Ephippiochthonius zaballosi, 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 : 124-126

Ephippiochthonius zaballosi n. sp. ( Figs 210–214 )

Type locality. Spain, Extremadura, Cáceres province , Valdecañas de Tajo (39°45′35″N, 05°37′17″W; 372 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Spain: Extremadura.

Etymology. Named after Dr Juan P. Zaballos (Complutense University of Madrid) for his generous donation of a collection of endogean pseudoscorpions from central and western Spain and to honour his large contribution to the knowledge of the subterranean, mainly Mediterranean, Carabidae (Coleoptera) .

Diagnosis (♂). A small, endogean Ephippiochthonius species of the gibbus -group. Movable cheliceral finger with isolated subapical tooth (di) and without spinneret in male, unknown for female, lyrifissure ldb present; two pairs of eyes with lenses, anterior margin of carapace without preocular microsetae, posterior margin with 2 setae; Chelal hand strongly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a rounded hump distad of ib / isb and an abrupt slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 18 teeth with dental canals; distal half of movable chelal finger with 8 teeth with dental canals, basal half without marginal lamina and 5 vestigial teeth progressively reduced to flattened undulations, without dental canals; pedipalpal femur (♂) 5.2 times longer than broad, length 0.41 mm; chela (♂) 5.0 times longer than deep, length 0.57 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♂) 1.4; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that ma2 is absent.

Type material examined. ♂ holotype ( DEUA), Spain, Extremadura, Cáceres province, Valdecañas de Tajo (39°45′35″N, 05°37′17″W; 372 m a.s.l.), 07.IV.2011, leg. J.P. Zaballos & S. Pérez-González.

Description (♂; ♀ unknown). Small endogean species. Integument pigmented; marked hispid granulation on lateral surfaces of carapace, on cheliceral hand and weaker on bases of chelal fingers.

Carapace ( Fig. 211 ) slightly longer than broad; anterior margin not prominent, medially dentate ( Fig. 210 ); two pairs of well developed eyes with lenses and reflecting tapeta, anterior eyes with strongly convex lens, 0.025 mm from anterior margin of carapace, diameter 0.04 mm, posterior eyes with weakly convex lens, 0.03 mm from anterior eyes, diameter 0.03 mm. Chaetotaxy: 18 macrosetae, formula 4:6:4:2:2, without preocular microsetae, anteromedial setae 0.09 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.06 mm long; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly. Chelicera ( Fig. 212 ) with 6 setae and 1 lateral microseta on hand, seta vb 0.025 mm long, microseta 0.015 mm long; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 7 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 2 proximal microtubercles, distal tooth distinctly larger than others. Movable finger with an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 5 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 1 microtubercle, distal tooth larger than others; spinneret absent; seta gl 0.60 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 14 blades, serrula interior with 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 10:(3)10(3):(2)7(2):8:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III microsetal in size, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae; 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 0.070 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.035 mm long; II 4 + 6 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 3 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 214 ) with hand strongly depressed at level of ib / isb, with a hump distad of ib / isb and an abrupt 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 distinct edge; ventral intercondylar bow-like protuberance (ip) present; width equal to depth, maximum width proximad of ib / isb; chaetotaxy 4:5:3, seta ph3 lacks, 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 18 teeth, 2 distal teeth smaller than the others and 2 proximal rounded, all with dental canals, 2 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) ( Fig. 213 ); 6–7 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.0175–0.020 mm; one pair of short antiaxial sensory setae (as), 0.0225 mm long, distance between setae the same that their length, fixed finger depth at the base 0.04 mm. Distal half of movable finger with 8 triangular teeth with dental canals, the three proximal ones decreasing in size, distally with a protuberance without tooth; proximal half without marginal lamina, with 5 vestigial teeth reduced to flattened undulations, without dental canals, dental row reaching trichobothrium sb; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc between sb and b, slightly closer to sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 214 ; ist very slightly distad of esb and distinctly proximad of lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and base of hand 1.1 times that between ib / isb and esb; distance between st and sb 2.5 times longer than that between sb and b. All chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that ma2 is absent.

Measurements and ratios. Male holotype: Body 1.36. Carapace 0.36/0.33 (1.1). Chelicera 0.27/0.13 (2.0), movable finger 0.15. Pedipalp: femur 0.41/0.08 (5.2), patella 0.18/0.09 (1.9), chela 0.57/0.12 (5.0), hand 0.24 (2.0), movable finger 0.33; ratio movable finger/hand 1.4, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.1, chela/carapace 1.6, chela/femur 1.4.

Remarks. Within the gibbus -group, E. zaballosi n. sp. shares with E. gibbus , E. masoae n. sp. and E. sevai n. sp., the following combination of characteristics: only 2 setae in posterior row of carapace, presence of an isolated subapical tooth on movable cheliceral finger, and at least anterior eyes with convex lens. E. zaballosi n. sp. is closest to E. gibbus , but they differ by the shape of the male spinneret and the dorsum of the chelal hand, as compared in the remarks under E. gibbus .

Figures

FIGURES 210 – 214. Ephippiochthonius zaballosi n. sp., male holotype. 210, anterior margin of carapace, partial view; 211, carapace; 212, left chelicera; 213, tip of fixed chelal finger, dorsal view; 214, left chela, antiaxial view.