Occidenchthonius ebo, 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 : 147-149

Occidenchthonius ebo n. sp. ( Figs 232–236 )

Type locality. Spain, Valencian Community, Alicante province, Marina Alta comarca , Ebo , Cova Vall de Ebo (38°48′46″N, 00°10′38″W; 428 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Spain: Valencian Community.

Etymology. The species name is a noun in apposition referring to the municipality of Ebo , in which the type locality is situated.

Diagnosis (♀). A large, hypogean, strongly troglomorphic Occidenchthonius species of the verai -group. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and with prominent spinneret in female, unknown for male, cheliceral lyrifissure ldb absent; without eyes or eye-spots, anterior margin of carapace without preocular microsetae, posterior margin with 2 macrosetae; chelal hand distinctly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a short, low hump distad of ib / isb and gentle slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 22 teeth; distal two-thirds of movable chelal finger with 19 pointed teeth with dental canals, basal third of movable chelal finger with 7 rounded, partially fused, vestigial teeth, without canals, on raised lamina; pedipalpal femur (♀) 8.0 times longer than broad, length 1.10 mm; chela (♀) 6.7 times longer than deep, length 1.50 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♀) 1.7; lacking lyrifissures ma1, ma2 and hp, all other chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Type material examined. ♀ holotype ( DEUA), Spain, Valencian Community, Alicante province, Marina Alta comarca , Ebo , Cova Vall de Ebo (38°48′46″N, 00°10′38″W; 428 m a.s.l.), date unknown, leg. F. Español.

Description (♀; ♂ unknown). Large, hypogean, strongly troglomorphic species. Integument depigmented; very weak hispid granulation on lateral surfaces of carapace, on cheliceral hand and on bases of chelal fingers.

Carapace ( Fig. 233 ) slightly longer than broad, constricted posteriorly; medial part of anterior margin weakly prominent, without a well-defined epistome, and strongly dentate ( Fig. 232 ). Without eyes or eye-spots. Chaetotaxy: 18 setae, without preocular microsetae, 2 setae in posterior row, formula 4:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.17 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.12 mm; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera ( Figs 234, 235 ) usually with 6 setae and 1 lateral microseta on hand, seta vb short (length 0.07 mm), microsetae 0.05 mm; hand with 4 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb absent. Fixed finger with 13 teeth decreasing in size proximally, two distal teeth distinctly larger than others. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 9 teeth decreasing in size proximally, the distal tooth larger than others; spinneret prominent and apically rounded in female ( Fig. 235 ), unknown for male; seta gl 0.58 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 17 blades, serrula interior 14 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 (0.23 and 0.37 mm long, respectively). Chaetotaxy of sternites 8:(3)8(3):(2)7(2):8:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III macrosetal in size, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae (0.27 mm long).

Pedipalpal coxa with 5 setae (including 2 on manducatory process), distal marginal seta of disk 0.15 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.08 mm long; II 4 + 6–7 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 3 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:3:6:1. Chela ( Fig. 236 ) with hand distinctly depressed at level of ib / isb, with short, low hump distad of ib / isb and gentle slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; weak 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 22 pointed teeth and with dental canals, first two distal teeth small, third tooth of normal row (mt) of fixed finger distinctly modified in shape and deviated in orientation with respect to the others, dental row reaching up to level of trichobothrium sb, 11 proximal microtubercles; tip of fixed finger with an accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; one pair of long antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the base, both well distad of lyrifissure fb, 0.050–0.055 mm long, distance between them 0.065 mm, fixed finger depth at the base 0.080 mm; 4 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.025–0.030 mm. Distal two-thirds of movable finger with 19 pointed teeth with dental canals that reach up to distad of trichobothrium sb, two tiny distal teeth; basal third of movable chelal finger with 7 rounded, partially fused, vestigial teeth, without canals, on raised lamina; dental row reaching up to slightly distad of sensilla pc, 4 proximal microtubercles; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc halfway between sb and b, slightly closer to sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 236 ; trichobothrium ist strongly distad of esb and slightly distad of lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and base of hand approximately equal to that between ib / isb and esb; distance between st and sb 1.8–2.5 times longer than that between sb and b; lacking lyrifissures ma1, ma2 and hp, all other chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements, one chela with duplicated lyrifissure hd.

Measurements and ratios. Female holotype: Body 1.98. Carapace 0.61/0.57 (1.1). Chelicera 0.59/0.26 (2.3), movable finger 0.30. Pedipalp: femur 1.10/0.14 (8.0), patella 0.40/0.18 (2.2), chela 1.50/0.23 (6.7), hand 0.55 (2.4), movable finger 0.91; ratio movable finger/hand 1.7, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.8, chela/carapace 2.5, chela/femur 1.4.

Remarks. Within the verai -group, O. ebo n. sp. shares with O. murcia n. sp. and O. ruizporteroae (Carabajal Márquez, García Carrillo & Rodríguez Fernández, 2001) the position of trichobothrium ist, which is slightly or moderately distad of lyrifissure fb, and similar, large pedipalpal measurements (femur length about 1.10 mm and chela length 1.40 mm or more). O. ebo n. sp. differs from O. murcia n. sp. in having only 7 rounded, vestigial teeth in the basal half of the movable chelal finger, as opposed to 14. O. ebo can be separated from O. ruizporteroae by the absence of cheliceral lyrifissure ldb.

Figures

FIGURES 232 – 236. Occidenchthonius ebo n. sp., female holotype. 232, anterior margin of carapace, partial view; 233, carapace; 234, left chelicera; 235, fingers of left chelicera, partial view; 236, left chela, antiaxial view.