Ephippiochthonius aurouxi, Zaragoza, Juan A., 2017

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 : 46-48

Ephippiochthonius aurouxi n. sp. ( Figs 82–87 )

Chthonius (E.) ventalloi (not Beier, 1939): Lagar 1972a: 17 –18 (misidentification). Chthonius (E.) aff. hiberus Beier : Mahnert 1977: 65 –66.

Type locality. Spain, Catalonia, Tarragona province , Alt Camp comarca, Montral, Cova de la Moneda (41°17′11″N, 01°04′27″E; 996 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Spain: Catalonia.

Etymology. Named after the biospeleologist Lluís Auroux (BIOSP), who collected the holotype, to honour his work for more than 40 years collecting and studying the cave-dwelling fauna.

Diagnosis (♂ ♀). A medium-sized, hypogean Ephippiochthonius species of the tetrachelatus -group. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and with spinneret in both sexes although distinctly reduced in male, lyrifissure ldb present; no eyes or eye-spots, 1 preocular microseta on each side, posterior margin of carapace with 2 macrosetae; chelal hand distinctly depressed at level of ib / isb, with large and rounded hump distad of ib / isb and moderate slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 22–27 teeth; movable chelal finger with 17–22 teeth, most with dental canals, without marginal lamina; pedipalpal femur (♂) 5.8, (♀) 6.0–6.3 times longer than broad, length (♂) 0.62 mm, (♀) 0.63–0.75 mm; chela (♂) 5.7, (♀) 5.6–5.7 times longer than deep, length (♂) 0.84 mm, (♀) 0.86–0.97; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♂) 1.6, (♀) 1.5–1.6; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Type material examined. ♂ holotype ( MCNB), Spain, Catalonia, Tarragona province, Alt Camp comarca, Montral , Cova de la Moneda (41°17′11″N, 01°04′27″E; 996 m a.s.l.), I.1977, leg. Ll . Auroux. 1 ♀ paratype ( DEUA), Ribera d’Ebre comarca, Tivissa, Llaberia , Cova del Janet (41°04′55″N, 00°49′60″E; 674 m a.s.l.), 15.II.1976, leg. J. Comas ; 2 ♂ paratypes (MCNB), 22.VIII.2014, leg. BIOSP; 1 ♀ paratype (DEUA), 05.X.1997, leg. F. Fadrique.

Non-type material examined. 1 ♂ ( DEUA) in very bad condition, Spain, Catalonia, Tarragona province, Alt Camp comarca, Montral , Cova del Masiet (41°17′59″N, 01°07′45″E; 570 m a.s.l.), 29.VII.2012, leg. A. Sendra & J. Pallisé.

