Ephippiochthonius comasi, 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 : 67-69

Ephippiochthonius comasi n. sp. ( Figs 118–123 )

Type locality. Spain, Valencian Community, Valencia province, La Safor comarca, La Font d’en Carrós, Cova de l’Angel (38°54′51″N, 00°09′24″W; 145 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Spain: Valencian Community.

Etymology. The species name honours the biospeleologist Jordi Comas (BIOSP), who donated the holotype to DEUA, for his great contribution to improving knowledge of the Iberian hypogean fauna.

Diagnosis (♂). A moderately large, hypogean Ephippiochthonius species of the tetrachelatus -group. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and without spinneret in male, unknown for female, lyrifissure ldb present; no eyes or eye-spots, 1–2 preocular microsetae on each side, posterior margin of carapace with 2 macrosetae; pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1; chelal hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with long and low hump distad of ib / isb and gentle slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 21–22 teeth; movable chelal finger with 18 teeth, without marginal lamina; pedipalpal femur (♂) 7.8, times longer than broad, length 0.83–0.86 mm; chela (♂) 7.0–7.1 times longer than deep, length 1.14–1.17 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♂) 1.6; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Type material examined. ♂ holotype (DEUA), 1 ♂ paratype ( JCB), Spain, Valencian Community, Valencia province, La Safor comarca, La Font d’en Carrós , Cova de l’Angel (38°54′51″N, 00°09′24″W; 145 m a.s.l.), 26.XII.1982, leg. J.V. González .

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

Carapace ( Fig. 119 ) distinctly longer than broad and posteriorly constricted; medial part of anterior margin prominent, strongly dentate, without a well-defined epistome ( Fig. 118 ); without eyes or eye-spots. Chaetotaxy: 18 macrosetae and 1 preocular microseta on each side, formula m 4m:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.10 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.05 mm long; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera ( Figs 121, 122 ) with 6 setae and 1 lateral microseta on hand, seta vb short (length 0.05 mm), microseta 0.02 mm long; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 9– 10 teeth decreasing in size proximally, two distal teeth distinctly larger than others. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 6–8 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 1–5 proximal microtubercles, the distal tooth larger than others; spinneret absent in male ( Fig. 122 ), unknown for female; seta gl 0.53–0.56 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 15 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. Chaetotaxy of sternites 10–11:(3)9–10(3):(2)7–8(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; 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 0.09 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.07–0.08 mm long; II 4 + 12–14 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. 123 ) with hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with long and low hump distad of ib / isb and gentle 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 21–22 teeth, most pointed and with dental canals, decreasing in size proximally, the 2 distal ones tiny, 2–3 proximal teeth rounded, dental row reaching halfway between trichobothria sb and b, 1–2 proximal microtubercles; 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) ( Fig. 120 ); one pair of long antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the finger base, 0.045–0.06 mm long, distance between them 0.06–0.07 mm, finger depth at the base 0.05–0.06 mm; 3 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.038–0.040 mm. Movable finger with 18 teeth, most with dental canals, the distal one tiny, up to halfway between st and sb are pointed and well developed, decreasing in size proximally and 3–5 proximal teeth are rounded, low and without dental canals, halfway between trichobothria sb and b, 1 proximal microtubercle; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc level slightly proximad of trichobothrium sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 123 ; trichobothrium ist slightly distad of esb and well proximad of lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and esb 1.1–1.2 times longer than that between ib / isb and the base of the hand; distance between st and sb 2.1–2.2 times longer than that between sb and b. All chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Measurements and ratios. Male holotype, followed by male paratype in square brackets: Body 1.51 [1.49]. Carapace 0.47/0.41 (1.1) [0.49/0.40 (1.2)]. Chelicera 0.45/0.19 (2.4) [0.42/0.18 (2.4)], movable finger 0.23 [0.22]. Pedipalp: femur 0.86/0.11 (7.8) [0.83/0.11 (7.8)], patella 0.33/0.14 (2.4) [0.32/0.13 (2.5)], chela 1.17/0.17 (7.1) [1.14/0.16 (7.0)], hand 0.44 (2.6) [0.43 (2.6], movable finger 0.70; ratio movable finger/hand 1.6, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.8 [1.7], chela/carapace 2.5 [2.4], chela/femur 1.4.

Remarks. Within the tetrachelatus -group, E. comasi n. sp. shares with E. benimaquia n. sp., E. fadriquei n. sp. and E. mahnerti the following combination of characteristics: anophthalmic, hypogean, with 1–2 preocular microsetae, only 2 setae in posterior row of carapace, without isolated subapical tooth on movable cheliceral finger, movable chelal finger with 15–21 teeth with dental canals, pedipalpal femur longer than 0.80 mm and with chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1. E. comasi n. sp. is closer to E. mahnerti , with which it shares the position of the coupled sensilla close to trichobothrium sb (halfway between trichobothria sb and b in E. benimaquia n. sp. and E. fadriquei n. sp.), usually being slightly proximad of sb in E. comasi n. sp. and usually distinctly distad of sb in E. mahnerti . Other differences between E. comasi n. sp. and E. mahnerti are the length of the dental row on fixed chelal finger and the pedipalpal measurements, being shorter in E. comasi n. sp. (dental row reaching halfway between levels of trichobothria sb and b; pedipalpal femur (♂) 7.8 times longer than broad, length (♂) 0.83–0.86 mm) than in E. mahnerti (dental row reaching to the base; pedipalpal femur (♂) 8.4–8.6 times longer than broad, length (♂) 1.14–1.18); other differences given in the key.

Figures

FIGURES 118 – 123. Ephippiochthonius comasi n. sp., male holotype. 118, anterior margin of carapace, partial view; 119, carapace; 120, tip of left fixed chelal finger, dorsal view; 121, left chelicera; 122, fingers of left chelicera, partial view; 123, left chela, antiaxial view.