Ephippiochthonius pyrenaicus ( Beier, 1934 ) Beier, 1934

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 : 105-108

Ephippiochthonius pyrenaicus ( Beier, 1934) , n. comb.

( Figs 174–178 )

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) pyrenaicus Beier 1934: 55 –56, fig. 3. Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) pyrenaicus: Zaragoza 2007: 19 .

Type locality. France, Pyrénées-Orientales, Sorède, forêt de Sorède.

Distribution. France: mainland, Italy: mainland [doubtful according to Gardini (2000)], Spain: mainland and Balearic Islands.

Diagnosis (♂ ♀). A small, epigean Ephippiochthonius species of the fuscimanus -group. Movable cheliceral finger with isolated subapical tooth (di) and with prominent spinneret in both sexes, weakly reduced in male; lyrifissure ldb present; two pairs of eyes with lenses, anterior margin of carapace with 0–1 preocular microsetae on each side, posterior margin with 2 macrosetae; chelal hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with low rounded hump distad of ib / isb and an abrupt slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 12 teeth; movable chelal finger with 7–8 teeth pointed teeth at the distal half with dental canals, basal half with thick and level marginal lamina; pedipalpal femur (♂) 5.3–5.6, (♀) 5.4–5.5 times longer than broad, length (♂) 0.39–0.44 mm, (♀) 0.47–0.49 mm; chela (♂) 4.9–5.0, (♀) 4.4–4.5 times longer than deep, length (♂) 0.54–0.61 mm, (♀) 0.67–0.68 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♂) 1.3, (♀) 1.1; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that fd3, hd and ma2 are absent.

Type material examined. 1 ♂ syntype ( NHMW), France, Pyrénées-Orientales department, Sorède, forêt de Sorède, under stones, 30.IX.1932, leg. P. Remy.

Non-type material examined. Spain, Catalonia, Barcelona province, 1 ♂, Vallès Oriental comarca, Fogars de Montclús , Sot de Penyacans (41°44′13″N, 02°26′48″E; 656 m a.s.l.), Berlese funnel, 26.VII.2007, leg. A. Viñolas ( MCNB). Girona province , Osona comarca : 1 ♀, Viladrau, Santuari de Sant Segimon (41°49′33″N, 02°21′09″E; 967 m a.s.l.), leaf-litter Fagus , sieved, 17.IV.1976, leg. Lorenzo ; 1 ♀ ( MCNB), 2 ♂ ( MCNB, DEUA), Viladrau , Bac de Riba (41°50′02″N, 02°21′39″E; 797 m a.s.l.), Berlese funnel, 02.VIII.2007, leg. A. Viñolas ; La Selva comarca, 1 ♂, Arbúcies, Coll de Te (41°47′37″N, 02°27′30″E; 1101 m a.s.l.), Berlese funnel, 12.VII.2007, leg. A. Viñolas ( MCNB); Alt Empordà comarca : 3 ♂, 1 ♀ ( DEUA), road from Cantallops to Requesens, Cantallops (42°26′15″N, 02°55′40″E; 390 m a.s.l.), humid leaf-litter, sieved, 01.XI.1995, leg. H. Henderickx ; Cap de Creus, Rosas, Cala Montjoy (42°15′07″N, 03°13′44″E; 7 m a.s.l.), 1 ♀, 31.III.2005, 1 ♀, 06.XI.2005, under stones, leg. H. Henderickx, all in DEUA; Cap de Creus, 1 ♀ ( DEUA), Cadaqués (42°17′39″N, 03°15′48″E; 128 m a.s.l.), pitfall, 19.VI.2002, leg. C. Ribera .

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

Carapace ( Fig. 174 ) as long as or slightly longer than broad, weakly constricted posteriorly; anterior margin straight or weakly prominent, medially dentate; two pairs of well developed eyes with lenses and reflecting tapeta, anterior eyes strongly convex, 0.022–0.035 mm from anterior margin of carapace, diameter 0.030–0.040 mm, posterior eyes with weakly convex lens, 0.025–0.030 mm from anterior eyes, diameter 0.030–0.040 mm. Chaetotaxy: 18 macrosetae and 1–2 preocular microsetae on each side, macrosetal formula 4:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.08–0.09 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.04–0.06 mm long; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera ( Figs 175, 177 ) with 6 setae and 1–2 lateral microsetae on hand, seta vb 0.025–0.035 mm long, microseta 0.016–0.020 mm long; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 7–9 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 3–4 proximal microtubercles, distal tooth larger than others. Movable finger with an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 5–6 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 0–2 proximal microtubercles, distal tooth simple or bicuspid and larger than others; spinneret ( Fig. 177 ) prominent in both sexes, but lower in male, seta gl 0.54–0.59 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 14 blades, interior with 10–12 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 (0.18–0.21 and 0.27–0.32 mm long, respectively). Chaetotaxy of sternites 9–10:(3)9–10(3):(2)6– 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 (0.13–0.21 mm long); in addition, genital notch of male flanked by 4–6 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 0.065–0.075 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.045–0.065 mm long; II 4 + 5–9 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 3–5 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:2:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 176 ) with hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with low 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 without a marked edge; ventral intercondylar bow-like protuberance (ip) present; width as wide or slightly wider than depth; chaetotaxy 4:5:3, seta ph3 lacking, setae ih1 slightly proximad of trichobothria ib / isb, in contrast to setae ih3 and ih4 that are well distad; distal end of hand and bases of chelal fingers with sclerotized condylar complex. Fixed finger with 12 mostly pointed teeth, of these the 2–3 distal small teeth, all with dental canals, dental row reaching up to slightly distad or proximad of trichobothrium sb, 3–6 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. 178 ); 4–5 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.020–0.028 mm; one pair of very short antiaxial sensory setae (as) (syntype lacking hairs, their areoles slightly further apart than in the Spanish specimens), 0.0125–0.0185 mm long, very close together, distance between them 0.015–0.025 mm, finger depth at the base 0.040–0.045 mm. Distal half of movable finger with 7–8 triangular teeth slightly proximad of trichobothrium t, all with dental canals, distal tooth on low protuberance and very tiny, rarely absent, teeth distinctly wider than long; basal half with thick and level marginal lamina; basal apodeme long and apically narrowed; coupled sensilla pc between trichobothria sb and b, usually distinctly closer or almost level to sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 176 ; ib and isb distally united by a chitinized dorsal band; ist level with or slightly distad of esb, ist well proximad of lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and esb 1.3 times longer than that between ib / isb and the base of the hand; distance between st and sb 2.1–2.5 times longer than that between sb and b. All chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that fd3, hd and ma2 are absent.

