Neobisium (Neobisium) patrizii Beier, 1953

Gardini, Giulio, 2023, The troglomorphic pseudoscorpions of the genus Neobisium from Corsica, Sardinia and mainland Italy, with description of new species (Pseudoscorpiones: Neobisiidae), Zootaxa 5381 (1), pp. 1-67 : 40-43

Neobisium (Neobisium) patrizii Beier, 1953

( Figs 78–84 , 119 )

Neobisium (Blothrus) patrizii Beier, 1953: 139 , fig. 1.

Neobisium (Ommatoblothrus) patrizii : Mahnert 1980: 23, fig. 6 (in part, see Neobisium vignai n. sp.).

Neobisium (Ommatoblothrus) patrizii romanum Mahnert, 1980: 23 , figs 1–5 (n. syn.).

Type locality: Italy, Latium, Lepini Mountains, Latina Province, Prossedi , Grotta degli Ausi 342 La /LT (41°30’34”N 13°16’27”E) .

Distribution. Italy (Latium).

Diagnosis (♂ ♀). A subterranean, highly troglomorphic Neobisium from Latium (Lepini Mountains) that differs from other Mediterranean species of the genus in the following combination of characters: posterior margin of carapace with 4 setae, epistome triangular, anterior eyes reduced to a white spot or with slightly convex lens, dark integument between anterior and posterior eyes absent; tergites I–IV: 4:4–6:5–6:4–7; cheliceral palm with 6 (rarely 7) setae, rallum with 8–9 blades; fixed chelal finger homodentate (♀) or weakly heterodentate (♂), with contiguous teeth; fixed and movable chelal fingers with 142–162 and 123–150 teeth, respectively; pedipalpal femur 2.07–2.41 mm length (7.57–9.64 ×), patella 1.56–1.88 mm (5.38–6.06 ×), movable finger 2.36–2.50 mm; pedipalpal hand with long oval profile and its greatest width in the middle or just proximally the middle, chelal fingers slightly curved; ratio between movable chelal finger and hand of chela with pedicel 1.66–1.82; ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable chelal finger 0.86–1.00; ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace 1.95–2.29; trichobothrium ist approximately at level of st or halfway between st and t.

Type material of Neobisium patrizii examined. ITALY — Latium: Latina Province : 1 ♂ (holotype) , “ Lazio / Grotta degli Ausi [342 La/LT] / Prossedi / 26.IV.53 Patrizi” “ Neobisium (Blothr.) patrizii n. sp. / det. Beier / Type!” “27203” ( NHMW) [Left pedipalp dissected by Beier] .

Type material of Neobisium patrizii romanum examined. ITALY — Latium: 1♀ (holotype) , “ Lazio, Carpineto Rom. / Ouso nella Villa [823 La/ RM] / IX.[19]77, A. Felici leg.” “ Neobisium (Ommatoblothrus) / patrizii romanum n. ssp. / ♀ Holotypus / det. V. Mahnert 1978” ( MZUR) .

Non-type material examined. ITALY — Latium: Latina Province: 1♂, Western Lepini Mountains, Bassiano , Grotta di Colle Cantocchio 402 La /LT (41°34’32.83”N 13°00’06.49”E), 340 m a.s.l., 6.XI.1997, L. Latella leg. Latium: Frosinone Province: 1♂, Eastern Lepini Mountains, Siserno Mt , Ceccano , Pozzo l’Arcaro 340 La /FR (41°33’01.28”N 13°17’57.46”E), ca 300 m a.s.l., 28.VIII.2007, M. Bastianini & P. Magrini leg.

