Ephippiochthonius balearicus ( Mahnert, 1977 ) Mahnert, 1977

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 : 49-50

Ephippiochthonius balearicus ( Mahnert, 1977) , n. comb.

( Fig. 88 )

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) balearicus Mahnert 1977: 67 ‒69, figs 5‒9. Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) balearicus: Zaragoza 2007: 15 .

Type locality. Spain, Balearic Islands, Mallorca Island, Artà, Cap Ferrutx , Avenc des Travessets (39°45′51″N, 03°21′03″E; 328 m a.s.l.) .

Distribution. Spain: Balearic Islands.

Diagnosis (♂ ♀). A large, hypogean Ephippiochthonius species of the tetrachelatus -group. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and with prominent spinneret in female, absent in male, lyrifissure ldb present; no eyes or eye-spots, 1–2 preocular microsetae on each side, posterior margin of carapace with 2 macrosetae; pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:2:5:1; chelal hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with long and low hump distad of ib / isb and gentle slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 25–34 teeth; movable chelal finger with 20–30 teeth, of these the 8–15 proximal are vestigial, without marginal lamina; pedipalpal femur 7.2–8.2 times longer than broad, length 0.81–0.91 mm; chela 5.4–6.8 times longer than deep, length 1.09–1.33 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand 1.4; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Non-type material examined. 1 ♂ ( DEUA), Spain, Balearic Islands, Mallorca Island, Palma , Cueva del Pilar (39°45′51″N, 03°21′03″E; 328 m a.s.l.), 27.XI.2004 ; 1 ♀, 28.VII.2007, both leg. M. Vadell.

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

Carapace as long or distinctly longer than broad and posteriorly constricted; medial part of anterior margin straight or very weakly prominent, without a well-defined epistome, and strongly dentate; without eyes or eyespots. Chaetotaxy: 17–18 macrosetae and 1–2 preocular microsetae on each side (exceptionally 0–7 total microsetae in ocular area), macrosetal formula 3–4:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.11–0.12 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.03–0.04 mm long; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Cheliceral hand with 6 setae and 1–4 lateral microsetae, seta vb short (0.035–0.050 mm long), microseta 0.015–0.025 mm long; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 8–11 teeth decreasing in size proximally, two distal teeth distinctly larger than others, 3 proximal microtubercles. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 7–11 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 2–3 proximal microtubercles, the distal tooth larger than others; spinneret extremely reduced or absent in male, prominent in female; seta gl 0.54–0.55 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 15–17 blades, serrula interior 12–14 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 (0.20 mm and 0.26 mm long, respectively). Chaetotaxy of sternites 9–11:(3)8–11(3–4):(2)6–8(1–2):7–9:6–7:6– 7:6–7:6–7:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III microsetal in size, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae (0.13– 0.21 mm long); in addition, genital notch of male flanked by 8–11 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 0.12 mm long; coxa I 3–4 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.07–0.09 mm long; II 4–5 + 7–13 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 +4–6 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:2:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 88 ) with hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with long and low hump distad of ib / isb and gentle slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; dorsal-antiaxial surface of the chelal hand between the hump and trichobothria eb / esb flattened, limited by a marked edge; ventral intercondylar bow-like protuberance (ip) present; width equal to or longer than depth; chaetotaxy 4:5:3, seta ph3 lacking, setae ih1, ih3 and ih4 approximately level with trichobothria ib / isb; distal end of hand and bases of chelal fingers with sclerotized condylar complex. Fixed finger with 25–34 teeth most pointed and with dental canals, the distal one small, the 16 more proximal teeth progressively decreasing in size, 1–3 most proximal teeth are rounded and without dental canals, dental row reaching up to distad of trichobothrium b, 4 microtubercles at base; tip of finger with an accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; tip of fixed finger of male with a deep hollow on paraxial face and subdistal protuberance (sp); one pair of long antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the finger base, 0.045–0.055 mm long, distance between them 0.055–0.070 mm, finger depth at the base 0.055–0.060 mm; 5 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.023–0.028 mm. Movable finger with 20–30 teeth, those in distal half with 12–15 pointed teeth and all with dental canals, the distal one tiny or small, basal half with 8–15 vestigial teeth markedly reducing in size towards base, the 3–5 more proximal ones without dental canals, dental row reaching up to proximad of trichobothrium sb being shorter than the fixed finger row; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc proximad of sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 88 ; trichobothrium ist slightly distad or proximad of esb and well proximad of lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and esb 1.0 or 1.1 times longer than that between ib / isb and base of hand; distance between st and sb 1.7–2.1 times longer than that between sb and b. All chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Measurements and ratios. Male holotype and paratypes: Body 1.67–2.08. Carapace 0.48–0.60/0.45–0.51. Pedipalp: femur 0.81–0.91/0.10–0.13 (7.2–8.2), patella 0.30–0.37/0.13–0.17 (2.1–2.5), chela 1.09–1.33/0.16–0.24 (5.4–6.8), hand 0.42–0.54 (2.3–2.6), movable finger 0.68–0.81; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5–1.8. Specimens from Cueva del Pilar, male, followed, when different, by female in square brackets: Body 1.49 [1.48]. Carapace 0.46/0.42 (1.1) [0.49/0.47 (1.0)]. Pedipalp: femur 0.82/0.11 (7.8) [0.89/0.12 (7.5)], patella 0.32/0.14 (2.3) [0.34/ 0.16 (2.2)], chela 1.10/0.18 (6.1) [1.16/0.21 (5.6)], hand 0.45 (2.5) [0.48 (2.4)], movable finger 0.64 [0.66]; ratio movable finger/hand 1.4, femur/movable finger 1.3.

Remarks. Within the tetrachelatus -group, E. balearicus shares with the species E. aurouxi n. sp., E. benimaquia n. sp., E. comasi n. sp., E. fadriquei n. sp. and E. mahnerti the following combination of characteristics: anophthalmic, hypogean, with 1–2 preocular microsetae, only 2 setae in posterior row of carapace, without isolated subapical tooth on movable cheliceral finger and movable chelal finger with 15–21 teeth with dental canals. The species E. balearicus differs from them, amongst other characteristics, in its pedipalpal femur chaetotaxy: 3:6:2:5:1, versus 3:6:3:5: 1 in the others. The above description incorporates in part that of Mahnert (1977).

Figures

FIGURE 88. Ephippiochthonius balearicus (Mahnert, 1977) n. comb., male, Cueva del Pilar, Palma, Mallorca Island, Balearic Islands, Spain, left chela, antiaxial view.