Differentiation among cave populations of the Eukoenenia spelaea species-complex (Arachnida: Palpigradi) in the southwestern Alps Author Christian, Erhard Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, G. Mendel Str. 33, 1180 Wien, Austria. Author Isaia, Marco Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina, 13, 10123 Torino, Italy. Author Paschetta, Mauro Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina, 13, 10123 Torino, Italy. Author Bruckner, Alexander Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, G. Mendel Str. 33, 1180 Wien, Austria. text Zootaxa 2014 2014-05-05 3794 1 52 86 journal article 5616 10.11646/zootaxa.3794.1.2 1451533a-1819-4fed-aa53-c45a8f594844 1175-5326 4914649 AE0A99F2-1D71-46CB-89E2-08ED4C010E17 Eukoenenia lanai Christian , species nova ( Figures 1 , 2 , 5 M , 6 , 10 M , 12 M , 13 M , 14 M , 20 , 21 , 23–25 ) Material examined. Holotype male: Italy , Piemonte , Province of Cueno , Demonte , Miniera superiore di Monfieis ( 44°21′44″N , 07°16′00″E , 1750 m a.s.l. ); 12 September 2010 , leg. E. Lana. Two paratypes : 1 female , 1 male ; same locality, date, and collector. Deposition. Museum of Natural History , Vienna , Austria , Arachnological Collection. Acquisition numbers 21.878 ( holotype ), 21.879 ( paratype female), 21.880 ( paratype male) . Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym in honour of Enrico Lana, eminent speleobiologist, photographer and collector of rare subterranean animals. Diagnosis. A species with all characters of the E. spelaea complex as described above. Body length 2100 µm or more; each finger of chelicera with 8 teeth; lateral organ with 3 blades; 5 deuto-tritosternal setae; forked seta absent on I bta4; proximal forked seta on I ta3 only half length of rod seta; some or all of sternites IV–VI with more than 3+3 setae a ; segment XI of opisthosoma with (9–)10 setae; fusules on first genital lobe of male inserted on dome-shaped bases. Description. Morphometric data are given in Table 1 under ♀ 05, ♂ 06 and ♂ 07 ( holotype ). General appearance . Large Eukoenenia , with a body length of 2100–2170 µm . Shape and pubescence of trunk as in other members of the E. spelaea complex. Trunk of live individuals yellowish, particularly the opisthosoma. FIGURE 24. Graphic representation of the measurements used for the morphometric analysis (data from Tables 1 & 2, in µm). Only females included. Initials of caves as in Fig. 23 (non-Italian comparative populations in brackets). FIGURE 25. Graphic representation of the values of commonly used morphological indices (data from Tables 1 & 2). Only females included. Initials of caves as in Fig. 23. FIGURE 26. General appearance of a larva (left) and an adult female of E. strinatii from Bossea. Specimens enlarged to the same trunk length. Prosoma . Frontal organ 40 µm long ( holotype ), with two lanceolate, pointed branches. Lateral organ with 3 reticulated, 45–49 µm-long blades that are parallel-sided with a pointed tip ( Fig. 5 M ). Propeltidium with 10+10 setae, the shortest ( 29–31 µm ) in central position, the longest ( 53–57 µm ) laterally in posterior half. Setae t 1 , t 2 and t 3 of metapeltidium 74–85, 132–145 and 82–98 µm long, respectively. Labrum with usual cuticular pattern and 5+5 short setae. Deuto-tritosternum with 5 setae of 47–54 µm , arranged in a wide V. Chaetotaxy of chelicera and dentition of fingers as in E. roscia . Coxal chaetotaxy as described above for spelaea group. Curved seta near tip of pedipalp weakly and asymmetrically forked, the typical fs is inserted somewhat behind. Leg I with 7 trichobothria in usual arrangement and a total of 7 forked setae. The ta3 of leg I has 4 fs in distal half, 1–1–2: fs 1 is only half length of the nearby rs ; in all specimens fs 2 is inserted much closer to m than to cs ( Fig. 10 M ). I bta3 not as slender as in E. strinatii and E. roscia , length/width 3.06–3.19 ( Fig. 12 M ); seta r inserted at 48–53% of article length. I bta4 without fs . IV bta slender, all ratios very similar to those of E. roscia ; r < grt < esd ; tip of r does not project beyond distal end of article ( Fig. 13 M ). Opisthosoma . Anterior tergites with t 1 , t 3 , s on segment II and t 1 , t 2 , t 3 , s on III–VI. Sternites IV–VI each with a pair of submedian circular structures and lateral setae s 1 and s 2 ; more than 3+3 submedian setae a on at least one of the sternites IV–VI, the maximum observed (N = 3) was 4 per side ( Figs 6 & 14 M ). E. lanai has by far the relatively longest setae a among all populations investigated (see above). The setation of the terminal segments ( Table 3 ) is partly variable; segment VII carries 13–17 setae, segment XI has 9 (female) or 10 setae (the two males ). The 2 pairs of setae on the intermediate ring of the flagellum are of equal length. In the holotype , the flagellum (detached, under separate coverslip) is preserved from the third article to the tip ( Fig. 21 ). Length (in µm) and number of setae (in brackets; “+” indicates the presence of an apical crown) are for article 3: 217 (10+), 4: 214 (9), 5: 176 (8+), 6: 212 (8), 7: 171 (8+), 8: 227 (8), 9: 184 (8+), 10: 249 (7), 11: 207 (7), 12: 239 (7), 13: 179 (7), 14: 123 (6 and 1 terminal seta). On article 3, the longest seta measures 277 µm , the longest spine of the apical crown 68 µm . Photographs of two live individuals show 14 flagellar articles and the relatively longest flagellum observed in this study (1.9–2.0× trunk length, Table 4 ). Female genital area . First lobe has 7+3 setae on each side; the innermost of the 3 apical setae measures 24 µm , it is somewhat shorter than the others. Each half of second lobe possesses 3 setae. The total formula is 7+3/3. Male genital area . Chaetotaxy (2+9+2f/3/4) and general shape of genital lobes as in E. strinatii (cf. Fig. 19 ). The fusules, however, are inserted on dome-shaped bases ( Fig. 20 ), a character that separates E. lanai from the other species of the present study. In the holotype , the longest seta on the first lobe measures 98 µm , the fusules 60 µm .