Paraliochthonius pecki, Mahnert, 2014

Mahnert, Volker, 2014, Pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) from the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), Revue suisse de Zoologie 121 (2), pp. 135-210 : 143-145

Paraliochthonius pecki sp. n. Figs 14-17

HOLOTYPE: MHNG; 13; Santa Cruz: Volcan Alcedo , littoral, sea cliff spraying,

1.-3.IV.1996, leg. S. Peck (96-77). PARATYPES: Santa Cruz: MHNG; 33 2♀; Volcan Alcedo, littoral, sea cliff spraying ,

1.-3.IV.1996, leg. S. Peck (96-77).

ETYMOLOGY: The species is dedicated to Dr Stewart Peck , an eminent entomologist who studied the biogeography of the Galapagos archipelago for decades and collected the types .

DIAGNOSIS: Carapace with 4 corneate eyes, epistome long and triangular; pedipalps: femur 4.7-5.1 times longer than broad, patella 2.1-2.3 times longer than broad, hand 1.9-2.0 times longer than deep, fixed 1.75-1.93 times longer than hand, chela 5.4-5.7 times longer than deep; chaetotaxy of femur 5-5-2-5, dorsum of hand with 8-9 chemosensory setae, paraxial margin of hand in distal half with two spine-like setae on tubercles, movable finger with two slightly thickened setae on paraxial side, fixed finger with 33-37 acute, erect, separate teeth, movable finger with 37-42 retrorse, flattened teeth.

DESCRIPTION: Colour yellowish brown. Carapace (Fig. 14) 1.0-1.1 times longer than broad; basally narrowed, posterior margin concave, epistome long and slender, 4 corneate eyes, lens of posterior eyes flattened, chaetotaxy: 4 (plus one subocular seta on each side)-4-4-2-2, length of anterior medial seta 0.14 mm; tergal chaetotaxy: I-III 4, IV-VI 6, VII-IX (6)7, X 4, XI 4 (2 tactile setae); manducatory process 2, pedipalpal coxa itself 3 setae (1 discal one), coxa I with finger-like lateral corner, II 3 + 3/4 coxal spines, III/IV 5, intercoxal tubercle absent; genital operculum 8-11 setae (mostly 6 marginal and 4 discal setae), male genital opening slit-like, 9 marginal/submarginal setae on each side, 4/4 internal glandular setae; sternal chaetotaxy: III/IV 6, mostly 3 suprastigmal setae each, V 10, VI-IX 9-10, X 8-9 (2 tactile setae). Pleural membrane papillostriate.

FIGS 14-17

Paraliochthonius pecki sp. n., 3 holotype. (14) Carapace. (15) Left chelicera. (16) Left pedipalp. (17) Trichobothrial pattern, with details of teeth and sensorial setae (isolated, not arranged as on finger). Scale units 0.1 mm.

Chelicera (Fig. 15): 5 setae on hand, one long seta in middle of movable finger, fixed finger with about 6 mostly acute teeth (distal one larger), movable finger with about 6-7 rounded/flattened teeth, spinneret absent, serrula exterior with 22-24, serrula interior with 14-16 lamellae, rallum with 8 dentate setae.

Pedipalps (Figs 16-17): trochanter 1.8-1.9 times, femur 4.7-5.1 times, patella 2.1-2.3 times longer than broad, hand 1.9-2.0 times longer than deep, fixed 1.75-1.93 times longer than hand, chela 5.4-5.7 times longer than deep; chaetotaxy of femur 5-5-2-5, slit sensillum between 3 rd and 4 th setae of anterior row, dorsum of hand with 8-9 microsetae between ib/isb and esb, paraxial margin of hand in distal half with two spine-like setae on tubercles, movable finger with two slightly thickened setae on paraxial side, no modified basal apodeme, fixed finger with 33-37 acute, erect, separate teeth (in distal half in saw-like arrangement), about 10 basal teeth somewhat smaller, movable finger with 37-42 retrorse, flattened teeth, but pointed and separate in basal third; trichobothrium ist distinctly distal to esb, sb of movable finger distinctly nearer to st than to b (about 2.7-3.2 times), 3-4 lanceolate setae near t, one single sensillum between sb and st.

LegI: femur 5.4-5.9 timeslongerthandeep, patella 2.90-3.2 times, basitarsus 3.9-4.6 times, telotarsus 8.7-9.3 timeslongerthandeep; legIV: femur+patella 2.8-3.0 times, tibia 4.9-6.0 times, basitarsus 2.4-2.8 times, telotarsus 10.2-11.3 timeslonger thandeep; tarsiwithatactilesetaeachinbasalthird (TS=0.25-0.29 and 0.32-0.35 respectively).

MEASUREMENTS of 43 (2♀ inparentheses): Totallength 1.90-1.91 (2.02-2.33). Carapace 0.65-0.66/0.60-0.64 (0.66-0.75/0.63-0.69). Pedipalps: trochanter 0.31-0.34/ 0.17-0.18 (0.37/0.19), femur 0.84-0.92/0.17-0.19 (0.88-0.96/0.18-0.19), patella 0.42- 0.44/0.19-0.21 (0.42-0.48/0.19-0.23), hand 0.46-0.48/0.23-0.24, lengthoffixedfinger 0.80-0.87 (0.87-0.95), ofmovablefinger 0.75-0.82 (0.81-0.89), lengthofchela 1.26- 1.34 (l.32-1.45). LegI: femur 0.49-0.53/0.09 (0.51-0.54/0.09-0.10), patella 0.22- 0.23/0.07-0.08 (0.23-0.27/0.08), tibia 0.25-0.28/0.06-0.07 (0.23-0.27/0.06-0.07), tarsus 0.46-0.51/0.05-0.06 (050-0.53/0.05-0.06); legIV: femur+patella 0.79-0.84/ 0.26-0.29 (0.77-0.86/0.26-0.29), tibia 0.55-0.59/0.09-0.11 (0.55-0.61/0.11-0.12), basitarsus 0.20-0.23/0.08-0.09 (0.23-0.25/0.08-0.09), telotarsus 0.53-0.56/0.05 (0.56-0.60/ 0.05-0.06).

REMARKS: Paraliochthonius pecki sp. n. seems morphologically close to P. hoestlandti , recorded from Madeira, but differs from the latter by having a more slenderchela (5.4-5.7 timesvs. 4.7-5.1 times) andbythemorphology (saw-likearrangement) of the teeth on the fixed chelal finger. The new species has been collected together with Paraliochthonius litoralis sp. n. on Santa Cruz.

Differences from the other species of the archipelago are summarized in the identification key.