Revision of the Ephippiochthonius complex in the Iberian Peninsula, Balearic Islands and Macaronesia, with proposed changes to the status of the Chthonius subgenera (Pseudoscorpiones, Chthoniidae)
Author
Zaragoza, Juan A.
text
Zootaxa
2017
4246
1
1
221
journal article
36212
10.5281/zenodo.437611
3ff74501-6241-43b2-a52f-0e7580bb2f45
1175-5326
437611
D8594E96-D561-4A37-9073-B138EC7E95A7
Ephippiochthonius aguileraorum
(
Carabajal Márquez, García Carrillo & Rodríguez Fernández, 2000
)
,
n. comb.
(
Fig. 68
)
Chthonius
(
Ephippiochthonius
)
aguileraorum
Carabajal Márquez, García Carrillo & Rodríguez Fernández, 2000
: 28
–30, figs 1–4, table 1.
Chthonius
(
Ephippiochthonius
)
aguileraorum
:
Zaragoza 2007
: 14
.
Type
locality.
Spain
,
Andalusia
,
Cádiz province
, Villaluenga del Rosario,
Cueva de la Hiedra
(
36°42′02″N
,
05°23′14″W
;
1191 m
a.s.l.
).
Distribution.
Spain
:
Andalusia
.
Diagnosis (
♂
♀
).
A large, microphthalmic, hypogean
Ephippiochthonius
species of the
tetrachelatus
-group. Movable cheliceral finger with isolated subapical tooth (
di
) and with prominent spinneret in both sexes; lyrifissure
ldb
present. Anterior pair of eyes with lens, posterior pair reduced to eye-spots, anterior margin of carapace usually with 2 (rarely 1–2) preocular microsetae on each side, posterior row with 2 medial macrosetae and usually 2 (rarely 4) lateral microsetae. Chelal hand weakly depressed at level of
ib
/
isb
, with a low hump distad of
ib
/
isb
and a gentle slope between trichobothria
ib
/
isb
and
eb
; fixed chelal finger with 25–32 teeth; distal half of movable chelal finger with 12–14 pointed teeth with dental canals, proximal half with very weak vestigial teeth. Pedipalpal femur (
♂
) 8.9–9.2, (
♀
) 8.3–9.2 times longer than broad, length (
♂
)
1.29–1.34 mm
, (
♀
)
1.24–1.35 mm
; chela (
♂
) 6.8–6.9, (
♀
) 5.9–6.7 times longer than deep, length (
♂
)
1.74–1.82 mm
, (
♀
)
1.70–1.87 mm
; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (
♂
) 1.6, (
♀
) 1.5–1.6. All the chelal lyrifissure groups present in their standard numbers, except that
hd
is absent,
fd
group with 3–4 lyrifissures.
Non-type
material examined.
Spain
,
Andalusia
,
Cádiz province
,
2 ♂
(CECOUAL),
Villaluenga
del
Rosario
,
Cueva
VR-9 (
36°41′56″N
,
05°23′53″W
;
1357 m
a.s.l.
),
28.VII.2013
, leg.
G.I.E.X. The
locally unnamed
Cueva
VR- 9 is located in the same karstic massif as
Cueva de la Hiedra
; most of the caves at
Villaluenga
del
Rosario
were designated with the acronym VR and numbered by cave explorers (
Pedroche Fernández & Mendoza López 1994
).
Description (
♂
♀
).
Large, microphthalmic, hypogean species. Integument weakly pigmented; marked hispid granulation on lateral surfaces of carapace, on cheliceral hand and, more weakly, on bases of chelal fingers.
Carapace slightly longer than broad and weakly constricted posteriorly; medial part of anterior margin prominent and strongly dentate, without a well-defined epistome; anterior eyes with low convex lens (diameter
0.050–0.053 mm
),
0.055–0.060 mm
from anterior margin of carapace, posterior eyes reduced to eye-spots,
0.080– 0.085 mm
from anterior eyes, diameter
0.055 mm
; both pairs of eyes with reflecting tapeta. Chaetotaxy: 20 setae plus 2 (rarely 1) preocular microsetae on each side, posterior margin with 2 medial macrosetae and 2 (rarely 4) lateral microsetae on each side, macrosetal formula 4:6:4:2:2; anteromedial and posteromedial setae
0.16–0.18 mm
long, sublateral ocular setae
0.14 mm
; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.
Cheliceral hand with 6 setae and 1–2 lateral microsetae, seta
vb
short (length
0.085 mm
), microsetae
0.045 mm
long; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure
ldb
present. Fixed finger with 6–10 teeth decreasing in size proximally, 1–3 distal teeth distinctly larger than others. Movable finger with an isolated subapical tooth (
di
), with 6–8 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 2–3 proximal microtubercles, distal tooth distinctly larger than others; spinneret present in both sexes, prominent in female and slightly reduced in male; seta
gl
0.61 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 16 blades, serrula interior with 13 blades.
