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 sevai
n. sp.
(
Figs 190–195
)
Type
locality.
Spain
,
Valencian Community
, province of Alicante,
Marina Alta comarca
,
Vall de Laguart
(
38°46′34″N
,
00°06′49″W
;
455 m
a.s.l.
).
Distribution.
Spain
:
Valencian Community
, province of Alicante.
Etymology.
Named after Dr Eduardo Seva for his support for my work during his tenure as head of the Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, as well as in recognition of his contribution to ecological studies in the Alicante province and his work over a long period as Director of the journal
Mediterranea
.
Diagnosis (
♂
♀
).
A small, epigean
Ephippiochthonius
species of the
gibbus
-group. Movable cheliceral finger with isolated subapical tooth (
di
) and without spinneret in male, prominent in female; lyrifissure
ldb
present; two pairs of eyes with lenses, anterior margin of carapace with 1 preocular microseta on each side, posterior margin with 4 macrosetae; chelal hand weakly depressed at level of
ib
/
isb
, with a rounded hump distad of
ib
/
isb
and an abrupt slope between trichobothria
ib
/
isb
and
eb
; fixed chelal finger with 16–18 teeth; movable chelal finger with 7–8 teeth pointed teeth at the distal half with dental canals, basal half without marginal lamina and 4–6 vestigial teeth without dental canals; pedipalpal femur (
♂
) 5.0, (
♀
) 4.8–4.9 times longer than broad, length (
♂
)
0.34 mm
, (
♀
)
0.40–0.42 mm
; chela (
♂
) 4.8, (
♀
) 4.3–4.4 times longer than deep, length (
♂
)
0.48 mm
, (
♀
)
0.57–0.60 mm
; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (
♂
) 1.5, (
♀
) 1.4; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that
ma2
and
fd3
are absent.
Type material examined.
♂ holotype,
1 ♂
paratype
(both
DEUA
),
Spain
,
Valencian Community
, province of
Alicante
,
Marina Alta comarca
,
Vall de Laguart
(
38°46′34″N
,
00°06′49″W
;
455 m
a.s.l.
),
15.I.1988
, leg.
J.A. Zaragoza
, under stones.
L’Alacantí
comarca
,
2 ♀
paratypes
(
DEUA
),
Alicante
,
Plá de la Vallonga
(
38°21′16″N
,
00°33′14″W
;
58 m
a.s.l.
),
16.VI.1990
, under stones, leg.
J.A. Zaragoza
.
Description (
♂
♀
).
Small epigean species. Integument pigmented; marked hispid granulation on lateral surface of carapace, on cheliceral hand and on bases of chelal fingers.
Carapace (
Fig. 191
) slightly longer than broad and weakly constricted posteriorly; anterior margin not prominent, medially dentate (
Fig. 190
); two pairs of well developed eyes with lenses and reflecting tapeta, anterior eyes strongly convex,
0.030–0.035 mm
from anterior margin of carapace, the same distance as their diameter, posterior eyes with weakly convex lens,
0.010–0.021 mm
from anterior eyes, diameter
0.025–0.033 mm
. Chaetotaxy: 18 macrosetae and 1 preocular microseta on each side, formula m
4m
:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae
0.055–0.070 mm
long, sublateral ocular setae
0.04 mm
long; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.
Chelicera (
Figs 192, 193, 195
) with 6 setae and 1 lateral microseta on hand, seta
vb
0.018–0.023 mm
long, microseta
0.013–0.015 mm
long; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure
ldb
present. Fixed finger with 6–7 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 2–4 proximal microtubercles, one distal tooth distinctly larger than others. Movable finger with an isolated subapical tooth (
di
), with 4–5 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 0–1 microtubercles, distal tooth larger than others; spinneret strongly reduced or absent in male (
Fig. 193
), prominent and apically rounded in female (
Fig. 195
); seta
gl
0.54–0.61 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 14 blades, serrula interior with 11–12 blades.
Chaetotaxy of tergites 4:4:4:4:6:6:6:6:1T2T1:4:1T2T1:0, tergites IX and XI each with 2 sublateral tactile setae, tactile seta XI
0.20–0.21 mm
long. Chaetotaxy of sternites 10–11:(3)7–10(3):(2)7(2):8:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III microsetal in size (exceptionally absent in one female), sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae (
0.10–0.20 mm
long); in addition, genital notch of male flanked by 4–7 setae on each side and 4+4 internal glandular setae.
