Ephippiochthonius amatei (Carabajal Márquez, García Carrillo & Rodríguez Fernández, 2001) Carabajal Marquez, Garcia Carrillo & Rodriguez Fernandez, 2001

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 : 42-43

Ephippiochthonius amatei (Carabajal Márquez, García Carrillo & Rodríguez Fernández, 2001) , n. comb.

( Fig. 69 )

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) amatei Carabajal Márquez, García Carrillo & Rodríguez Fernández 2001a: 11 ‒13, figs 12‒14, table II.

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) amatei: Zaragoza 2007: 14 .

Type locality. Spain, Andalusia, Almeria province , Sierra de Gádor, Enix, Cueva del Lobo (36°51′55″N, 02°37′07″W; 753 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Spain: Andalusia.

Diagnosis (♂ ♀). Medium-sized Ephippiochthonius species of the gibbus -group. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and without spinneret in male, prominent in female; lyrifissure ldb present; anterior eyes with lens, posterior eyes weakly convex; anterior margin of carapace with 1–2 preocular microsetae on each side, posterior margin with 2 macrosetae; chelal hand very weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a low and rounded hump distad of ib / isb and an abrupt slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 21–23 teeth; movable chelal finger with 8–9 pointed teeth in distal half with dental canals, basal half without marginal lamina and 6–10 tiny vestigial teeth without dental canals; pedipalpal femur (♂) 5.4–6.1, (♀) 5.7–6.3 times longer than broad, length (♂) 0.52–0.78 mm, (♀) 0.60–0.71; chela (♂) 5.4–5.7, (♀) 5.0–5.1 times longer than deep, length (♂) 0.73–0.83 mm, (♀) 0.85–0.98 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♂) 1.4, (♀) 1.3–1.4 mm; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that ma2 is absent.

Type material examined. 1 ♀ paratype ( MNCN), Spain, Andalusia, Almeria province, Sierra de Gádor, Enix , Cueva del Lobo (36°51′55″N, 02°37′07″W; 753 m a.s.l.), 12.V.1996, leg. P. Barranco & J. Amate.

Non-type material examined. 1 ♂ (CECOUAL), Spain, Andalusia, Almeria province, Sierra de Gádor , Enix , Sima del Puntal (36°53′44″N, 02°31′02″W; 686 m a.s.l.), 09.XII.2012, leg. E.C. A.

Description (♂ ♀). Moderately sized species, probably troglophilic. Integument only weakly depigmented; marked hispid granulation on lateral surface of carapace, on cheliceral hand and on bases of chelal fingers.

Carapace as long or slightly longer than broad and weakly constricted posteriorly; anterior margin only weakly prominent, medially dentate; two pairs of eyes with lenses and reflecting tapeta, anterior eyes distinctly convex, 0.025–0.030 mm from anterior margin of carapace, diameter 0.040–0.045 mm, posterior eyes with weakly convex lens, 0.030–0.048 mm from anterior eyes, diameter 0.040–0.045 mm. Chaetotaxy: 18 macrosetae and 1–2 preocular microsetae on each side, macrosetal formula 4:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.070–0.090 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.05–0.060 mm long; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera with 6 setae and 1 lateral microseta on hand, seta vb 0.033–0.040 mm long, microseta 0.023–0.025 mm long; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 6–9 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 2 proximal microtubercles, two distal teeth distinctly larger than others. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 4–5 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 2 microtubercles, distal tooth larger than others; spinneret absent in male, prominent and apically rounded in female; seta gl 0.56 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 14–16 blades, serrula interior with 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 (0.16 and 0.30 mm long, respectively). Chaetotaxy of sternites 9–10:(3)8–9(3):(2)7–8(2):6–8:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2 [according to Carabajal et al. (2001a), sternites VI–X bear 4 setae only, but this does not agree with the material studied here and is probably an error], lateral setae on sternite III microsetal in size, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae (0.17 mm long); in addition, genital notch of male flanked by 6 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 0.07–0.08 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.06 mm long; II 4 + 5–9 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 4–5 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 69 ) with hand very weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a low and rounded hump distad of ib / isb and an abrupt 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 slightly shorter 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 marked sclerotized condylar complex. Fixed finger with 21–23 teeth: distal tooth tiny, subdistal small, 19–21 triangular mostly large teeth, proximally reduced in size, all with dental canals, dental row level halfway between trichobothria sb and b, 4–5 microtubercles at base; 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); 5 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.023–0.025 mm; one pair of antiaxial sensory setae (as) short, 0.010–0.018 mm long, distance between them 0.025–0.035 mm, finger depth 0.045–0.055 mm at the base. Distal half of movable finger with 8–9 triangular teeth, the distal one tiny or absent and reduced to a protuberance, all with dental canals, level proximad of trichobothrium st and distinctly distad of halfway between st and sb; proximal half without marginal lamina, with 6–10 tiny vestigial teeth without dental canals, proximally difficult to be observed, reaching level of sb; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc halfway between sb and b or slightly proximad of sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 69 ; ist level with or slightly proximad of esb and well proximad of lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and esb approximately equal to that between ib / isb and the base of the hand; distance between st and sb 1.8–2.1 times longer than that between sb and b. All chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that ma2 is absent (present on one chela of female paratype).

