1 dtsl, 23 sts; tarsus II 1 bsl, 1 dtsl, 19 sts; tarsus III 1 dtsl, 26 sts; tarsus IV 1 dtsl, 19 sts. Other developmental stages. Unknown. Etymology. The name of this new species, stellatus, is derived from the star-shaped reticulations covering its dorsal shields. Remarks. The new species is similar to A. apophysis Chen & Jin, 2021 in having one pointed apophysis on palp basifemur. However, it can be distinguished from A. apophysis by the following characteristics: (1) dorsal shields covered with star-shaped reticulations, which are composed of papillae and reticulations (vs general reticulations in A. apophysis); (2) median shield large and with three pairs of simple setae (c 1, d 1, e 1) (vs small and without in A. apophysis); (3) hysterosoma lateral plates absent (vs present in A. apophysis); (4) subcapitulum with reticulations (vs without in A. apophysis). The new species is similar to A. anastosi Smiley, 1992 in having two apophysis on palp telofemur. Nevertheless, it differs from A. anastosi in the following characteristics: (1) dorsal shields covered with star-shaped reticulations, which are composed of papillae and reticulations (vs general reticulations in A. anastosi); (2) median shield with three pairs of simple setae (c 1, d 1, e 1) (vs two (c 1, d 1) in A. anastosi); (3) hysterosoma lateral plates absent (vs present in A. anastosi); (4) palp basifemur with one pointed apophysis (vs without in A. anastosi). Material examined. Holotype: China • 1 ♀ (slide no. QH-CU-2020071901), Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve, Qinghai Province; 35°13'17"N, 107°57'10"E; 3027 m a. s. l.; 19 July 2020; collected from moss by Dong-Dong Li and Hai-Tao Li. Paratypes: China • 1 ♀ (QH-CU-2019072001), Qingyanggou Section, Qilian Mountain Nature Reserve, Qinghai Province; 38°9'53"N, 100°26'10"E; 3162 m a. s. l.; 20 July 2019; collected from ground moss by Qian-Fen Zheng • 2 ♀ (XJ-CU-201907060601 – XJ-CU-201907060602), Kanas National Nature Reserve, Buerjin County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; 48°30'40"N, 87°10'16"E; 1330 m a. s. l.; 6 July. 2019; collected from moss by Jian-Xin Chen. Distribution. China (Qinghai Province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region).