Occidenchthonius cardosoi (Zaragoza, 2012) Zaragoza, 2012

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 : 140-143

Occidenchthonius cardosoi (Zaragoza, 2012) , n. comb.

( Fig. 229 )

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) cardosoi Zaragoza 2012: 26 –27, figs 1–9.

Type locality. Portugal, Setúbal district, Sesimbra, Gruta do Fumo (38°26′03″N, 09°08′39″W; 209 m a.s.l.). Distribution . Portugal: Setúbal .

Diagnosis (♀). A medium-sized, hypogean, weakly troglomorphic Occidenchthonius species. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and spinneret small in female, unknown for male, lyrifissure ldb present; without eyes or eye-spots, anterior margin of carapace with 1 preocular microsetae on each side, posterior margin with 4 macrosetae; chelal hand distinctly depressed at level of ib / isb, with short and very low hump distad of ib / isb and very gentle slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 16 teeth; distal two-thirds of movable chelal finger with 12 pointed teeth with dental canals, basal third of movable chelal finger with 6–7 rounded, partially fused, vestigial teeth, without canals, on raised lamina; pedipalpal femur (♀) 5.8–6.0 times longer than broad, length 0.63–0.66 mm; chela (♀) 5.2–5.5 times longer than deep, length 0.85– 0.89 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♀) 1.4; lacking lyrifissures ma1 and ma2, all other chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements.

Type material examined. ♀ holotype (ZMUC), 1 ♀ paratype ( DEUA), Portugal, Setúbal district, Sesimbra, Gruta do Fumo (38°26′03″N, 09°08′39″W; 209 m a.s.l.), 23.XII.2007, leg. P. Cardoso, S. Henriquez & F.L. Rasteiro .

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

Carapace distinctly longer than broad, constricted posteriorly; medial part of anterior margin strongly prominent, with rudimentary epistome, and strongly dentate. Without eyes or eye-spots. Chaetotaxy: 20 macrosetae, with 1 preocular microseta on each side, 4 setae in posterior row, posteromedial setae equal to or slightly longer than the posterolateral ones, formula m 4m:6:4:2:4; 3–5 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Cheliceral hand with 6 setae and 1 lateral microseta, seta vb short (length 0.040 mm), microseta 0.025 mm; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 11–13 teeth decreasing in size proximally, 1–2 proximal microtubercles, two distal teeth distinctly larger than others. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 7–10 teeth decreasing in size proximally, 1–4 proximal microtubercles, the distal tooth larger than others; spinneret small and apically rounded in female, unknown for male; seta gl 0.52 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 14 blades, serrula interior with 13–15 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 (0.19 and 0.23 mm long, respectively). Chaetotaxy of sternites 8:(3)7(3):(2)8–9(2):7–9:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III macrosetal in size, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae.

Pedipalpal coxa with 5 setae (including 2 on manducatory process), distal marginal seta of disk 0.09 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.06 mm long; II 3–4 + 6–10 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 4 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 229 ) with hand distinctly depressed at level of ib / isb, with short and very low hump distad of ib / isb and very gentle slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; distinct hollow before base of movable finger with thicker cuticle; chaetotaxy 4:5:4, seta ph3 present; distal end of hand and bases of chelal fingers with sclerotized condylar complex. Fixed finger with 16 mostly pointed teeth and with dental canals, last proximal teeth rounded, 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, dental row reaching up to slightly proximad of trichobothrium sb, 6–9 proximal microtubercles; tip of fixed finger with an accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; one pair of long antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the base, one level with and other well distad of lyrifissure fb, 0.025–0.035 mm long, distance between them 0.035 mm, fixed finger depth at the base 0.055 mm; 4 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.025–0.028 mm. Distal two-thirds of movable finger with 12 pointed teeth with dental canals that reach up to proximad of halfway between trichobothria st and sb, two proximal teeth reduced in size, 1–2 distal teeth tiny; basal third of movable chelal finger with 6–7 rounded, partially fused, vestigial teeth, without canals, on raised and short lamina, dental row reaching up to level of sensilla pc, 6–7 proximal microtubercles; basal apodeme long and apically narrowed; coupled sensilla pc halfway between sb and b. Trichobothria as in Fig. 229 ; trichobothrium ist well distad of esb and slightly proximad of lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and esb 1.1 times longer than that between ib / isb and the base of the hand; distance between st and sb 1.6 times longer than that between sb and b; lacking lyrifissures ma1 and ma2, all other chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements.

Measurements and ratios. Female holotype, followed, when different, by female paratype in square brackets: Body 1.50 [1.44]. Carapace 0.48/0.40 (1.2) [0.43/0.37 (1.2)]. Pedipalp: femur 0.66/0.11 (6.0) [0.63/0.11 (5.8)], patella 0.27/0.12 (2.2) [2.3], chela 0.89/0.17 (5.2) [0.85/0.15 (5.5)], hand 0.37 (2.2) [0.36 (2.3)], movable finger 0.52 [0.49]; ratio movable finger/hand 1.4, femur/movable finger 1.3, femur/carapace 1.4 [1.5], chela/carapace 1.9 [2.0], chela/femur 1.3.

Remarks. Occidenchthonius cardosoi (Zaragoza, 2012) does not belong to either of the recognized speciesgroups within the genus. Among the species of the genus without isolated subapical tooth (di) on the cheliceral movable finger, it is the only one that has 4 setae in the posterior row of the carapace.

Figures

FIGURE 229. Occidenchthonius cardosoi (Zaragoza, 2012) n. comb., female holotype, left chela, antiaxial view (modified after Zaragoza, 2012).