Measurements and ratios. Female holotype, followed by female paratypes in square brackets: Body 1.68 [1.63–1.70]. Carapace 0.45/0.45 (1.0) [0.39–0.43/0.40–0.46 (1.0)]. Pedipalp: femur 0.71/0.11 (6.3) [0.60–0.64/ 0.10–0.11 (5.7–6.2)], patella 0.27/0.13 (2.1) [0.24–0.29/0.11–0.17 (2.1–2.2)], chela 0.98/0.20 (5.0) [0.85–0.91/ 0.17–0.18 (5.0–5.1)], hand 0.42 (2.2) [0.36–0.39 (2.2)], movable finger 0.56 [0.48–0.51]; ratio movable finger/ hand 1.3 [1.3–1.4], femur/movable finger 1.3 [1.2–1.4]. Male paratypes: Body 1.50. Carapace 0.36–0.40/0.40 (0.9– 1.0). Pedipalp: femur 0.52–0.78/0.08–0.10 (5.4–5.7), patella 0.20–0.23/0.10–0.11 (2.1–2.2), chela 0.73–0.83/0.13– 0.15 (5.4–5.7), hand 0.30–0.36/0.13–0.15 (2.3–2.5), movable finger 0.43–0.47; ratio movable finger/hand 1.4, femur/movable finger 1.2–1.7(doubtful data from Carabajal et al. 2001a). Male from Cueva del Puntal: Body 1.34. Carapace 0.41/0.39 (1.1). Pedipalp: femur 0.57/0.09 (6.1), patella 0.22/0.11 (2.0), chela 0.76/0.14 (5.6), hand 0.31/ 0.14 (2.2), movable finger 0.44; ratio movable finger/hand 1.4, femur/movable finger 1.3, femur/carapace 1.4, chela/carapace 1.9, chela/femur 1.3.

Remarks. Within the gibbus -group, E. amatei (Carabajal Márquez, García Carrillo & Rodríguez Fernández, 2001) shares with E. galcerani n. sp. and E. caceresi n. sp. the following combination of characteristics: movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and, in males, without spinneret, only 2 setae in posterior row of carapace, at least anterior eyes with well developed eyes with convex lens, distal half of chelal hand with a short row of 7–9 pointed teeth closer to trichobothrium st than to sb. E. amatei differs from E. galcerani n. sp. by the degree of development of the posterior eyes (weakly convex lens versus eye-spots), the ratio st -sb / sb -b (1.8–2.1 versus 3.6) and the position of coupled sensilla pc relative to sb (proximad versus distad). It differs from E. caceresi n. sp. in having a more slender and longer pedipalp [e.g. chela (♂) 5.4–5.7 times longer than broad, length 0.73–0.83 mm versus chela (♂) 4.6–4.8 times longer than broad, length 0.55–0.56 mm] and in the pedipalpal femur chaetotaxy (3:6:3:5:1 versus 3:6:2:5:1), as compared in detail in the key. The above description incorporates in part that of Carabajal et al. (2001).

Figures

FIGURE 69. Ephippiochthonius amatei (Carabajal Márquez, García Carrillo & Rodríguez Fernández, 2001) n. comb., female paratype, right chela, antiaxial view.