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 masoae
n. sp.
(
Figs 161–164
)
Type
locality.
Spain
,
Catalonia
,
Tarragona province
,
Baix Ebre
comarca,
Tivenys
,
Avenc Solsona
(
40°55′26″N
,
00°36′01″E
;
624 m
a.s.l.
).
Distribution.
Spain
:
Catalonia
.
Etymology.
Named after Dr Glòria Masó, arthropod curator at MCNB, for her helpful collaboration.
Diagnosis (
♂
).
A microphthalmic, hypogean, medium-sized
Ephippiochthonius
species of the
gibbus
-group. Movable cheliceral finger with isolated subapical tooth (
di
) and with low and rounded spinneret in male, unknown for female; anterior pair of eyes with weakly convex lens, posterior eyes reduced to eye-spots, anterior margin of carapace with 1 preocular microseta on each side, posterior margin with 2 macrosetae; chelal hand strongly 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 19 teeth; distal half of movable chelal finger with 11 pointed teeth with dental canals, proximal half without marginal lamina, with 5 vestigial teeth without dental canals; pedipalpal femur 6.3 times longer than broad, length
0.57 mm
; chela (
♂
) 5.3 times longer than deep, length
0.78 mm
; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (
♂
) 1.5; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that
ma2
is absent.
Type
material examined.
♂
holotype
(
MCNB
),
Spain
,
Catalonia
,
Tarragona province
,
Baix Ebre
comarca,
Tivenys
,
Avenc Solsona
(
40°55′26″N
,
00°36′01″E
;
624 m
a.s.l.
),
01.V.1994
, leg.
F. Fadrique.
Description (
♂
;
♀
unknown).
Medium-sized microphthalmic hypogean species. Integument weakly depigmented; marked hispid granulation on lateral surface of carapace, on cheliceral hand and on bases of chelal fingers.
Carapace (
Fig. 162
) slightly longer than broad and weakly constricted posteriorly; medial part of anterior margin not prominent, strongly dentate (
Fig. 161
); anterior eyes with weakly convex lens and reflecting tapetum,
0.0425 mm
from anterior margin of carapace, the same length as their diameter, posterior eyes reduced to eyespots,
0.02 mm
from anterior eyes, diameter
0.0375 mm
. Chaetotaxy: 18 macrosetae and 1 preocular microseta on each side, formula m
4m
:6:4:2:2, anteromedial seta
0.095 mm
long; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.
Chelicera with 6 setae and 1 lateral microseta on hand, seta
vb
short
0.0325 mm
long. Fixed finger with 11 teeth decreasing in size proximally, two distal tooth distinctly larger than others. Movable finger with an isolated subapical tooth (
di
), with 10 teeth decreasing in size proximally, two distal teeth larger than others; spinneret low and rounded (
Fig. 163
). Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 15 blades, serrula interior 13 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. Chaetotaxy of sternites 9:(3)8(3):(2)6(2):8:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae; in addition, genital notch of male flanked by 8 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
0.09 mm
long; coxa
I 3
+ 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta
0.05 mm
long;
II 4
+ 12 bipinnate coxal spines,
III 5
+ 5–6 bipinnate coxal spines and
IV 6
; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.
Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:2:5:1. Chela (
Fig. 164
) with hand strongly depressed at level of
ib
/
isb
, with a rounded hump distad of
ib
/
isb
and an abrupt slope between trichobothria
ib
/
isb
and
eb
; ventral intercondylar bow-like protuberance (
ip
) present; 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 19 triangular teeth, 1 distal tooth small, all with dental canals, dental row reaching up to proximad of sensilla
pc
, 2 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 subdistal protuberance (
sp
); 5 teeth at level of
est
/
it
occupying
0.1 mm
, distance between successive apices
0.021–0.025 mm
; antiaxial sensory setae (
as
) as long as the distance between them and markedly shorter than the finger depth at base. Distal half of movable finger with 11 triangular teeth with dental canals, reaching proximad halfway between trichobothria
st
and
sb
, the three proximal teeth decreasing in size, distally with a small tooth; basal half without marginal lamina, with 5 vestigial teeth without dental canals, very flattened, reaching to sensilla
pc
level; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla
pc
between
sb
and
b
. Trichobothria as in
Fig. 164
; trichobothrium
ist
very slightly proximad of
esb
and well proximad of lyrifissure
fb
; distance between
st
and
sb
1.9 times longer than that between
sb
and
b
. All chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that
ma2
is absent.
FIGURES 161–164.
Ephippiochthonius masoae
n. sp.
, male holotype. 161, anterior margin of carapace, partial view; 162, carapace; 163, fingers of left chelicera, partial view; 164, left chela, antiaxial view.
Measurements and ratios.
Male
holotype
: Body 1.33. Carapace 0.41/0.38 (1.1). Chelicera 0.32/0.16 (2.1), movable finger 0.17. Pedipalp: femur 0.57/0.09 (6.3), patella 0.23/0.11 (2.0), chela 0.78/0.15 (5.3), hand 0.31 (2.1), movable finger 0.46; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.4, chela/carapace 1.9, chela/femur 1.4.
Remarks.
Within the
gibbus
-group,
E. masoae
n. sp.
shares with
E. sevai
n. sp.
the following combination of characteristics: only 2 setae in posterior row of carapace, presence of an isolated subapical tooth on movable cheliceral finger, presence of preocular microsetae and at least anterior eyes with convex lens. The two species differ in the microphthalmic hypogean condition of
E. masoae
n. sp.
with posterior ocular area reduced to eyespots, 4 eyes with convex lens in
E. sevai
; lyrifissure
fd3
present in
E. masoae
n. sp.
, absent in
E. sevai
n. sp.
; spinneret prominent in male of
E. masoae
n. sp.
and absent in
E. sevai
n. sp.
Other differences between the species are provided by the pedipalp measurements and ratios, particularly femur and chela, which are more slender and longer in
E. masoae
n. sp.
than in
E. sevai
n. sp.
, as compared in the key.