Measurements and ratios. Male syntype: Pedipalp: femur 0.39/0.07 (5.5), patella 0.16/0.09 (1.8), chela 0.54/ 0.11 (4.9), hand 0.24 (2.2), movable finger 0.30; ratio movable finger/hand 1.3, femur/movable finger 1.3, chela/ femur 1.4. Males from Spain: Body 0.99–1.05. Carapace 0.33–0.34/0.32–0.33 (1.0–1.1). Cheliceral hand 0.27/ 0.13–0.14 (2.0–2.1), movable finger 0.14. Pedipalp: femur 0.40–0.44/0.08 (5.3–5.6), patella 0.17–0.18/0.09 (1.8– 1.9), chela 0.58–0.61/0.12 (4.9–5.0), hand 0.26–0.27 (2.1–2.2), movable finger 0.32–0.34; ratio movable finger/ hand 1.3, femur/movable finger 1.3, femur/carapace 1.2–1.3, chela/carapace 1.7–1.8, chela/femur 1.4–1.5. Females from Spain: Body 0.94–1.01. Carapace 0.37–0.39/0.36 (1.0–1.1). Chelicera 0.31/0.16 (2.0), movable finger 0.17. Pedipalp: femur 0.47–0.49/0.09 (5.4–5.5), patella 0.19–0.21/0.11 (1.8–1.9), chela 0.67–0.68/0.15–0.16 (4.4–4.5), hand 0.31–0.32 (2.0–2.1), movable finger 0.35–0.36; ratio movable finger/hand 1.1, femur/movable finger 1.3–1.4, femur/carapace 1.3, chela/carapace 1.7–1.8, chela/femur 1.4.

Remarks. Following Gardini’s paper (2013), within the known species of the fuscimanus -group, E. pyrenaicus ( Beier, 1934) is close to the Italian species E. nanus ( Beier, 1953) (Corsica, mainland Italy, Morocco, Sardinia, Sicily, Switzerland) and E. tyrrhenicus ( Gardini, 2013) (France, Italy), sharing with both the presence of an isolated subapical tooth (di) on the movable cheliceral finger, anterior eyes with distinctly convex lens, carapacal epistome absent and cheliceral spinneret prominent in both sexes. E. pyrenaicus shares with E. tyrrhenicus the abrupt slope of the chelal hand between trichobothria ib / isb and eb and similar pedipalpal measurements, versus a gentle slope and smaller size in E. nanus . The differences between E. pyrenaicus and E. tyrrhenicus are rather slight and should be verified; the former has slightly longer pedipalp measurements [femur length (♂) 0.39–0.44 mm, (♀) 0.47–0.49 mm, chela length (♂) 0.54–0.61 mm, (♀) 0.67–0.68 mm in E. pyrenaicus versus femur length (♂) 0.29–0.37 mm, (♀) 0.32–0.42 mm, chela length (♂) 0.44–0.54 mm, (♀) 0.47–0.60 mm in E. tyrrhenicus ] and the movable chelal finger/hand ratio is 1.3 (♂) or 1.1 (♀), as opposed to 1.3–1.4 (♂) or 1.2–1.4 (♀) in E. tyrrhenicus . Gardini (2013) noted that these species are probably closely related. Comparison with the other Iberian species, E. portugalensis n. sp., is made in the key. The above description incorporates in part those of Beier (1934, 1963).

Figures

FIGURES 174 – 178. Ephippiochthonius pyrenaicus (Beier, 1934) n. comb., male syntype (174 – 176), female (177) and male (178) from Cantallops, Girona province, Spain. 174, anterior margin of carapace; 175, left chelicera, partial view; 176, left chela, antiaxial view; 177, fingers of right chelicera, partial view; 178, tip of fixed chelal finger, dorsal view. See Material and methods for abbreviations.