Ephippiochthonius mayorali (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 : 95-96

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

(Fig. 160)

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) mayorali Carabajal Márquez, García Carrillo & Rodríguez Fernández 2001a: 13 –14, figs 15– 17, table III.

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) mayorali: Zaragoza 2007: 18 .

Type locality. Spain, Andalusia, Almería province , Dalias, Sierra de Gádor, Cueva del Simarrón II (36°50′52″N, 02°48′34″W; 1411 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Spain: Andalusia.

Diagnosis (♂ ♀). A medium-sized, hypogean Ephippiochthonius species of the gibbus -group. Movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and with small spinneret in female, absent in male; lyrifissure ldb present; no eyes or eye-spots, 0–2 preocular microsetae on each side, posterior margin of carapace with 2 macrosetae; chelal hand very weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with low and rounded hump distad of ib / isb and moderate slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 26–27 teeth; distal half of movable chelal finger with 10–11 teeth with dental canals, basal half almost smooth, without marginal lamina; pedipalpal femur (♂) 6.4–7.0, (♀) 5.9–6.5 times longer than broad, length (♂) 0.73–0.76 mm, (♀) 0.77–0.89 mm; chela (♂) 6.1–6.4, (♀) 5.4–5.8 times longer than deep, length (♂) 0.98–1.06 mm, (♀) 1.14–1.28 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♂ ♀) 1.4–1.5; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that ma2 is absent.

Type material examined. 1 ♀ paratype ( MNCN), Spain, Andalusia, Almería province, Dalias, Sierra de Gádor , Cueva del Simarrón II (36°50′52″N, 02°48′34″W; 1411 m a.s.l.), 01.V.2000, leg. P. Barranco & J.G. Mayoral.

Non-type material examined. Same location as above paratype, 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 16.VII.2001, leg. J.G. Pardo & M. Piquer; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 24.VII.2003, leg. P. Barranco & J.G. Mayoral.

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

Carapace slightly longer than broad and posteriorly constricted; medial part of anterior margin weakly prominent, without epistome, and strongly dentate; without eyes or eye-spots. Chaetotaxy: 18 macrosetae and 0–2 preocular microsetae on each side, macrosetal formula 4:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.13–0.14 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.08–0.10 mm long; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Cheliceral hand with 6 setae and 2 lateral microsetae, seta vb short (length 0.055 mm), microsetae 0.023–0.035 mm long; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 9–12 teeth decreasing in size proximally, two distal teeth distinctly larger than others, 2–4 proximal microtubercles. Movable finger without an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 7 teeth decreasing in size proximally, the distal tooth larger than others, 2 proximal microtubercles; spinneret small in female, absent in male; seta gl 0.54–0.60 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 15 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 (0.23 and 0.35 mm long, respectively). Chaetotaxy of sternites 10:(3)8–10(3):(1–2)6–8(1–2):8:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III microsetal in size, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae [for Carabajal et al. (2001a), sternites VI–X bear 4 setae only, these data does not correspond with the studied available female paratype and topotypes and is herein considered doubtful]; 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 0.10–0.13 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.07–0.09 mm long; II 4 + 13–14 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 6–7 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6 [for Carabajal et al. (2001a), coxae II and 3 bear 7 and 9 coxal spines respectively]; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:2:5:1. Chela (Fig. 160) with hand very weakly depressed at level of ib / isb, with low and rounded hump distad of ib / isb and moderate 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 equal to or 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 sclerotized condylar complex. Fixed finger with 26–27 teeth, the distal one tiny and the subdistal small, mostly pointed and with dental canals, of these the 10 proximal teeth progressively decreasing in size, 3 most proximal are small and rounded, dental row reaching up to proximad of halfway between trichobothria sb and b; tip of finger with an accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; one pair of antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the finger base (0.040–0.055 mm long), distance between them 0.050–0.070 mm and approximately equal to finger depth (0.060–0.070 mm) at base; 4 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.028–0.035 mm. Distal half of movable finger with 10–11 pointed teeth with dental canals, the distal one very tiny, reaching up to halfway between trichobothria st and sb; basal half almost smooth, without marginal lamina, only some very low undulations, almost indistinguishable, without dental canals, dental row proximad of sb; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc proximad and close of sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 160; trichobothrium ist slightly distad or proximad of esb and well proximad of lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and esb 1.1 approximately equal to that between ib / isb and the base of the hand; distance between st and sb 1.9–2.1 times longer than that between sb and b. All chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that ma2 is absent.

Measurements and ratios. Female holotype, followed, when different, by female paratypes and topotypes in square brackets: Body 2.27 [1.89–2.35]. Carapace 0.52/0.51 (1.0) [0.52–0.58/0.50–0.53 (1.0–1.1)]. Pedipalp: femur 0.87/0.13 (6.5) [0.77–0.89/0.13–0.14 (5.9–6.6)], patella 0.34/0.16 (2.1) [0.32–0.35/0.14–0.17 (2.0–2.2)], chela 1.15/0.21 (5.4) [1.14–1.28/0.21–0.22 (5.5–5.8)], hand 0.47 (2.2) [0.47–0.50 (2.2–2.3)], movable finger 0.67 [0.66–0.78]; ratio movable finger/hand 1.4 [1.4–1.5], femur/movable finger 1.3 [1.1–1.3], femur/carapace 1.7 [1.6– 1.7], chela/carapace 2.2, chela/femur 1.3 [1.3–1.4]. Male paratypes and topotypes: Body 1.45–2.20. Carapace 0.44–0.51/0.45–0.55 (0.9–1.1). Pedipalp: femur 0.73–0.76/0.10–0.12 (6.4–7.0), patella 0.27–0.30/0.12–0.14 (2.1– 2.3), chela 0.98–1.06/0.15–0.17 (6.1–6.4), hand 0.41–0.42 (2.4–2.7), movable finger 0.58–0.63; ratio movable finger/hand 1.4–1.5, femur/movable finger 1.2–1.3, femur/carapace 1.4–1.5, chela/carapace 1.8–2.1, chela/femur 1.3–1.4.

Remarks. Within the gibbus -group, E. mayorali is related to the species E. amatei , E. caceresi n. sp., E. hispanus and E. galcerani n. sp., sharing with all of them the absence of an isolated subapical tooth (di) on movable cheliceral finger. It is distinguished from all of them by its anophthalmic condition and also (except for E. hispanus ) by the dental row on the distal half of movable chelal finger with 10–11 pointed teeth that reach up to halfway between trichobothria st and sb, only 7–9 distal pointed teeth, as opposed to reaching closer to trichobothrium st than to sb in E. amatei , E. caceresi n. sp. and E. galcerani n. sp. Differences between E. mayorali and E. hispanus are noted the remarks under the latter species and in the key. The above description incorporates in part that of Carabajal et al. (2001a).