Ephippiochthonius ponsi ( Mahnert, 1993 ) Mahnert, 1993

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 : 100-103

Ephippiochthonius ponsi ( Mahnert, 1993) , n. comb.

( Fig. 167 )

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) ponsi Mahnert 1993: 973 –975, figs 5–7. Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) ponsi: Zaragoza 2007: 19 .

Type locality. Spain, Balearic Islands, Cabrera Island, Avenc des Frare (39°08′20″N, 02°55′29″E; 27 m a.s.l.). Distribution . Spain: Balearic Islands .

Diagnosis (♂ ♀). A medium-sized, epigean Ephippiochthonius species of the tetrachelatus -group. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and with prominent spinneret in female, absent in male; lyrifissure ldb present; two pairs of eyes with lenses, anterior margin of carapace with 0–1 preocular microsetae on each side, posterior margin with 2 macrosetae; pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1; chelal hand distinctly depressed at level of ib / isb, with rounded hump distad of ib / isb and an abrupt slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 22–26 teeth; movable chelal finger with 7–9 teeth pointed teeth at the distal half with dental canals, basal half without marginal lamina, with very low undulations; pedipalpal femur (♂) 6.2–6.6, (♀) 6.7 times longer than broad, length (♂) 0.73–0.76 mm, (♀) 0.80 mm; chela (♂) 5.4–5.5, (♀) 4.9 times longer than deep, length (♂) 0.98–1.00 mm, (♀) 1.02 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♂) 1.4–1.5, (♀) 1.4; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Type material examined. 1 ♂ paratype ( MHNG), Spain, Balearic Islands, Cabrera Island, Avenc des Frare (39°08′20″N, 02°55′29″E; 27 m a.s.l.), 12.I.1991, leg. J.A. Alcover & G. Pons .

Description (♂ ♀). Medium-sized epigean species. Integument pigmented; marked hispid granulation on lateral surface of carapace and on cheliceral hand, more weakly on bases of chelal fingers.

Carapace as long as broad, weakly constricted posteriorly; anterior margin weakly prominent, medially dentate; two pairs of well developed eyes with lenses and reflecting tapeta, anterior eyes strongly convex, 0.05 mm from anterior margin of carapace, diameter 0.06 mm, posterior eyes with weaker lens than anterior pair, 0.035 mm from anterior eyes, diameter 0.045 mm. Chaetotaxy: 18 macrosetae and 0–1 preocular microsetae on each side, macrosetal formula 4:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.11 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.10 mm long; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera with 6 setae and 1 lateral microseta on hand, seta vb 0.050 mm long, microseta 0.025 mm long; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 7 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 2 proximal microtubercles, distal tooth larger than others. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 7 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 2 proximal microtubercles, distal tooth larger than others; spinneret prominent in female, absent in male; seta gl 0.57 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 14–16 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 10:(3)9–10(3):(2)6–9(2):7–8:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III microsetal in size, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae (0.20 mm long); in addition, genital notch of male flanked by 8–11 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 0.10 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.075 mm long; II 4 + 7–8 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 4– 5 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 167 ) with hand distinctly depressed at level of ib / isb, with 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 slightly longer than depth; chaetotaxy 4:5:3 (4:4:3 on one chela and normal formula on the other), 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 22–26 mostly pointed teeth, decreasing in size proximally, of these the 2 proximal teeth rounded, all with dental canals, dental row reaching up to slightly distad of trichobothrium b, 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 a pronounced subdistal protuberance (sp); 5 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.023–0.028 mm; one pair of very short antiaxial sensory setae (as), 0.008–0.010 mm long, very closer together, distance between them 0.011 mm, finger depth at the base 0.058 mm. Distal half of movable finger with 7–9 triangular teeth (strongly worn in one male paratype) level with trichobothrium st or slightly proximad, all with dental canals; proximally without marginal lamina, up to sensilla pc level with 9–10 very low undulations, without dental canals, almost unrecognizable in one male paratype; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc distinctly proximad of sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 167 ; ist level with or slightly distad of esb, trichobothria eb -esb -ist in a straight line, ist well 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 1.6 times longer than that between sb and b. All chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Measurements and ratios. Holotype and paratype males, followed, when different, by female paratype in square brackets: Carapace 0.50–0.52/0.49–0.51 (1.0) [0.53/0.52]. Pedipalp: femur 0.73–0.76/0.11–0.12 (6.2–6.6) [0.80/0.12 (6.7)], patella 0.29–0.30/0.14–0.16 (1.8–2.1) [0.31/0.15 (2.1)], chela 0.98–1.00/0.18–0.19 (5.4–5.5) [1.02/0.21 (4.9)], hand 0.40–0.43 (2.2–2.3) [0.43 (2.1)], movable finger 0.58–0.60 [0.61]; ratio movable finger/ hand 1.4–1.5, femur/movable finger 1.3, femur/carapace 1.5, chela/carapace 2.0 [1.9], chela/femur 1.3.

Remarks. Within the species of the tetrachelatus -group, E. ponsi ( Mahnert, 1993) shares with E. tetrachelatus and E. tarraconensis n. sp. the presence of well developed eyes, only 2 setae in posterior row of carapace and the absence of an isolated subapical tooth on movable cheliceral finger. E. ponsi differs from the other two species by the absence of a cheliceral spinneret in male (versus prominent or more or less reduced) and the pedipalpal femur chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1 (versus 3:6:2:5:1). The above description incorporates in part that of Mahnert (1993).

Figures

FIGURE 167. Ephippiochthonius ponsi (Mahnert, 1993) n. comb., male paratype, left chelicera. FIGURE 168. Ephippiochthonius rimicola (Mahnert, 1993) n. comb., female, Valverde, Hierro Island, Canary Islands, Spain, left chela, antiaxial view.