Ephippiochthonius tetrachelatus (Preyssler, 1790)

Christophoryová, Jana, Rusinko, Adam, Purkart, Adrián & Vičanová, Lucia, 2025, Urban biodiversity of pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) in the conditions of Central Europe, Zootaxa 5590 (1), pp. 1-45 : 16-19

Ephippiochthonius tetrachelatus (Preyssler, 1790)

( Figs 3E , 5A )

Published data: 1: extraction of soil, leaves and dead wood, 2.7.2013, 1 ♀, 1 ♂, leg. M.H. ( ChristophoryovÁ et al. 2016); 2: extraction of soil, leaves and dead wood, 10.6.2014, 2 D, leg. P.F., MA.K. ( Christophoryová et al. 2016); 3: sifting of leaf litter and soil, 17.5.1999, 1 ♀; 24.7.1999, 3 ♀♀; 26.7.2000, 1 ♀; 31.8.2000, 1 ♀; leg. M.H., Z.K., I.O. ( Christophoryová 2013); 4: sifting of leaf litter and soil, 30.4.1999, 1 ♀; 26.7.2000, 1 T; leg. M.H., Z.K., I.O. ( Christophoryová 2013); 6: extraction of soil, 19.7.2017, 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂, 2 D, 6 P; 7.4.2018, 2 T, 1 D; leg. P.F. ( ČervenÁ et al. 2020b); 12: extraction of compost heap, 5.3.2014, 1 ♀, leg. B.M. ( KaňuchovÁ et al. 2015); 13: extraction of soil, leaves and dead wood, 3.7.2013, 2 ♂♂, leg. M.H. ( ChristophoryovÁ et al. 2016); 14: sifting of leaf litter and soil, 17.5.1999, 1 ♀, 1 ♂; 24.7.1999, 1 ♂; 14.6.2000, 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂; leg. M.H., Z.K., I.O. ( ChristophoryovÁ 2013); 29: extraction of sample from anthill of Formica rufa Linnaeus, 1761 , 16.1.2015, 1 ♂; leg. O.M. ( ChristophoryovÁ et al. 2017a); 55: extraction of soil, leaves and dead wood, 1.7.2013, 1 ♀, 5 ♂♂, 2 T; 25.4.2014, 1 ♀; 10.6.2014, 1 D; 9.10.2014, 1 ♀, 1 ♂; leg. M.H., MA.K. ( ChristophoryovÁ et al. 2016); 63: extraction of compost heap, 25.10.2013, 1 ♀, leg. J.C., A.K. ( ChristophoryovÁ et al. 2017c); 81: sifting of leaf litter and soil, 29.4.2000, 1 ♂; 9.6.2000, 1 ♂; leg. M.H., Z.K., I.O. ( Christophoryová 2013); 84: sifting of leaf litter and soil, 18.5.1999, 1 ♀; 23.9.1999, 1 ♂; 9.6.2000, 5 ♀♀, 4 ♂♂; 25.7.2000, 1 ♂; 30.8.2000, 2 ♂♂; 28.9.2000, 7 ♀♀; leg. M.H., Z.K., I.O. ( ChristophoryovÁ 2013); 92: extraction of Motacilla cinerea nest, 27.6.1989, 1 ♀; extraction of Troglodytes troglodytes nests, 25.6.1990, 1 ♀; 25.7.1990, 1 ♀; 23.7.1991, 1 ♀, 1 ♂; extraction of Turdus merula nest, 25.6.1990, 2 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂; leg. J.K. ( Christophoryová et al. 2017a); 114: extraction of mould of Acer hollow, 18.5.2015, 1 T, leg. DI.J. ( Christophoryová et al. 2017b); 159: extraction of soil, leaves and dead wood, 11.6.2014, 2 T, leg. MA.K. ( Christophoryová et al. 2016); 166: extraction of mould from tree stool hollow, 11.6.2014, 2 T; extraction of soil, leaves and dead wood, 21.6.2013, 2 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂; 11.6.2014, 1 D; pitfall trap, 17.7.2013, 1 ♂; leg. J.C., M.H., MA.K. ( ChristophoryovÁ et al. 2016); 167: extraction of compost heaps, 4.9.2013, 5 ♂♂, leg. M.H. ( KaňuchovÁ et al. 2015); 4.9.2013, 4 ♀♀, 1 ♂, 3 T, 1 D, leg. M.H. ( Christophoryová et al. 2017c); 174: extraction of soil, leaves and dead wood, 22.6.2013, 1 ♀, 2 ♂♂, 1 T, leg. M.H. ( ChristophoryovÁ et al. 2016); 178: extraction of compost heaps, 4.9.2013, 1 ♂; 10.10.2013, 1 ♂; leg. D.G. ( ChristophoryovÁ et al. 2017c); 181: extraction of compost heap, 3.10.2014, 2 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂, 3 T, 2 D, leg. K.H. ( KaňuchovÁ et al. 2015); 191: extraction of compost heaps, 15.8.2012, 1 ♂ ( KaňuchovÁ et al. 2015); 15.8.2012, 2 ♂♂ ( ChristophoryovÁ et al. 2017c); leg. E.S., V.S.

