Ephippiochthonius serengei, 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 : 112-114

Ephippiochthonius serengei n. sp. ( Figs 184–189 )

Type locality. Spain, Valencian Community, Castellón province , La Plana Alta comarca, Cabanes, Avenc del Serenge (40°07′38″N, 00°03′58″E; 289 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Spain: Valencian Community.

Etymology. Latin genitive derived from the name of the cave in which the species is found.

Diagnosis (♂ ♀). A medium-sized, hypogean Ephippiochthonius species of the tetrachelatus -group. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di), spinneret moderately prominent in female and absent in male, lyrifissure ldb present; no eyes or eye-spots, usually without preocular microsetae on each side, posterior margin of carapace with 4 macrosetae; chelal hand 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 20–23 teeth; movable chelal finger with 17–19 teeth, without marginal lamina; pedipalpal femur (♂) 6.7, (♀) 6.5–6.9 times longer than broad, length (♂) 0.60 mm, (♀) 0.74–0.78 mm; chela (♂) 6.2, (♀) 5.7–5.9 times longer than deep, length (♂) 0.80 mm, (♀) 0.97–1.02 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♂ ♀) 1.6; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Type material examined. ♂ holotype, 1 ♀ paratype (both DEUA), Spain, Valencian Community, Castellón province, La Plana Alta comarca, Cabanes , Avenc del Serenge (40°07′38″N, 00°03′58″E; 289 m a.s.l.), 21.III.2004 ; 1 ♀ paratype (MCNB), 26.II.2006, leg. S. Montagud et al.; 1 ♀ paratype (DEUA), same type locality, 14.III.1982, leg. J. Comas; 1 ♂ (DEUA), 2 ♀ paratypes ( DEUA, MCNB), Cabanes, Avenc del Mas de la Cova (40°07′10″N, 00°04′48″E; 446 m a.s.l.), 24.XII.2013 / 17.VI.2015, pitfall, leg. F. Fadrique .

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

Carapace ( Fig. 185 ) distinctly longer than broad and posteriorly strongly constricted; medial part of anterior margin prominent, without a well-defined epistome, and strongly dentate ( Fig. 184 ); without eyes or eye-spots. Chaetotaxy: 20 macrosetae, preocular microsetae absent (only the holotype with one microseta on one side), posterior margin with 4 macrosetae, macrosetal formula 4:6:4:2:4, anteromedial setae 0.11–0.13 mm long and distinctly longer than the anterolateral setae, sublateral ocular setae 0.08–0.10 mm long; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera ( Figs 186, 187, 189 ) with 6 setae and 2 lateral microsetae on hand, seta vb short (length 0.04–0.06 mm), microsetae 0.025 mm long; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 8–9 teeth decreasing in size proximally, two distal teeth distinctly larger than others, 2–3 proximal microtubercles. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 8–9 teeth decreasing in size proximally, the distal tooth larger than others, 2–3 proximal microtubercles; spinneret absent in male ( Fig. 187 ), moderately prominent in female ( Fig. 189 ); seta gl 0.53–0.60 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 15 blades, serrula interior 12–13 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 10–12:(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 7–8 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 0.09–0.11 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.06 mm long; II 4 + 7–10 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. 188 ) with hand depressed at level of ib / isb, with a rounded 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 marked edge; ventral intercondylar bow-like protuberance (ip) present; 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 20–23 teeth, most pointed, with dental canals, decreasing in size in proximal third, distal tooth tiny, 2–6 proximal teeth rounded, dental row reaching level of sensilla pc, 2–6 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 subdistal protuberance (sp); one pair of long antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the finger base, 0.040–0.050 mm long, distance between them 0.043–0.063 mm slightly shorter than finger depth at base; 3– 5 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.025–0.035 mm. Movable finger with 17–19 teeth, with dental canals except the most proximal tooth in one female paratype, the distal one tiny, teeth pointed and well developed up to distad of trichobothrium sb, thereafter decreasing in size and becoming progressively more rounded proximally, without marginal lamina, dental row reaching up to distad of sensilla pc; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc halfway between sb and b. Trichobothria as in Fig. 188 ; trichobothrium ist slightly distad of esb and well 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 1.7–1.9 times longer than that between sb and b. All chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Measurements and ratios. Male holotype: Body 1.12. Carapace 0.35/0.35 (1.0). Chelicera 0.36/0.16 (2.2), movable finger 0.18. Pedipalp: femur 0.60/0.09 (6.7), patella 0.23/0.11 (2.2), chela 0.80/0.13 (6.2), hand 0.30 (2.3), movable finger 0.49; ratio movable finger/hand 1.6, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.7, chela/carapace 2.3, chela/femur 1.3. Female paratypes: Body 1.48–1.75. Carapace 0.45–0.49/0.42–0.47 (1.0–1.1). Chelicera 0.42– 0.46/0.19 (2.2–2.3), movable finger 0.24–0.25. Pedipalp: femur 0.74–0.78/0.11–0.12 (6.5–6.9), patella 0.28–0.30/ 0.13–0.14 (2.1–2.2), chela 0.97–1.02/0.17–0.18 (5.7–5.9), hand 0.38–0.40 (2.2–2.3), movable finger 0.61–0.62; ratio movable finger/hand 1.6, femur/movable finger 1.2–1.3, femur/carapace 1.6, chela/carapace 2.1–2.3, chela/ femur 1.3.

Remarks. Within the tetrachelatus -group, Ephippiochthonius serengei n. sp. shares with E. cabreriensis the presence of 4 setae in posterior row of the carapace and the absence of an isolated subapical tooth on the movable cheliceral finger. They are easily distinguished: E. serengei n. sp. is a hypogean, anophthalmic species, lacking preocular microsetae, with the pedipalpal femur 6.7 (♂) times longer than broad, length 0.60 (♂) mm, chela 6.2 (♂) times longer than broad, length (♂) 0.80 mm, whereas E. cabreriensis is an epigean species with well developed eyes, having one pair of preocular microseta, with the pedipalpal femur 5.0 (♂) times longer than broad, length (♂) 0.34 mm, chela 4.6 (♂) times longer than broad, length (♂) 0.51 mm.

Figures

FIGURES 184 – 189. Ephippiochthonius serengei n. sp., male holotype (184 – 188) and female paratype (189). 184, anterior margin of carapace, partial view; 185, carapace; 186, left chelicera; 187, fingers of left chelicera, partial view; 188, left chela, antiaxial view; 189, movable finger of left chelicera, partial view.