Occidenchthonius giennensis ( Zaragoza & Pérez, 2013 ) Zaragoza & Perez, 2013

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 : 157-158

Occidenchthonius giennensis ( Zaragoza & Pérez, 2013) , n. comb.

( Fig. 238 )

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) giennensis Zaragoza & Pérez 2013: 210 –213, figs 13–20. Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) giennensis: Zaragoza 2013a: 66 –67.

Type locality. Spain, Andalusia, Jaén province , Peal de Becerro, Cueva de los Ladrones (37°51′02″N, 02°57′49″W; 1575 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Spain: Andalusia.

Diagnosis (♂). A small, hypogean, weakly troglomorphic Occidenchthonius species of the verai -group. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and spinneret small in male, unknown for female; lyrifissure ldb absent; without eyes or eye-spots, anterior margin of carapace without preocular microsetae, posterior margin with 2 macrosetae; chelal hand strongly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a short, prominent hump distad of ib / isb and an abrupt slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 20 teeth; distal half of movable chelal finger with 12 pointed teeth with dental canals, basal half of movable chelal finger with 10 rounded, partially fused, vestigial teeth, without canals, on weakly raised lamina; pedipalpal femur (♂) 5.8 times longer than broad, length 0.61 mm; chela (♂) 5.4 times longer than deep, length 0.87 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♂) 1.5; lacking lyrifissures ma1, ma2 and hp, all other chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements.

Type material examined. ♂ holotype ( DEUA), 1 tritonymph paratype ( MCNB), Spain, Andalusia, Jaén province , Peal de Becerro, Cueva de los Ladrones (37°51′02″N, 02°57′49″W; 1575 m a.s.l.), 03.VI.2012, leg. G.E.V.

Description (♂; ♀ unknown). Small, hypogean, weakly troglomorphic species. Integument depigmented; marked hispid granulation on lateral surfaces of carapace, on cheliceral hand and on bases of chelal fingers.

Carapace as long or slightly longer than broad, distinctly constricted posteriorly; medial part of anterior margin strongly prominent, with rudimentary epistome, and strongly dentate. Without eyes or eye-spots. Chaetotaxy: 18 setae, without preocular microsetae, 2 setae in posterior row, formula 4:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.11 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.09 mm; 5 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Cheliceral hand with 6 setae and 4–5 lateral microsetae, seta vb short (0.040 mm long), microsetae 0.020– 0.030 mm; hand with 4 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb absent. Fixed finger with 14 teeth decreasing in size proximally, two distal teeth distinctly larger than others. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 10 teeth decreasing in size proximally, the distal tooth larger than others; spinneret small in male, unknown for female; seta gl 0.52 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 16 blades, serrula interior 14 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, tactile seta XI 0.29 mm long. Chaetotaxy of sternites 9:(3)8(3):(2)7(2):8:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III macrosetal in size, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae; in addition, genital notch of male flanked by 7 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 0.08 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.07 mm long; II 4 + 9 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 5 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 238 ) with hand strongly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a short, prominent hump distad of ib / isb and an abrupt slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; distinct hollow before base of movable finger with thicker cuticle; width slightly longer than depth; chaetotaxy 4:5:4, seta ph3 present; distal end of hand and bases of chelal fingers with sclerotized condylar complex. Fixed finger with 20 mostly pointed teeth and with dental canals, first two distal teeth small, third tooth of normal row (mt) of fixed finger distinctly modified in shape and deviated in orientation with respect to the others, most proximal tooth small and rounded, dental row reaching up to proximad of sensilla pc, 4 proximal microtubercles; tip of fixed finger with an accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; tip of fixed chelal finger of male with a weak hollow on paraxial face, without subdistal protuberance (sp); one pair of long antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the base, on either side of lyrifissure fb, 0.043–0.048 mm long, distance between them 0.045 mm, fixed finger depth at the base 0.055 mm; 5 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.024 mm. Distal half of movable finger with 12 pointed teeth with dental canals that reach up to level of trichobothrium st, most proximal tooth strongly reduced in size, two distal teeth tiny; basal half of movable chelal finger with 10 rounded, partially fused, vestigial teeth, without canals, on weakly raised lamina; dental row reaching up to level of sensilla pc, 5 proximal microtubercles; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc halfway between sb and b, markedly closer to sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 238 ; trichobothrium ist slightly proximad of esb and well proximad of lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and base of hand 1.1 longer than that between ib / isb and esb; distance between st and sb 2.1 times longer than that between sb and b; lacking lyrifissures ma1, ma2 and hp, all other chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements.

Measurements and ratios. MALE HOLOTYPE: Body 1.48. Carapace 0.48/0.44 (1.1). Chelicera 0.41/0.19 (2.1), movable finger 0.21. Pedipalp: femur 0.61/0.11 (5.8), patella 0.27/0.13 (2.1), chela 0.87/0.16 (5.4), hand 0.34 (2.1), movable finger 0.52; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.3, chela/carapace 1.8, chela/femur 1.4.

Tritonymph. Carapace as long as broad; medial part of anterior margin weakly prominent and strongly dentate; without eyes; chaetotaxy as in adult. Cheliceral hand with 5 setae and 4 lateral microsetae; fixed finger with 10 teeth, two distal teeth larger than others; movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 7 teeth, the distal one larger than others; spinneret more prominent than in male adult; seta gl 0.61 from base of movable finger. Chaetotaxy of tergites as in adults; sternites 5:(2)6(2):(1)6(1):6:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2. Pedipalpal coxa 5 setae (including 2 on manducatory process), distal marginal seta of disk 0.060 mm long; coxa I 3 + 2 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.045 mm long; II 4 + 7–8 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 4 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose. Pedipalp: chelal hand chaetotaxy 4:4:4; fixed finger with 16 pointed teeth with dental canals, except the proximal one rounded and without canal, first two distal teeth small, third tooth of normal row modified (mt); distal half of movable finger with 10 pointed teeth, two tiny distal ones and the proximal one without dental canals; proximal half of finger with slightly raised lamina with 9 rounded, vestigial teeth; coupled sensilla pc distad of trichobothrium b; lacking lyrifissures fd3, hp, ma1 and ma2.

Measurements and ratios. Body 0.96. Carapace 0.33/0.33 (1.0). Chelicera 0.30/0.14 (2.2), movable finger 0.14. Pedipalp: femur 0.38/0.09 (4.4), patella 0.19/0.10 (2.0), chela 0.62/0.12 (5.1), hand 0.25 (2.0), movable finger 0.36; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5, femur/movable finger 1.0, femur/carapace 1.2, chela/carapace 1.9, chela/ femur 1.6.

Remarks. Within the verai -group, O. giennensis ( Zaragoza & Pérez, 2013) resembles O. lencinai n. sp. and O. montagudi n. sp. by its small size (chela length less than 1.00 mm), but it differs from both of them by the position of trichobothrium ist (level with esb in O. giennensis , versus distinctly distad), as well as by the number of lateral microsetae on the cheliceral hand (4–5 in O. giennensis and only 1–2 in the others). The above description incorporates in part that of Zaragoza & Pérez (2013).

Figures

FIGURE 238. Occidenchthonius giennensis (Zaragoza & Pérez, 2013) n. comb., male holotype, right chela, antiaxial view (modified after Zaragoza & Pérez, 2013).