Ephippiochthonius nerjaensis (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 : 96-99

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

( Fig. 165)

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) nerjaensis Carabajal Márquez, García Carrillo & Rodríguez Fernández 2001b: 174 –177, figs 6–9, table II.

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) nerjaensis: Zaragoza 2007: 18 .

Type locality. Spain, Andalusia, Málaga province , Nerja, Cueva de Nerja (36°45′42″N, 03°50′41″W; 154 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Spain: Andalusia.

Diagnosis (♂ ♀). A microphthalmic, hypogean, medium-sized Ephippiochthonius species of the tetrachelatus - group. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and with spinneret strongly reduced in male, lyrifissure ldb present; anterior pair of eyes with weakly convex lens, posterior eyes with weaker lens than anterior pair, anterior margin of carapace with 1 preocular microseta on each side, posterior margin with 2 macrosetae; pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:2:5:1; chelal hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with long and low hump distad of ib / isb and moderate slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb in male, more abrupt in female; fixed chelal finger with 21 teeth; distal half of movable chelal finger with 6–8 pointed teeth with dental canals, proximal half without marginal lamina, with 8 very weak vestigial teeth; pedipalpal femur (♂) 6.4–6.8, (♀) 6.7–7.3 times longer than broad, length (♂) 0.66–0.78 mm, (♀) 0.76–0.83 mm; chela (♂) 5.8–5.9, (♀) 5.6–5.8 times longer than deep, length (♂) 0.91–1.05 mm, (♀) 1.03–1.13 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♂) 1.2–1.4, (♀) 1.3– 1.4; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Type material examined. 1 ♂ paratype ( MNCN), Spain, Andalusia, Málaga province, Nerja, Cueva de Nerja (36°45′42″N, 03°50′41″W; 154 m a.s.l.), 27.IX.2000, leg. A. Tinaut.

Description (♂ ♀). Medium-sized, microphthalmic, hypogean species. Carapace slightly longer than broad and weakly constricted posteriorly; medial part of anterior margin slightly prominent and strongly dentate; anterior eyes with weakly convex lens, 0.055 mm from the anterior margin of carapace, diameter 0.045 mm, posterior eyes with weaker lens than anterior pair, 0.055 mm from the anterior eyes, diameter 0.040 mm, both pairs of eyes with reflecting tapeta. Chaetotaxy: 18 setae, 1 preocular microseta on each side, formula m 4m:6:4:2:2.

Cheliceral hand with 6 setae and 1–2 lateral microsetae, seta vb lost, microseta 0.025 mm long; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 6–7 teeth decreasing in size proximally, one subdistal tooth distinctly larger than others. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 6 teeth decreasing in size proximally, the distal tooth larger than others; spinneret present in both sexes, but strongly reduced in male. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 14 blades, serrula interior 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. Chaetotaxy of sternites 10–12:(3)10(3):(2)6(2):9:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III microsetal in size, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile; in addition, genital notch of male flanked by 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 0.10 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.07 mm long; II 4–6 + 8–12 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 6 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:2:5:1. Chela ( Fig. 165) with hand weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with long and low hump distad of ib / isb and moderate slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb in male, more abrupt in female; 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 21 pointed teeth, progressively decreasing in size, the distal tooth small, all with dental canals, dental row reaching slightly proximad of sensilla pc; 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 short antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the base, 0.020 mm long, distance between them 0.035 mm, distinctly shorter than fixed finger depth (0.055 mm) at the base; 3 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.033–0.035 mm. Distal half of movable finger with 6–8 mostly pointed teeth with dental canals, of these the proximal reduced in size, the distal one small or absent and reduced to a low protuberance; proximal half without marginal lamina, vestigial teeth reduced to 8 weak undulations, without dental canals, dental row reaching up to trichobothrium sb; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc between sb and b, closer to sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 165; trichobothrium ist distinctly distad of esb and well proximad of lyrifissure fb, eb-esb-ist in a straight line; 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 2.0 times longer than that between sb and b. All chelal lyrifissure patterns present with their standard complements.

Measurements and ratios. Female holotype, followed, when different, by female paratypes in square brackets: Body 1.88 [1.86–1.88]. Carapace 0.56/0.48 (1.2) [0.50–0.52/0.47–0.49 (1.1)]. Pedipalp: femur 0.83/0.11 (7.3) [0.76–0.78/0.11–0.13 (6.7)], patella 0.32/0.14 (2.3) [0.28–0.30/0.13–0.15 (2.1)], chela 1.13/0.19 (5.8) [1.03–1.08/ 0.18–0.21 (5.6–5.7)], hand 0.49 (2.5) [0.43–0.48 (2.4)], movable finger 0.65 [0.59–0.62]; ratio movable finger/ hand 1.3 [1.3–1.4], femur/movable finger 1.3, femur/carapace 1.5, chela/carapace 2.0 [2.1], chela/femur 1.4. Male paratypes: Body 1.40–1.50. Carapace 0.44–0.49/0.42–0.49 (1.0). Pedipalp: femur 0.66–0.78/0.10–0.12 (6.4–6.8), patella 0.24–0.31/0.11–0.14 (2.1–2.3), chela 0.91–1.05/0.15–0.19 (5.8–5.9), hand 0.41–0.45 (2.5–2.6), movable finger 0.50–0.60; ratio movable finger/hand 1.2–1.4, femur/movable finger 1.3, femur/carapace 1.5–1.6, chela/ carapace 2.1, chela/femur 1.3–1.4.

Remarks. Within the tetrachelatus -group, E. nerjaensis shares with the species E. ibiza n. sp. the microphthalmic condition, absence of isolated subapical tooth (di) on movable cheliceral finger and only 2 setae on the carapacal posterior margin; differences between the two species as discussed in the latter species description and in the key. The above description incorporates in part that of Carabajal et al. (2001c).