The troglomorphic pseudoscorpions of the genus Neobisium from Corsica, Sardinia and mainland Italy, with description of new species (Pseudoscorpiones: Neobisiidae)
Author
Gardini, Giulio
text
Zootaxa
2023
2023-12-06
5381
1
1
67
https://www.mapress.com/zt/article/download/zootaxa.5381.1.1/52414
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.5381.1.1
1175-5334
10275930
9B004CC6-C0AE-4205-A99C-A41AA14319E6
Neobisium
(
Neobisium
)
samniticum
Mahnert, 1980
(
Figs 100–102
,
119
)
Neobisium
(
Ommatoblothrus
)
samniticum
Mahnert, 1980: 25
, figs 7–12.
Type
locality
:
Italy
,
Abruzzo
,
Pescara Province
,
Lettomanoppello
,
Grotta delle Praie
80 A/PE (
42°13’54”N
14°02’22”E
)
.
Distribution
.
Italy
(
Abruzzo
).
Diagnosis (
♂
♀
)
. A subterranean, troglomorphic
Neobisium
from
Abruzzo
(Majella Mountain) that differs from other Mediterranean species of the genus in the following combination of characters: posterior margin of carapace with 4–5 setae, epistome triangular, anterior eyes with weak lens, dark integument between anterior and posterior eyes present; tergites I–IV: 5–6:6:6:5–6; cheliceral palm with 6 setae, rallum with 8–9 blades; fixed chelal finger heterodentate, with contiguous teeth; fixed and movable chelal fingers with 131–144 and 110–112 teeth, respectively; pedipalpal femur
1.99–2.01 mm
length (7.65–7.73 ×), patella
1.51–1.53 mm
(4.93–5.03 ×), movable finger
2.27–2.28 mm
; pedipalpal hand with oval profile and its greatest width in the proximal third, chelal fingers slightly curved; ratio between movable chelal finger and hand of chela with pedicel 1.64–1.70; ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable chelal finger 0.87–0.88; ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace 1.74–1.89; trichobothrium
ist
distal
st,
closer to the finger tip than to
isb
.
Type material examined
.
ITALY
—
Abruzzo
:
Pescara Province
:
1
♂
(
holotype
), “
Abruzzo
. PE/ Lettomanoppello / Gr. delle Praie [80 A/PE] / 3.XI.[19]76
V
.
Sbordoni
leg.” “
Neobisium
(
Ommatoblothrus
)
samniticum
n. sp.
♂
/
Holotypus
/ det.
V
. Mahnert 1978” (
MZUR
)
.
Description of adults [
♂
;
♀
according to
Mahnert (1980)
].
Carapace, chelicerae, pedipalps and palpal coxae red-brown; pedipalps smooth, pleural membrane granular. Carapace 1.18 (
♂
) or 1.11 (
♀
) times as long as broad, with four eyes without tapetum, with slightly darker integument between anterior and posterior eyes; anterior and posterior eyes reduced, with weak lens; anterior margin of carapace with broad triangular epistome, apically rounded (
Mahnert 1980: 27
, fig. 7); 22 (
♂
) or 21 (
♀
) macrosetae, anterior and posterior rows with 4 and 4 (
♂
) or 5 (
♀
) macrosetae, respectively; preocular setae not seen (fallen?) Chaetotaxy of tergites I–X: 5:6:6:6:7:7:7:9:9:9 (
♂
) or 6:6:6:6:7:7:8:6:9:9 (
♀
). Chaetotaxy of sternites II–X: 13:(2)12(2):(2)12(2):10:9:10:10:11:12 (
♂
) or 7:(2) 17(2):(2)8(2):10:11:10:11:10:12 (
♀
); median genital sac and genital atrium not seen. Chelicera (
Mahnert 1980: 27
, figs 8a–b, 9) 2.02 (
♂
) times as long as broad, palm with 6 setae; fixed finger with about 12–14 teeth, movable finger with about 7–9 worn teeth, one of which more prominent just distal
gs
(
♂
♀
);
gs
ratio 0.60 (
♂
), spinneret reduced in male, prominent and broadly rounded in female; rallum with 9 [
♂
: in
Mahnert (1980)
erroneously
6 in
the text] or 8 and 9 (
♀
) blades, the distal one laterally serrate-pinnate and isolated on a prominence, the second and sixth ones serrate, the successive ones smooth, the proximal one very short; serrula exterior with about 30–32 and 28–30 blades. Manducatory process with 4–5 setae. Coxal setae: pedipalp 10–11, I 8–10, II 6–9, III 5–6, IV 10–13; anterolateral process of coxa I prominent, anteromedial process broadly rounded with denticles (
Mahnert 1980: 27
, fig. 12). Pedipalp (
Figs 100–102
;
Mahnert 1980: 27
, figs 10, 11a–b): trochanter 2.67 (
♂
) times as long as broad, with 3 weak button-like tubercles (with lyrifissure) on antiaxial face; femur 7.65 (
♂
) or 7.73 (
♀
) times as long as broad, weakly enlarged distally; patella 5.03 (
♂
) or 4.93 (
♀
