Ephippiochthonius galcerani, 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 : 73-75

Ephippiochthonius galcerani n. sp. ( Figs 130–135 )

Type locality. Spain, Valencian Community, Castellón province , La Plana Alta comarca, Serra d’en Galceran, Cova Santa (40°14′52″N, 00°01′00″W; 552 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Spain: Valencian Community.

Etymology. Latin noun derived from the municipal area of Serra d’en Galceran, in which the type locality is situated.

Diagnosis (♂). A small, microphthalmic, hypogean Ephippiochthonius species of the gibbus- group. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and with extremely reduced spinneret in male, lyrifissure ldb present; anterior pair of eyes with moderate convex lens, posterior eyes with weakly convex lens, anterior margin of carapace with 1 preocular microseta on each side, posterior margin with 2 macrosetae; chelal hand depressed at level of ib / isb, with a large and rounded hump distad of ib / isb and an abrupt slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 20 teeth; distal half of movable chelal finger with 8 pointed teeth with dental canals, proximal half without marginal lamina, with 6 very weak vestigial teeth; pedipalpal femur (♂) 5.3 times longer than broad, length 0.50 mm; chela (♂) 4.8 times longer than deep, length (♂) 0.69 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/ chelal hand (♂) 1.3; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that ma2 is absent.

Type material examined. ♂ holotype ( DEUA), Spain, Valencian Community, Castellón province, La Plana Alta comarca, Serra d’en Galceran , Cova Santa (40°14′52″N, 00°01′00″W; 552 m a.s.l.), 18.IV.1981, leg. J. Comas.

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

Carapace ( Fig. 131 ) slightly longer than broad and weakly constricted posteriorly; medial part of anterior margin straight, without epistome, and strongly dentate ( Fig. 130 ); anterior eyes with low convex lens (diameter 0.030 mm), 0.035 mm from anterior margin of carapace, posterior eyes with weakly convex lens or reduced to eyespots, 0.035 mm from anterior eyes, diameter 0.03 mm. Chaetotaxy: 18 macrosetae and 1 preocular microseta on each side, formula m 4m:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.075 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.055 mm; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera ( Figs 133, 134 ) with 6 setae and 1 lateral microseta on hand, seta vb short (0.035 mm long), microseta 0.015 mm; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 10 teeth decreasing in size proximally, two distal teeth distinctly larger than others. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 4 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 2 proximal microtubercles, the distal tooth larger than others; spinneret strongly reduced in male, almost inexistent ( Fig. 134 ); seta gl 0.59 from base of movable finger. 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 10:(3)10(3):(2)7(2):9:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III microsetal in size, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae; in addition, genital notch of male flanked by 7–8 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 0.085 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.05 mm long; II 3–4 + 7–8 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 4–5 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:2:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 135 ) with hand depressed at level of ib / isb, with a large and 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 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 20 teeth, mostly pointed and proximal half progressively decreasing in size, 1 proximal teeth rounded, all with dental canals, dental row reaching slightly proximad of trichobothrium sb; 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 small subdistal protuberance (sp) ( Fig. 132 ); one pair of short antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the base, on either side of lyrifissure fb, 0.015 mm long, distance between them 0.025 mm, fixed finger depth at the base 0.045 mm; 5 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.020– 0.024 mm. Distal half of movable finger with 8 pointed teeth with dental canals, the distal and proximal ones small; proximal half without marginal lamina, with 6 very weak vestigial teeth, apparently without dental canals, dental row reaching slightly proximad of trichobothrium sb; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc slightly distad of sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 135 ; trichobothrium ist slightly distad of esb and well proximad of lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and esb 1.1 times longer than between ib / isb and the base of the hand; distance between st and sb 3.6 times longer than that between sb and b. All chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that ma2 is absent.

Measurements and ratios. Male holotype. Body 1.40. Carapace 0.39/0.38 (1.0). Chelicera 0.32/0.16 (2.0), movable finger 0.16. Pedipalp: femur 0.50/0.10 (5.3), patella 0.21/0.11 (2.0), chela 0.69/0.14 (4.8), hand 0.30 (2.1), movable finger 0.40; ratio movable finger/hand 1.3, femur/movable finger 1.3, femur/carapace 1.3, chela/carapace 1.8, chela/femur 1.4.

Remarks. Within the gibbus- group, E. galcerani n. sp. shares with E. amatei n. sp. and E. caceresi n. sp. the following characteristics: movable cheliceral finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di) and, in male, without a spinneret, no microsetae in posterior row of carapace, eyes present, distal half of chelal hand with a short row of pointed teeth distad of halfway between trichobothria st and sb. It is readily distinguishable from both species by the different ocular development, the ratio st–sb / sb–b, the position of coupled sensilla pc, and (in the case of E. amatei n. sp. only) by the pedipalpal femur chaetotaxy, as compared in the key.

Figures

FIGURES 130 – 135. Ephippiochthonius galcerani n. sp., male holotype. 130, anterior margin of carapace, partial view; 131, carapace; 132, tip of fixed chelal finger, dorsal view; 133, left chelicera; 134, fingers of left chelicera, partial view; 135, left chela, antiaxial view.