Ephippiochthonius andalucia, 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 : 43-46

Ephippiochthonius andalucia n. sp. ( Figs 76–81 )

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) tetrachelatus (not Preyssler, 1790): Zaragoza & Pérez 2013: 203 –204 (misidentification). Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) tetrachelatus (not Preyssler, 1790): Zaragoza 2013a: 67 –68 (misidentification).

Type locality. Spain, Andalusia, Jaén province , Villacarrillo , Cueva de la Fuente del Tejo (38°03′24″N, 02°54′28″W; 1444 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Spain: Andalusia.

Etymology. The species name is a noun in apposition based on the Spanish region of Andalusia ( Andalucía in Spanish), in which the type locality is situated.

Diagnosis (♂ ♀). A medium-sized, epigean Ephippiochthonius species of the gibbus -group. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and with spinneret in both sexes, lyrifissure ldb present; two pairs of eyes with lenses, posterior margin of carapace with 2 macrosetae or rarely with 2 macrosetae and with 1 lateral microseta on one side; hand of chela with a very weak depression at level of trichobothria ib / isb, a low and long hump distad of ib / isb; fixed chelal finger with 18–20 teeth; distal half of movable chelal finger with 7–8 pointed teeth with dental canals, proximal half without marginal lamina, with 7 low vestigial teeth; pedipalpal femur (♂) 6.3–6.5, (♀) 5.8 times longer than broad, length (♂) 0.69–0.70 mm, (♀) 0.73 mm; chela (♂) 5.2–5.5, (♀) 4.5 times longer than deep, length (♂) 0.95–0.96 mm, (♀) 1.02 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♂) 1.5, (♀) 1.4; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that ma2 is absent.

Type material examined. ♂ holotype (DEUA), 3 ♂, 1 ♀ paratypes (1 ♂, 1 ♀ DEUA, 1 ♂ MCNB, 1 ♂ MNCN), Spain, Andalusia, Jaén province , Villacarrillo , Cueva de la Fuente del Tejo (38°03′24″N, 02°54′28″W; 1444 m a.s.l.), 22.VII.2008, leg. G.E.V.

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

Carapace ( Figs 77 ) slightly longer than broad and weakly constricted posteriorly; medial part of anterior margin weakly prominent, without epistome, and strongly dentate ( Fig. 76 ); anterior eyes with convex lens (diameter 0.045–0.05 mm), 0.03–0.035 mm from anterior margin of carapace, posterior eyes with more weakly convex lens than anterior pair, 0.04–0.045 mm from anterior eyes, diameter 0.04–0.045 mm; both pairs of eyes with reflecting tapeta. Chaetotaxy: 18 macrosetae (rarely 19) and 1 (rarely 0) preocular microseta on each side, macrosetal formula 4:6:4:2:2 (female with 3 setae on posterior margin), anteromedial setae 0.10–0.11 mm long; 4– 5 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera ( Figs 78‒79, 81 ) with 6 setae and 1 lateral microseta on hand, seta vb short and almost twice as long as microseta; hand with 5 dorsal lyrifissures and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 10– 11 teeth proximally decreasing in size proximally, 1–3 distal teeth distinctly larger than others. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 6–7 teeth decreasing in size proximally, the distal tooth simple or bicuspid and larger than others, with 0–3 proximal microtubercles; spinneret prominent in female ( Fig. 81 ), lower and more rounded in male ( Fig. 79 ); seta gl 0.58–0.61 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 14 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 (0.18 and 0.43 mm long, respectively). Chaetotaxy of sternites 10:(3)10(3):(2)7(2):7:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III microsetal in size, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae (0.16 mm long); in addition, genital notch of male flanked by 6–8 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 0.085–0.10 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.07–0.073 mm long; II 4 + 8–9 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 4 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:2:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 80 ) with hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a long, low and rounded hump distad of ib / isb and moderate slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; dorsalantiaxial 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 18–20 pointed teeth, 1‒2 distal ones small, of these the 5–6 proximal teeth progressively decreasing in size, all with dental canals, 3–4 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); one pair of very short antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the base (0.02 mm long), on either side of lyrifissure fb, distance between them (0.043 mm) distinctly shorter than the finger depth (0.060 mm) at the base; 4 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.025–0.030 mm. Distal half of movable finger with 7–8 pointed teeth with dental canals, the distal one small; proximal half without marginal lamina, with 7 low vestigial teeth reaching trichobothrium sb, also with dental canals, 0–2 microtubercles at base; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc between sb and b, slightly closer to sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 80 ; trichobothrium ist level with esb and well proximad of lyrifissure fb; ib / isb half-way between base of hand and esb; distance between st and sb 2.0 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, followed, when different, by male paratype in square brackets: Body 1.82 [1.78]. Carapace 0.47/0.46 (1.0) [0.49/0.46 (1.1)] Chelicera 0.40/0.19 (2.2) [0.40/0.20 (2.1)], movable finger 0.21 [0.20]. Pedipalp: femur 0.69/0.11 (6.5) [0.70/0.11 (6.3)], patella 0.25/0.13 (2.0) [0.28/0.14 (2.1)], chela 0.95/ 0.17 (5.5) [0.96/0.18 (5.2)], hand 0.38 (2.1), movable finger 0.58 [0.57]; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5, femur/ movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.5 [1.4], chela/carapace 2.0, chela/femur 1.4. Female paratype: Body 1.83. Carapace 0.51/0.50 (1.0). Chelicera 0.44/0.21 (2.1), movable finger 0.22. Pedipalp: femur 0.73/0.13 (5.8), patella 0.30/0.15 (2.0), chela 1.02/0.22 (4.5), hand 0.43 (1.9), movable finger 0.59; ratio movable finger/hand 1.4, femur/ movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.4, chela/carapace 2.0, chela/femur 1.4.

Remarks. This species was misidentified as E. tetrachelatus by Zaragoza & Pérez (2013) and Zaragoza (2013a). Within the gibbus -group, E. andalucia n. sp. shares with E. vicenae n. sp. the following characteristics: absence of isolated subapical tooth (di), movable chelal finger with 7–8 distal pointed teeth that reach closer to trichobothrium st than to sb and cheliceral spinneret prominent in male. The main differences separating E. andalucia n. sp. from E. vicenae n. sp. are the presence of dental canals in the teeth of the basal half of the movable chelal finger (absent in E. vicenae n. sp.), the presence of lyrifissure fd3 (rarely present in E. vicenae n. sp.) and the shorter pedipalpal femur and chela (femur length ♂ 0.69 mm, ♀ 0.73 mm, chela ♂ 0.95 mm, ♀ 1.02 mm in E. andalucia n. sp., versus femur length ♂ 0.82 mm, ♀ 0.92–0.93 mm, chela ♂ 1.12–1.15 mm, ♀ 1.20–1.25 mm in E. vicenae n. sp.).

Figures

FIGURES 76 – 81. Ephippiochthonius andalucia n. sp., male holotype (76 – 80) and female paratype (81). 76, anterior margin of carapace, partial view; 77, carapace; 78, left chelicera; 79, fingers of left chelicera, partial view; 80, left chela, antiaxial view; 81, movable cheliceral finger, partial view.