Pedipalpal coxa with 5 setae (including 2 on manducatory process), distal marginal seta of disk
0.05–0.06 mm
long; coxa
I 3
+ 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta
0.02–0.04 mm
long;
II 4
+ 5–8 bipinnate coxal spines,
III 5
+ 2–5 bipinnate coxal spines and
IV 6
; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.
Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:2:5:1. Chela (
Fig. 194
) with hand weakly depressed at level of
ib
/
isb
, with a rounded hump distad of
ib
/
isb
and an abrupt slope between trichobothria
ib
/
isb
and
eb
; dorsal-antiaxial surface of the chelal hand between the hump and trichobothria
eb
/
esb
flattened, limited by a marked edge; ventral intercondylar bow-like protuberance (
ip
) present; width equal to or slightly shorter than depth; chaetotaxy 4:5:3, seta
ph3
lacking, 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 16–18 teeth: one distal tooth very small, 15–17 triangular large teeth, proximally reduced in size and 0–2 proximal rounded teeth, all with dental canals, 2–3 microtubercles at base; 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 a pronounced subdistal protuberance (
sp
); 5–7 teeth at level of
est
/
it
occupying
0.1 mm
, distance between successive apices
0.015–0.020 mm
; one pair of antiaxial sensory setae (
as
) short,
0.013–0.025 mm
long, distance between them
0.021–0.024 mm
, finger depth
0.038–0.045 mm
at the base. Distal half of movable finger with 7–8 triangular teeth, the distal one small, all with dental canals; proximal half without marginal lamina, with 4–6 vestigial teeth without dental canals, most widely rounded, reaching to distad or level of
sb
, 2–4 proximal microtubercles; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla
pc
level with or slightly proximad of
sb
. Trichobothria as in
Fig. 194
;
ist
slightly distad of
esb
(one female slightly proximad) and markedly proximad of lyrifissure
fb
; distance between
ib
/
isb
and
esb
equal to that between
ib
/
isb
and the base of the hand; distance between
st
and
sb
2.0–2.6 times longer than that between
sb
and
b
. All chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that
ma2
and
fd3
are absent.
FIGURES 190–195.
Ephippiochthonius sevai
n. sp.
, male holotype (190–194) and female paratype (195). 190, anterior margin of carapace, partial view; 191, carapace; 192, left chelicera; 193, fingers of left chelicera, partial view; 194, right chela, antiaxial view; 195, movable finger of right chelicera, partial view.
Measurements and ratios.
Male
holotype
, followed, when different, by male
paratype
in square brackets: Body 1.03 [1.06]. Carapace 0.30/0.28 (1.1) [0.31/0.29 (1.1)]. Chelicera 0.24/0.12 (2.0), movable finger 0.12. Pedipalp: femur 0.34/0.07 (5.0) [0.35/0.07 (5.2)], patella 0.15/0.08 (2.0) [1.9], chela 0.48/0.10 (4.8) [0.50/0.10 (4.9)], hand 0.19 (1.9) [0.20 (1.9)], movable finger 0.29 [0.30]; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5; femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.1, chela/carapace 1.6, chela/femur 1.4. Female
paratypes
: Body 1.17-1.32. Carapace 0.36–0.39/ 0.31–0.35 (1.1). Chelicera 0.28–0.30/0.14–0.15 (2.0). Pedipalp: femur 0.40–0.42/0.08–0.09 (4.8–4.9), patella 0.17–0.18/0.10 (1.8), chela 0.57–0.60/0.13–0.14 (4.3–4.4), hand 0.24–0.25 (1.8), movable finger 0.33–0.35; ratio movable finger/hand 1.4, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.1, chela/carapace 1.5–1.6, chela/femur 1.4.
Remarks.
Within the
gibbus-
group,
E. sevai
n. sp.
is close to
E. masoae
n. sp.
, sharing with it the following combination of characteristics: only 2 setae in posterior row of carapace, an isolated subapical tooth present on movable cheliceral finger, presence of preocular microsetae and at least anterior eyes with convex lens. Differences between them are the absence of lyrifissure
fd
3
in
E. sevai
n. sp.
(present in
E. masoae
n. sp.
), the degree of ocular development, the spinneret shape in males and the pedipalpal measurements and ratios, as compared in the key and in the remarks under
E. masoae
n. sp.