Description of adults (♂ ♀). Carapace, chelicerae, pedipalps and palpal coxae red-brown; pedipalps smooth, pleural membrane granular. Carapace 1.36–1.43 (♂) or 1.25 (♀) times as long as broad, with four barely visible eyes without tapetum ( Fig. 78 ), without dark integument between anterior and posterior eyes; anterior eyes reduced to a white spot or with slightly convex lens (diameter 0.08 mm), the posterior ones not visible or reduced to a faint white spot; anterior margin of carapace with prominent equilateral triangular epistome ( Fig. 78 ); 20 macrosetae, anterior and posterior rows with 4 and 4 macrosetae, respectively, besides 1 preocular seta on each side. Chaetotaxy of tergites I–X: 4:4–6:5–6:4–7:6–7:6–7:6–7:6–7:6–7:6–8 (♂) or 4:4:5:5:6:6:6:6:7:7 (♀). Chaetotaxy of sternites II–X: 10–16:(3)30–34(3):(3)9–12(3):10–12:10–12:9–12:9–12:8:9 (♂) or?:(2)20(2):(2)10(2):10:8:10:9:10:9 (♀); median genital sac pyriform, reaching the middle of sternite V, genital atrium with 4+4 setae (♂ from Pozzo l’Arcaro). Chelicera ( Fig. 79 ; Mahnert 1980: 24, fig. 1) 2.05–2.11 (♂) or 2.05 (♀) times as long as broad, palm with 6 setae (6 and 7 in ♂ from Pozzo l’Arcaro); fixed finger with 8–10 teeth, movable finger with about 9 teeth, one of which more prominent just distal or at level of gs; gs ratio 0.64–0.68 (♂) or 0.58 (♀), spinneret not prominent in male ( Fig. 79 ), prominent and broadly rounded in female ( Mahnert 1980: 24, fig. 1); rallum with 9 blades, the distal one laterally serrate-pinnate and isolated on a prominence, the second one serrate, the successive ones smooth, of decreasing length (♂), or with 8 blades, the three distal weakly dentate (♀); serrula exterior with 30–34 blades. Manducatory process with 5 setae (4 and 5 in ♂ from Grotta di Colle Cantocchio). Coxal setae: pedipalp 9–12, I 6, II 6–7, III 6, IV 9–10 (♂) or 9, I 6, II 5, III 5, IV 8 (♀: Mahnert 1980); anterolateral process of coxa I squat, anteromedial process broadly rounded with denticles ( Fig. 80 ). Pedipalp ( Figs 81–83 ; Beier 1953: 139, fig. 1; Mahnert 1980: 24, figs 2–3, 5): trochanter 2.71–2.98 (♂) or 2.72 (♀) times as long as broad, with 2 or 3 weak button-like tubercles (with lyrifissure) on antiaxial face; femur 7.57–8.83 (♂) or 9.64 (♀) times as long as broad, weakly enlarged distally; patella 5.38–5.81 (♂) or 6.06 (♀) times as long as broad, club gradually enlarged distally, ratio between club and pedicel 2.2–2.5 (♂) or 2.5 (♀), ratio X/Y = 0.24–0.30 (♂) or 0.19 (♀), base of pedicel dorsally with about 8 glandular pores; chela with pedicel 6.82–7.42 (♂) or 7.95 (♀) times as long as broad; hand of chela with pedicel 2.54–2.95 (♂) or 3.08 (♀) times as long as broad, with long oval profile and its greatest width in the middle or just proximally the middle (♂ from Pozzo l’Arcaro); chelal fingers curved in dorsal view, almost straight or slightly curved in lateral view ( Figs 82–83 ); fixed chelal finger homodentate (♀: Mahnert 1980) or weakly heterodentate ( Fig. 83 ), with 142–162 (♂) or 160 (♀) pointed contiguous teeth, nodus ramosus subterminal; movable chelal finger with 123–150 (♂) or 146 (♀) low, flattened contiguous teeth ( Fig. 83 ), apart from the last 15–25 distal ones which are cuspidate; all teeth with dental canals; sensillum in variable position between trichobothria sb and st; trichobothria as in figs 82–83 and Beier (1953: 139, fig. 1), Mahnert (1980: 24, fig. 3); relative position of trichobothria along chelal axis: it 0.10–0.115/ et 0.115 –0.125 / est 0.16 –0.165/ ist 0.25–0.38/ isb 0.69–0.785/ ib 0.885–0.92/ esb 0.94–0.97/ eb 0.955–0.98/ t 0.16–0.18/ st 0.33–0.38/ sb 0.695–0.73/ b 0.90–0.93 (♂); it 0.12/ et 0.125/ est 0.175 / ist 0.325/ isb 0.785/ ib 0.92/ esb 0.96/ eb 0.97/ t 0.205/ st 0.42/ sb 0.72/ b 0.91 (♀); trichobothrium est at level of t (♂) or just distal t (♀); trichobothrium ist approximately at level of st (♂) or halfway between st and t (♀ and ♂ from Pozzo l‘Arcaro); trichobothrium isb proximal sb (♂ ♀) or just distal sb (♂ from Grotta degli Ausi); ratio between movable finger and hand of chela with pedicel 1.67–1.82 (♂) or 1.66 (♀); ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable finger 0.86–0.93 (♂) or 1.0 (♀); ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace 1.95–2.14 (♂) or 2.29 (♀). Leg IV ( Fig. 84 ; Mahnert 1980: 24, fig. 4): trochanter 2.63–2.88 (♂) times as long as deep, femur + patella 6.43–7.13 (♂) or 6.53 (♀) times as long as deep, tibia 11.50–11.93 (♂) or 11.12 (♀) times, basitarsus 6.39–7.08 (♂) or 7.16 (♀) times [TS = 0.15 (♂)], telotarsus 11.20–13.77 (♂) or 12.20 (♀) times as long as deep [TS = 0.51–0.59 (♂)], ratio between basitarsus and telotarsus 0.68–0.72 (♂) or 0.70 (♀), subterminal seta briefly furcate ( Fig. 84 ), claws with small dorsal tooth.