Chaetotaxy of tergites 4:4:4:4:6:6:6:6:1T2T1:4:1T2T1:0. Chaetotaxy of sternites 10:(3)10–11(3):(2)7(2):9– 10:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III microsetal in size; in addition, genital notch of male flanked by 8–10 setae on each side and 4+4 internal glandular setae.
FIGURE 68.
Ephippiochthonius aguileraorum
(Carabajal Márquez, García Carrillo & Rodríguez Fernández, 2000)
n. comb.
, male, Cueva VR-9, Villaluenga del Rosario, Cádiz province, Spain, left chela, antiaxial view.
FIGURE 69.
Ephippiochthonius amatei
(Carabajal Márquez, García Carrillo & Rodríguez Fernández, 2001)
n. comb.
, female paratype, right chela, antiaxial view.
Pedipalpal coxa with 5 setae (including 2 on manducatory process), distal marginal seta of disk
0.14 mm
long; coxa
I 3
+ 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta
0.11–0.12 mm
long;
II 3–4
+ 10–13 bipinnate coxal spines,
III 5
+ 5–6 bipinnate coxal spines and
IV 6
; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.
Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:5–6:2:6–8:1. Chela (
Fig. 68
) with hand weakly depressed at level of
ib
/
isb
, with a low hump distad of
ib
/
isb
and gentle slope between trichobothria
ib
/
isb
and
eb
; dorsal-antiaxial face of chelal hand flattened between the hump and trichobothria
eb
/
esb
, limited by a marked edge; ventral bow-like intercondylar protuberance (
ip
) present; width shorter than depth; chaetotaxy 4:5:3, seta
ph3
absent, setae
ih1
,
ih3
and
ih4
approximately level with trichobothria
ib
/
isb
; distal end of hand and bases of chelal fingers with sclerotized condylar complex. Fixed finger with 31–32 teeth in male,
25 in
female, mostly pointed and progressively decreasing in size in proximal third, the distal tooth small, 2 most proximal teeth low and rounded, all with dental canals, dental row reaching slightly distad of trichobothrium
b
, about 12 basal microtubercles; tip of finger with an accessory tooth (
td
) on antiaxial face; tip of fixed chelal finger of male with a deep hollow on paraxial face and small subdistal protuberance (
sp
); 2–3 short antiaxial sensory setae (
as
) at base,
0.020–0.040 mm
long, distance between them
0.050–0.070 mm
, fixed finger depth at the base
0.080–0.085 mm
; 2–3 teeth at level of
est
/
it
occupying
0.1 mm
, distance between successive apices
0.043–0.050 mm
. Distal half of movable finger with 12–14 pointed teeth with dental canals, of which 2–4 proximal teeth reduced in size, distal tooth small; proximal half with vestigial teeth reduced to weak undulations, without dental canals, dental row reaching halfway between trichobothria
sb
and
b
; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla
pc
well distad of
sb
. Trichobothria as in
Fig. 68
;
ist
well distad of
esb
and lyrifissure
fb
; distance between
ib
/
isb
and
esb
1.2 times that between
ib
/
isb
and base of hand; distance between
st
and
sb
1.9–2.1 times longer than that between
sb
and
b
. All chelal lyrifissure groups present, except for
hd
;
fd
with 3–4 lyrifissures.
Measurements and ratios
. Males from Cueva VR-9: Body 1.94–2.46. Carapace 0.66–0.69/0.66–0.61 (1.0–1.1). Chelicera 0.62–0.65/0.28 (2.2–2.3), movable finger 0.33–0.35. Pedipalp: femur 1.29–1.34/0.14–0.15 (8.9–9.2), patella 0.48–0.49/0.20–0.21 (2.4), chela 1.74–1.82/0.26–0.27 (6.8–6.9), hand 0.66–0.70 (2.6), movable finger 1.05–1.12; ratio movable finger/hand 1.6, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.9–2.0, chela/carapace 2.6, chela/femur 1.3–1.4. Female: Body 2.26–2.80. Carapace 0.65–0.70/0.64–0.70 (1.0–1.1). Pedipalp: femur 1.24– 1.35/0.14–0.15 (8.3–9.2), patella 0.45–0.47/0.19–0.20 (2.4), chela 1.70–1.87/0.28–0.29 (5.9–6.7), hand 0.67–0.75 (2.3–2.7), movable finger 1.03–1.12; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5–1.6, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.8–1.9, chela/carapace 2.6–2.7, chela/femur 1.4.
Remarks.
Ephippiochthonius aguileraorum
(
Carabajal Márquez, García Carrillo & Rodríguez Fernández, 2000
)
shares the presence of 4 setae in the posterior row of the carapace with the following species of the
tetrachelatus
-group:
E. cabreriensis
(
Mahnert, 1993
)
,
E. rimicola
(
Mahnert, 1993
)
and
E. serengei
n. sp.
Of these, only
E. rimicola
shares with
E. aguileraorum
the presence of an isolated subapical tooth on the movable cheliceral finger, but it is markedly different, in having two pairs of well developed eyes and being a stouter, epigean species. The above description incorporates in part that of
Carabajal
et al.
(2000)
.