New data: 16: extraction of leaf litter, 3.6.2022, 2 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂, 1 T, leg. P.F.; 17: pitfall traps, 11.8.2022, 31 ♀♀, 18 ♂♂, 12 T; 30.9.2022, 2 ♀♀; leg. J.L., O.M.; 18: pitfall traps, 11.8.2022, 2 ♀♀, 5 ♂♂; 2.9.2022, 1 ♀; leg. J.L., O.M.; 23: pitfall trap, 11.8.2022, 1 ♀, 1 ♂, leg. J.L., O.M.; 27: pitfall trap, 11.8.2022, 1 ♂, leg. J.L., O.M.; 28: pitfall traps, 11.8.2022, 2 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂; 30.9.2022, 4 ♀♀, leg. J.L., O.M.; 32: extraction of leaf litter, 28.4.2020, 11 ♀♀, 5 ♂♂, 6 T, 5 D, leg. P.F.; 37: pitfall trap, 15.4.2020, 1 ♀, leg. O.M.; 45: extraction of soil and grassroots, 28.4.2020, 3 T, 2 D, leg. P.F.; 47: extraction of leaf litter, 15.10.2019, 1 ♀, 1 ♂, 1 D, leg. J.C., E.N.; 50: individual sampling in soil, 21.10.2019, 1 ♀, leg. L.Š.; 60: extraction of leaf litter, 20.9.2021, 3 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂, leg. L. V.; 64: extraction of compost heap, 16.9.2021, 3 ♂♂, leg. L. V.; 65: extraction of sample from dead decomposing rat, 6.5.2022, 1 ♀, 2 T, leg. L.Š.; 70: extraction of leaf litter, 2.8.2021, 1 ♀, 2 ♂♂, leg. J.C., K.K.; 71: extraction of leaf litter and soil, 22.5.2017, 1 ♀, 5 ♂♂, 1 T, leg. N.N., MÁ.K.; 73: sifting of leaf litter, 19.8.2016, 3 ♀♀, 1 ♂, 3 T, 2 D, leg. J.C.; 91: sifting of leaf litter, 11.7.2022, 1 ♂, 1 T, leg. J.C.; 112: sifting of leaf litter and dead wood, 18.4.2020, 2 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂, leg. J.C.; 127: sifting of leaf litter and dead wood, 1.5.2020, 3 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂, 1 T, leg. J.C.; 142: individual sampling from dead wood, 23.9.2022, 1 ♀, leg. L. V.; 146: extraction of leaf litter, 23.10.2020, 17 ♀♀, 24 ♂♂, 29 T, 43 D, leg. P.F.; 148: extraction of soil, 23.10.2020, 2 ♀♀, leg. P.F.; 152: extraction of soil, 23.10.2020, 1 ♀, 1 D, leg. P.F.; 164: pitfall trap, 16.9.2016, 1 ♀, leg. O.M.; 165: pitfall trap, 16.9.2019, 1 ♀, leg. J.L.; 170: individual sampling under stones, 12.7.2022, 2 ♂♂; sifting of leaf litter, 12.7.2022, 1 ♂, 3 T; leg. J.C.; 183: extraction of sample from dead decomposing mouflon, 13.1.2022, 1 ♂, leg. L.Š.; 184: extraction of leaf litter, 8.7.2021, 8 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂, 2 T; 4.8.2021, 4 ♀♀, 4 ♂♂; leg. A.P.; 185: extraction of leaf litter and fallen tree bark, 4.8.2021, 2 ♂♂, leg. A.P.; 188: extraction of leaf litter, 3.5.2018, 3 ♂♂, leg. M.J., K.K., A.P.

European distribution: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Ukraine ( WPC 2024).

Notes: Ephippiochthonius tetrachelatus is widely distributed in Europe ( WPC 2024) and is a eurytopic species of the family Chthoniidae . It is most commonly found in leaf litter and soil ( Christophoryová 2013; Christophoryová et al. 2016; ČervenÁ et al. 2020b), but it has also been found in tree hollows ( Christophoryová et al. 2016, 2017b), bird nests, anthills ( Christophoryová et al. 2017a) and composts ( KaňuchovÁ et al. 2015; Christophoryová et al. 2017c). In the present study, 30 sampling sites of E. tetrachelatus in Bratislava were added. Regarding habitat preference, the dominant occurrence in substrates was confirmed. Interesting was the first finding on dead animals, while it was recorded on a rat and a mouflon in an advanced stage of decomposition.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Pseudoscorpions from the families Chthoniidae and Neobisiidae. A. Chthonius ischnocheles (male, locality 51). B. Chthonius ressli (male, loc. 148). C. Ephippiochthonius boldorii (male, loc. 65). D. Ephippiochthonius fuscimanus (male, loc. 112). E. Ephippiochthonius tetrachelatus (male, loc. 146). F. Neobisium carcinoides (male, loc. 68). Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 5. Distribution of the species of Chthoniidae and Neobisiidae in Bratislava city. A. Ephippiochthonius tetrachelatus. B. Neobisium carcinoides. C. Neobisium carpaticum. D. Neobisium erythrodactylum. For the locality codes, see Table 1.