) times as long as broad, club gradually enlarged distally, pedicel slightly granular dorsally; ratio between club and pedicel 2.25 (
♂
), ratio X/Y = 0.35 (
♂
), base of pedicel dorsally with 5 glandular pores (
♂
); chela with pedicel 6.27 (
♂
) or 6.0 (
♀
) times as long as broad; hand of chela with pedicel 2.42 (
♂
) or 2.39 (
♀
) times as long as broad, with oval profile and its greatest width in the proximal third (dorsal view); chelal fingers slightly curved both in dorsal and lateral view; fixed chelal finger irregularly heterodentate (
Fig. 102
;
Mahnert 1980: 27
, fig. 11b), with 131 (
♂
) or 144 (
♀
) pointed contiguous teeth, nodus ramosus subterminal; movable chelal finger with 110 (
♂
) or 112 (
♀
) low, flattened contiguous teeth, apart from the distal ones which are partly cuspidate from the trichobothrium
t
to the tip of the finger; all teeth with dental canals; sensillum slightly closer to
st
than to
sb
; trichobothria as in figs 101–102 and
Mahnert (1980: 27
, fig. 11b), relative position of trichobothria along chelal axis (
♂
):
it
0.15/
et
0.155/
est
0.22
/
ist
0.32/
isb
0.79/
ib
0.88/
esb
0.97/
eb
0.975/
t
0.20/
st
0.405/
sb
0.72/
b
0.91; trichobothrium
est
just proximal
t
; trichobothrium
ist
distal
st,
closer to the finger tip than to
isb
; trichobothrium
isb
proximal
sb
; ratio between movable finger and hand of chela with pedicel 1.70 (
♂
) or 1.64 (
♀
); ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable finger 0.87 (
♂
) or 0.88 (
♀
); ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace 1.74 (
♂
) or 1.89 (
♀
). Leg IV: femur + patella 6.41 (
♂
) or 6.39 (
♀
) times as long as deep, tibia 10.93 (
♂
) or 10.86 (
♀
) times, basitarsus 7.27 (
♂
) or 6.66 (
♀
) times, telotarsus 11.11 (
♂
) or 10.30 (
♀
) times as long as deep, ratio between basitarsus and telotarsus 0.80 (
♂
) or 0.77 (
♀
).
Measurements. Body length 3.8 (
♂
) or 4.2 (
♀
). Carapace 1.14 × 0.96 (
♂
) or 1.06 × 0.95 (
♀
). Chelicera 0.77 × 0.38 (
♂
); movable finger length 0.505 (
♂
). Pedipalp: trochanter 0.79 × 0.295 (
♂
); femur 1.99 × 0.26 (
♂
) or 2.01 × 0.26 (
♀
); patella 1.51 × 0.30 (
♂
) or 1.53 × 0.31 (
♀
); chela with pedicel 3.45 × 0.55 (depth 0.54) (
♂
) or? × 0.58 (
♀
); hand with pedicel length 1.33 (
♂
) or 1.39 (
♀
); movable finger length 2.27 (
♂
) or 2.28 (
♀
). Leg IV: femur + patella 1.86 × 0.29 (
♂
) or 1.79 × 0.28 (
♀
); tibia 1.64 × 0.15 (
♂
) or 1.63 × 0.15 (
♀
); basitarsus 0.80 × 0.11 (
♂
) or 0.80 × 0.12 (
♀
); telotarsus 1.00 × 0.09 (
♂
) or 1.03 × 0.10 (
♀
).
FIGURES 100–102.
Neobisium
(
N.
)
samniticum
Mahnert, 1980
, male holotype, Grotta delle Praie (Lettomanoppello, Abruzzo). 100, trochanter, femur and patella of right pedipalp, dorsal view (dorsal setae of femur hardly visible); 101, right pedipalpal chela, dorsal view; 102, same, antiaxial view, with magnified detail of teeth.
Remarks.
Neobisium samniticum
was described by
Mahnert (1980)
based on a male and a female from
Abruzzo
(Grotta delle Praie 80 A/PE, Lettomanoppello) and compared with
N. battonii
, also from
Abruzzo
(Grotta Risorgenze di Stiffe 17 A/AQ, San Demetrio ne’ Vestini) and known only from
one female
. In agreement with
Mahnert (1980)
,
N. samniticum
differs from
N. battonii
in having larger dimensions and more slender appendages (pedipalpal femur length
1.99–2.01 mm
and 7.65–7.73 times as long as broad in
N. samniticum
,
1.50 mm
and 6.00 × in
N. battonii
; pedipalpal patella length
1.51–1.53 mm
and 4.90–5.00 times as long as broad in
N. samniticum
,
1.15 mm
and 4.03 × in
N. battonii
) and in the number of setae on the posterior margin of carapace (4 or
5 in
N. samniticum
,
6 in
N. battonii
). About the darker integument between anterior and posterior eyes, it seems to me to be present also in
N. battonii
, despite the precarious condition of the
holotype
. In addition,
N. samniticum
has the fixed chelal finger heterodentate, while it is homodentate in
N. battonii
.
Neobisium samniticum
is similar, especially in the pedipalpal shape, to
N. cerrutii
from Ernici Mountains and to
N
. sp.
aff.
patrizii
from the Lepini Mountains, both in
Latium
. For comparison with
N. cerrutii
see Key to species, for comparison with the latter see Remarks under
N
. sp.
aff.
patrizii
.