Measurements. Body length 3.9–4.0 (♂) or 4.4 (♀). Carapace 1.0–1.09 (♂) or 1.05 (♀) × 0.76–0.78 (♂) or 0.84 (♀) anteriorly. Chelicera 0.74–0.77 (♂) or 0.76 (♀) × 0.35–0.375 (♂) or 0.37 (♀); movable finger length 0.47–0.49 (♂) or 0.505 (♀). Pedipalp: trochanter 0.76–0.82 (♂) or 0.75 (♀) × 0.275 –0.295 (♂) or 0.275 (♀); femur 2.07–2.34 (♂) or 2.41 (♀) × 0.25–0.28 (♂), 0.25 (♀); patella 1.56–1.86 (♂) or 1.88 (♀) × 0.29–0.32 (♂) or 0.31 (♀); chela with pedicel 3.55–3.75 (♂) or 3.74 (♀) × 0.50–0.52 (♂) or 0.47 (♀) [depth 0.485 –0.495 (♂) or 0.46 (♀)]; hand with pedicel length 1.32–1.49 (♂) or 1.45 (♀); movable finger length 2.36–2.50 (♂) or 2.41 (♀). Leg IV: trochanter 0.65– 0.71 × 0.225–0.27 (♂); femur + patella 1.77–2.14 (♂) or 2.09 (♀) × 0.275–0.30 (♂) or 0.32 (♀); tibia 1.61–1.91 (♂) or 1.89 (♀) × 0.14–0.16 (♂) or 0.17 (♀); basitarsus 0.735–0.85 (♂) or 0.86 (♀) × 0.115–0.12 (♂) or 0.12 (♀); telotarsus 1.01–1.24 (♂) or 1.22 (♀) × 0.09 (♂) or 0.10 (♀).

Remarks. Neobisium patrizii was described by Beier (1953) based on a male from Latium (Grotta degli Ausi 342 La/LT, Lepini Mountains). It was first referred to the subgenus Blothrus and compared with other species of the same subgenus from the Balkans, but was shortly transferred by Beier (1956b) to the new subgenus Ommatoblothrus , established for N. sardoum , together with N. cerrutii and N. henroti .

Mahnert (1980) described Neobisium patrizii romanum from a single female from the cave Ouso nella Villa 823 La/LT near Carpineto Romano (Lepini Mountains), and compared it with specimens of the nominal subspecies from the caves Pozzo l’Arcaro 340 La/FR (3♂ 1♀) (Lepini Mountains) and from Grotta dei Briganti 18 La/FR (1♂) (Ausoni Mountains), as well as with the male holotype of N. patrizii . The two males from the cave Grotta dell’Aretino 611 La/LT (Ausoni Mountains) cited by Mahnert (1980) as N. patrizii are here referred to N. vignai n. sp., and the specific attribution to N. patrizii of the male from the Grotta dei Briganti 18 La/FR (Ausoni Mountains) remains doubtful.

Following Mahnert (1980), Neobisium patrizii romanum should differ mainly from the nominal subspecies in having larger dimensions, more elongated appendages, posterior eyes completely reduced and trichobotrium st midway between sb and t (see the above Description of adults relative to female). Considering that the morphometric features, the degree of reduction of the eyes and the position of the trichobothria are highly variable characters in these subterranean Neobisium , even within the same population (see N. leolatellai n. sp. and N. petruzzielloi n. sp.), and that also the comparison specimens used by Mahnert (1980) appear to include another species besides N. patrizii , I consider the differential characters proposed by Mahnert (1980) to fall within the intraspecific variation of N. patrizii and therefore I propose the new subjective synonymy: Neobisium patrizii romanum Mahnert, 1980 = Neobisium patrizii patrizii Beier, 1953 (n. syn.).

For comparisons of N. patrizii with N. battonii , N. cerrutii , N. leolatellai n. sp. and N. magrinii n. sp., see Remarks under these species.

The above redescription of N. patrizii partially incorporates the original ones of Beier (1953) and Mahnert (1980, under ssp. romanum ).

Figures

FIGURE 119. Map depicting known distribution of Neobisum species with troglomorphic facies from central and southern Italy.

FIGURES 78–84. Neobisium (N.) patrizii Beier, 1953, male, Grotta di Colle Cantocchio (Bassiano, Latium). 78, epistome of carapace and right ocular area; 79, right chelicera, dorsal view; 80, anterior processes of left coxa I; 81, trochanter, femur and patella of right pedipalp, dorsal view; 82, right pedipalpal chela, dorsal view; 83, same, antiaxial view, with magnified detail of teeth; 84, right leg IV, antiaxial view, with magnified detail of subterminal seta of telotarsus.