Neobisium (Blothrus) cf. vjetrenicae Hadži, 1932

Gardini, Giulio, 2018, Subterranean Neobisium (Pseudoscorpiones: Neobisiidae) from Albania, Revue suisse de Zoologie 125 (1), pp. 189-200 : 197-199

Neobisium (Blothrus) cf. vjetrenicae Hadži, 1932

Figs 27-29

Neobisium (Blothrus) vjetrenicae Hadži, 1932: 102 , figs 1-4. ‒ Hadži, 1933: 49, figs 1-2. ‒ Beier, 1939: 70, figs 84-85. ‒ Beier, 1963: 151, fig. 155.

Material examined: CGG; 1 ♂; Albania, Shkodër County, Shkodër, Bogë, Dotek Pass, Helmit Abyss , 1540 m a.s.l.; VIII.1995; S. Meggiorini leg.

Short description of adult (male): Carapace, chelicera, pedipalps and palpal coxae red-brown; pedipalps smooth, pleural membrane granular. Carapace 1.2 times as long as broad, without eyes or eye-spots, anterior margin with a triangular epistome; anterior row with 4, posterior row with 5 setae. Chaetotaxy of tergites I-XI 4:4:6:7:7:7:8:9:8:9:6. Chaetotaxy of sternites III-X: (4)28(3):(3)14(3):17:16:17:16:14:8. Chelicera 2.0 times as long as broad, palm with 6 setae, fixed finger with 10 subequal teeth, movable finger with a prominent tooth in the distal third; spinneret largely rounded, weakly prominent. Anterolateral process of coxa I squat, apically obtuse. Pedipalp ( Figs 27-29 ): trochanter 2.6 times as long as broad, with one weak button-like tubercle on antiaxial face; femur 7.6 times as long as broad, weakly enlarged distally; patella 5.3 times as long as broad, weakly and gradually enlarged distally, club 2.54 times longer than pedicel; chela with pedicel 6.3 times as long as broad; hand of chela with pedicel 3.0 times as long as broad; fixed and movable chelal fingers homodentate, with 110 and 109 small and contiguous teeth with dental canals, respectively; trichobothria as in Figs 28-29 ; relative position of trichobothria along chelal axis: it 0.14/ et 0.18/ est 0.22/ ist 0.40/ isb 0.76/ ib 0.87/ esb 0.90/ eb 0.91/ t 0.235/ st 0.41/ sb 0.725/ b 0.88; ratio between movable finger and hand of chela with pedicel 1.16; ratio between pedipalpal femur and movable finger 1.30; ratio between pedipalpal femur and carapace 2.10.

Measurements: Body length 5.3. Carapace 1.34 x 1.12 (0.91 anteriorly). Chelicera 0.88 x 0.44, movable finger length 0.57. Pedipalp: trochanter 0.99 x 0.38; femur 2.82 x 0.37; patella 2.28 x 0.43; chela with pedicel 3.90 x 0.62; hand with pedicel length 1.86; movable finger length 2.16.

Remarks: Neobisium vjetrenicae was described by Hadži (1932, German translation in Hadži, 1933) on the basis of a single male collected in the cave Pećina Vjetrenica (42°50’45”N, 17°59’02”E) near Zavala, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The species was subsequently redescribed by Beier (1939, reproduced in Beier, 1963) from topotypical specimens of both sexes.

The male from the Helmit Abyss, Albania, is here provisionally asigned to N. vjetrenicae , with which it shares the following characters: epistome triangular, posterior margin of carapace with 4 setae; tergites I-II with 4 setae; pedipalps smooth; chelal fingers homodentate, teeth small and contiguous; pedipalpal femur longer than movable finger, and movable finger longer than hand of chela with pedicel; chela with pedicel 6.3 times as long as broad; trichobothrium ist slightly distal to middle of fixed finger; trichobothrium st closer to t than to sb; anterolateral process of coxa I squat, apically obtuse.

Size and ratios of pedipalpal segments are similar in males from both caves: Vjetrenica - femur length 2.30- 2.32 (x7.4), patella 1.80-1.88 (x5.0), club/pedicel of patella x2.6, chela with pedicel 3.60-3.61 (x6.2), hand with pedicel 1.73 (x3.0), finger 1.90-2.02, finger/hand with pedicel x1.17-1.20, femur/finger x1.15-1.21; Helmit - femur length 2.82 (x7.6), patella 2.28 (x5.3), club/ pedicel of patella x2.54, chela with pedicel 3.9 (x6.3), hand with pedicel 1.86 (x3.0), finger 2.16, finger/hand with pedicel 1.16, femur/finger 1.30. In the male from Vjetrenica ( Beier, 1939: 70, fig. 84) trichobothrium ist of the fixed chelal finger seems to be more distal than in the male from Helmit ( Figs 28-29 ) and the teeth on the chelal fingers are 130 in the male from Vjetrenica ( Hadži, 1933) versus 109-110 in the male from Helmit.

Key to adults of the Neobisium (Blothrus) species from Albania

[ N. (B.) cf. vjetrenicae not included]

1A Tergites I-II with 4:4 or 6:6 setae; ratio between pedipalpal finger and hand of chela with pedicel 1.1-1.7; ratio between pedipalpal femur and finger 0.95-1.3; movable chelal finger with trichobothrium st closer to t than to sb .................................................................................................................................................................................. 2

1B Tergites I-II with 4:6 setae; ratio between pedipalpal finger and hand of chela with pedicel 0.8-0.9; ratio between pedipalpal femur and finger 1.5-1.6; movable chelal finger with trichobothrium st halfway between sb and t ........ ................................................................................................................................................... N. (B.) latellai n. sp.

2A Carapace with 4 setae in posterior row; pedipalps elongate: patella 5.3-8.1, chela with pedicel 6.3-8.6 times as long as broad; ratio between club and pedicel of patella 2.4-2.6 ..................................................................................... 3

2B Carapace with 6 setae in posterior row; pedipalps thick: patella 4.3-5.0, chela with pedicel 4.7-5.6 times as long as broad; ratio between club and pedicel of patella 1.65-1.95.................................................... N. (B.) valsuanii n. sp.

3A Tergites I-II with 4:4 setae; ratio between pedipalpal finger and hand of chela with pedicel 1.4-1.5; length of pedipalpal chela 5.2-5.8; fixed chelal finger with trichobothrium ist just proximal to est; trichobothrium est midway between ist-it or closer to it; trichobothrium et at level of it ............................................... N. (B.) georgecastriotae

3B Tergites I-II with 6:6 setae; ratio between pedipalpal finger and hand of chela with pedicel 1.6-1.7; length of pedipalpal chela 4.4-4.55; fixed chelal finger with trichobothrium ist just proximal to st, trichobothrium est closer to it than to ist; trichobothrium et midway between est-it .................................................................... N. (B.) albanicum

Figures

Figs 27-29. Neobisium (Blothrus) cf. vjetrenicae Hadži, 1932, male from Helmit Abyss. (27) Trochanter, femur and patella of right pedipalp, dorsal view. (28) Right pedipalpal chela, dorsal view. (29) Right pedipalpal chela (teeth omitted), paraxial view. Scale line: 0.5 mm.