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

Carapace ( Fig. 83 ) slightly longer than broad and posteriorly constricted; medial part of anterior margin weakly prominent, without epistome, and strongly dentate ( Fig. 82 ); without eyes or eye-spots. Chaetotaxy: 18–19 macrosetae and 1 preocular microseta on each side, setal formula m 4–5m:6:4:2:2 (only ♂ holotype with 5 macrosetae on anterior margin), anteromedial setae 0.09–0.13 mm long; 4–5 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera ( Figs 84, 86 ) with 6 setae and 1–2 lateral microsetae on hand, seta vb short (length 0.03–0.045 mm), microsetae 0.02 mm long; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 7– 10 teeth decreasing in size proximally, two distal teeth distinctly larger than others. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 8–9 teeth decreasing in size proximally, the distal tooth larger than others; spinneret prominent in female, lower in male ( Fig. 86 ), particularly reduced in males from Cova del Janet; seta gl 0.51–0.56 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 15–16 blades, serrula interior 13 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. Chaetotaxy of sternites 9–10:(3)9–10(3):(2)6–8(2):8:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III microsetal in size or slightly longer, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae; in addition, genital notch of male flanked by 6–9 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 0.075–0.09 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.05–0.06 mm long; II 4 + 8–9 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 4–6 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 87 ) with hand distinctly depressed at level of ib / isb, with large and rounded hump distad of ib / isb and moderate slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; dorsalantiaxial 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 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 22–27 teeth, the distal one small, most pointed, 5–7 proximal teeth rounded and progressively decreasing in size, all with dental canals except 2–3 proximal, 2–4 proximal microtubercles; tip of finger with an accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; tip of fixed chelal finger of male with a deep hollow on paraxial face and a pronounced subdistal protuberance (sp) ( Fig. 85 ), lacking in female; one pair of long antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the finger base, distance between them equal to finger depth at base; 5 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.023–0.025 mm. Movable finger with 17–22 teeth, the distal one small, most pointed, 4–7 proximal teeth rounded and progressively decreasing in size, all with dental canals except proximal 2–3, dental row reaching distad or level with sensilla pc; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc halfway between sb and b. Trichobothria as in Fig. 87 ; trichobothrium ist slightly distad of esb and well proximad of lyrifissure fb; ib / isb half-way between base of hand and esb; distance between st and sb 1.5–1.6 times longer than that between sb and b. All chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Measurements and ratios. Male holotype, followed, when different, by one male paratype from Cova del Janet in square brackets: Body 1.37 [1.20]. Carapace 0.44/0.42 (1.1) [0.38/0.35 (1.1)]. Chelicera 0.40/0.17 (2.3) [0.36/ 0.17 (2.2)], movable finger 0.21 [0.18]. Pedipalp: femur 0.62/0.11 (5.8) [0.57/0.10 (5.9)], patella 0.25/0.12 (2.1) [0.23/0.12 (2.0)], chela 0.84/0.15 (5.7) [0.75/0.14 (5.6)], hand 0.32 (2.2) [0.29 (2.1)], movable finger 0.51 [0.46]; ratio movable finger/hand 1.6, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.4 [1.5], chela/carapace 1.9 [2.0], chela/ femur 1.4 [1.3]. Female paratypes: Body 1.40–1.64. Carapace 0.42–0.48/0.41–0.51 (1.0). Chelicera 0.41–0.45/ 0.19–0.21 (2.1–2.2), movable finger 0.21–0.23. Pedipalp: femur 0.63–0.75/0.11–0.12 (6.0–6.3), patella 0.26–0.30/ 0.13–0.14 (2.1), chela 0.86–0.97/0.15–0.17 (5.6–5.7), hand 0.34–0.38 (2.2), movable finger 0.51–0.59; ratio movable finger/hand 1.5–1.6, femur/movable finger 1.2–1.3, femur/carapace 1.5–1.6, chela/carapace 2.0–2.2, chela/femur 1.3–1.4.

Remarks. Within the tetrachelatus -group, E. aurouxi n. sp. shares with the species E. balearicus ( Mahnert, 1977) , E. benimaquia n. sp., E. comasi n. sp., E. fadriquei n. sp. and E. mahnerti ( Zaragoza, 1984) the following combination of characteristics: anophthalmic, hypogean, with 1–2 preocular microsetae, only 2 setae in the posterior row of carapace, without an isolated subapical tooth on movable cheliceral finger and movable chelal finger with 15–21 teeth with dental canals. E. aurouxi n. sp. differs from all those species by its shorter pedipalpal femur, length (♂ ♀) less than 0.80 mm and chela length (♂ ♀) less than 1.00 mm, as compared in the key. It also shares with E. fadriquei n. sp. the shape of the cheliceral spinneret in males, which is reduced but still evident, whereas it is mostly absent (male unknown in E. benimaquia n. sp.) in the other above mentioned species. Specimens described by Lagar (1972a) as C. (E.) ventalloi ( Beier, 1939) and by Mahnert (1977) as C. (E.) aff. hiberus ( Beier, 1930) , from Cova del Janet, almost certainly correspond to E. aurouxi n. sp.

Figures

FIGURES 82 – 87. Ephippiochthonius aurouxi n. sp., male holotype. 82, anterior margin of carapace, partial view; 83, carapace; 84, left chelicera; 85, tip of fixed chelal finger, dorsal view; 86, fingers of left chelicera, partial view; 87, left chela, antiaxial view.