Occidenchthonius montagudi, Zaragoza, Juan A., 2017

Zaragoza, Juan A., 2017, 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), Zootaxa 4246 (1), pp. 1-221 : 178-180

Occidenchthonius montagudi n. sp. ( Figs 280–285 )

Type locality. Spain, Valencian Community, Marina Alta Comarca, Pego, Cova de les Aranyes (38°54′12″N, 00°07′02″W; 29 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Spain: Valencian Community.

Etymology. Named after Dr Sergio Montagud for his collaboration and intensive collecting effort to improve knowledge of the pseudoscorpions of the Valencian Community.

Diagnosis (♂ ♀). A small, hypogean, weakly troglomorphic Occidenchthonius species of the verai -group. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and with prominent spinneret in female, reduced in male, lyrifissure ldb absent; without eyes or eye-spots, anterior margin of carapace without preocular microsetae, posterior margin with 2 macrosetae; chelal hand strongly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a short hump distad of ib / isb and an abrupt slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 14–15 teeth; distal half of movable chelal finger with 9–10 pointed teeth with dental canals, basal half of movable chelal finger with 8–10 rounded, partially fused, vestigial teeth, without canals, on raised lamina; pedipalpal femur (♂) 4.8–5.0, (♀) 4.9 times longer than broad, length (♂) 0.39–0.42 mm, (♀) 0.44 mm; chela (♂) 4.8–5.0, (♀) 4.6 times longer than deep, length (♂) 0.58–0.60 mm, (♀) 0.62 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♂) 1.4–1.6, (♀) 1.5; lacking lyrifissures ma1, ma2 and hp, all other patterns present with their standard complements.

Type material examined. ♂ holotype (DEUA), 1 ♂ paratype (MNCN), 1 ♀ paratype ( DEUA), Spain, Valencian Community, Alicante province , Marina Alta comarca, Pego, Cova de les Aranyes (38°54′12″N, 00°07′02″W; 29 m a.s.l.), 20.III‒03.V.2003, captured in pitfall, leg. S. Montagud et al.

Description (♂ ♀). Small, hypogean species, weakly troglomorphic. Integument depigmented; hispid granulation on lateral surfaces of carapace, on cheliceral hand and weaker on bases of chelal fingers.

Carapace ( Fig. 281 ) slightly longer than broad, constricted posteriorly; medial part of anterior margin weakly prominent, without a well-defined epistome and strongly dentate ( Fig. 280 ). Without eyes or eye-spots. Chaetotaxy: 18 setae, without preocular microsetae, 2 setae in posterior row, formula 4:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.07–0.08 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.05 mm; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera ( Figs 282, 283, 285 ) with 6 setae and 2 lateral microsetae on hand, seta vb short (0.021 mm long), microsetae 0.016 mm; hand with 4 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb absent. Fixed finger with 8–11 teeth decreasing in size proximally, two distal teeth distinctly larger than others, 2–3 proximal microtubercles.

Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 5–8 teeth decreasing in size proximally, the distal tooth larger than others, 0–2 proximal microtubercles; spinneret prominent in female ( Fig. 285 ), reduced in male, particularly in holotype ( Fig. 283 ); seta gl 0.56–0.58 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 14 blades, serrula interior 11 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 (0.17 and 0.20 mm long, respectively). Chaetotaxy of sternites 7–9:(3)8(3):(2)6(2):7–8:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III macrosetal in size, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae (0.11–0.17 mm long); in addition, genital notch of male flanked by 6–7 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 0.06–0.08 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.04–0.05 mm long; II 4 + 6–7 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 3–5 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 284 ) with hand strongly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a short hump distad of ib / isb and an abrupt slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; marked hollow before base of movable finger with thicker cuticle; width slightly shorter than depth, maximum width proximad of ib / isb; chaetotaxy 4:5:4, seta ph3 present; distal end of hand and bases of chelal fingers with sclerotized condylar complex. Fixed finger with 14–15 pointed teeth and with dental canals, first two distal teeth small, third tooth of normal row (mt) distinctly modified in shape and deviated in orientation with respect to the others, dental row reaching up to level or slightly distad of trichobothrium sb; 5 proximal microtubercles; tip of fixed finger with an accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; tip of fixed chelal finger of male with a weak hollow on paraxial face, without subdistal protuberance (sp); one pair of long antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the base, 0.030–0.035 mm long, distance between them 0.030–0.040 mm, fixed finger depth at the base 0.043–0.048 mm; 5 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.019–0.021 mm. Distal half of movable finger with 9–10 pointed teeth with dental canals that reach up to proximad of trichobothrium st, the distal tooth very tiny and on low tubercle, the subdistal tooth small; basal half of movable chelal finger with 8–10 rounded, partially fused, vestigial teeth, without canals, on raised lamina; dental row reaching up to trichobothrium sb or sensilla pc, 2–4 proximal microtubercles; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc proximad of sb, usually just close. Trichobothria as in Fig. 284 ; trichobothrium ist slightly distad of esb and well proximad of lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and esb approximately equal to that between ib / isb and the base of the hand; distance between st and sb 2.4–2.5 times longer than that between sb and b; lacking lyrifissures ma1, ma2 and hp, all other patterns present with their standard complements.

Measurements and ratios. Male holotype, followed, when different, by male paratype in square brackets: Body 1.01 [1.11]. Carapace 0.33/0.30 (1.1) [0.34/0.33 (1.0)]. Chelicera 0.25/0.13 (2.0) [0.28/0.14 (2.0)], movable finger 0.14 [0.15]. Pedipalp: femur 0.39/0.08 (5.0) [0.42/0.09 (4.8)], patella 0.18/0.09 (2.0) [0.18/0.10 (1.9)], chela 0.58/ 0.12 (5.0) [0.60/0.13 (4.8)], hand 0.22 (1.9) [0.25 (2.0)], movable finger 0.35 [0.34]; ratio movable finger/hand 1.6 [1.4], femur/movable finger 1.1 [1.2], femur/carapace 1.2, chela/carapace 1.7 [1.8], chela/femur 1.5 [1.4]. Female paratype: Body 1.00. Carapace 0.36/0.32 (1.1). Chelicera 0.30/0.15 (2.0), movable finger 0.16. Pedipalp: femur 0.44/0.09 (4.9), patella 0.20/0.10 (1.9), chela 0.62/0.14 (4.6), hand 0.25 (1.9), movable finger 0.37; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.2, chela/carapace 1.7, chela/femur 1.4.

Remarks. Within the verai -group, O. montagudi n. sp. is comparable to O. giennensis and O. lencinai n. sp. by its small size (chela length less than 1.00 mm). It differs from O. giennensis in the number of cheliceral microsetae (2 versus 4–5). It is closer to O. lencinai n. sp., but differs from the latter in the lower number of teeth on fixed chelal finger (14–15, versus 19) and by the stouter and shorter pedipalp, as compared in the key and in the remarks under O. lencinai n. sp.

Figures

FIGURES 280 – 285. Occidenchthonius montagudi n. sp., male holotype (280 – 284) and female paratype (285). 280, anterior margin of carapace, partial view; 281, carapace; 282, left chelicera; 283, fingers of left chelicera, partial view; 284, right chela, antiaxial view; 285, movable finger of left chelicera, partial view.