Ephippiochthonius gibbus ( Beier, 1953 ) Beier, 1953

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 : 75-78

Ephippiochthonius gibbus ( Beier, 1953) , n. comb.

(Figs 136–138)

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) gibbus Beier 1953: 293 –295, fig. 1. Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) gibbus: Beier 1963: 60 , fig. 56.

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) gibbus: Gardini 2013: 52 –54, figs 94–97. Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) gibbus: Zaragoza 2007: 16 .

Type locality. Spain, Madrid Community, El Escorial (40°35′16″N, 04°08′51″W; 1025 m a.s.l.).

Distribution. Portugal: Norte region. Spain: Madrid Community, Castilla-La Mancha Community.

Diagnosis (♂ ♀) . (Paratypes and specimens from Spain). A small Ephippiochthonius species of the gibbus - group. Movable cheliceral finger with isolated subapical tooth (di) and with prominent spinneret in both sexes, lyrifissure ldb present; two pairs of eyes with lenses, anterior margin of carapace without preocular microsetae, posterior margin with 2 macrosetae; chelal hand depressed at level of ib / isb, with a long hump distad of ib / isb and usually very abrupt slope between trichobothria ib / isb and eb; fixed chelal finger with 17–23 teeth; distal half of movable chelal finger with 7–9 pointed teeth with dental canals, proximal half without marginal lamina, with 6–8 low vestigial teeth without dental canals. Specimens from Spain: pedipalpal femur (♂) 4.9–5.1, (♀) 5.0–5.3 times longer than broad, length (♂) 0.34–0.37 mm, (♀) 0.38–0.45 mm; chela (♂) 4.7, (♀) 4.5–4.7 times longer than deep, length (♂) 0.49 mm, (♀) 0.54–0.63 mm; ratio movable chelal finger/chelal hand (♂) 1.4, (♀) 1.3–1.4; all chelal lyrifissure patterns present, most with their standard complements, except that ma2 is absent.

Non-type material examined. 1 ♂ ( FCUL), Portugal, Norte region, Porto district, Maia municipality, Folgosa (41°09′23″N, 07°39′12″W; 222 m a.s.l.), 29.IV.2009, leg. A. Serrano . Spain, Madrid Community, 1 ♂ ( MNCN), Sierra del Guadarrama, Puerto de Navacerrada, Cercedilla (40°43′42″N, 04°00′50″W; 1190 m a.s.l.), leg. W. Steiner, M. Beier det .; Castilla-La Mancha community, Toledo province, 8 ♂, 3 ♀ ( DEUA), Campana de Oropesa comarca, Oropesa , road from Oropesa to Azután , Uso river (39°45′30″N, 05°05′29″W; 384 m a.s.l.), 17.III.2011, leg. J.P. Zaballos & S. Pérez. Except the specimens collected in Sierra del Guadarrama, for which the collecting method is unknown, the specimens from Spain and Portugal were collected from endogean environments.

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

Carapace slightly longer than broad and constricted posteriorly; medial part of anterior margin weakly or distinctly prominent, without epistome, and strongly dentate; anterior eyes with strong convex lens (diameter 0.025–0.030 mm), 0.023–0.28 mm from anterior margin of carapace, posterior eyes more weakly convex lens than anterior pair, 0.015–0.023 mm from anterior eyes, diameter 0.028 mm; both pairs of eyes with reflecting tapeta. Chaetotaxy: 18 macrosetae and without preocular microsetae, formula 4:6:4:2:2, anteromedial setae 0.060–0.070 mm long, sublateral ocular setae 0.048–0.055 mm; 4 lyrifissures anteriorly and 2 posteriorly.

Chelicera (Fig. 137) with 6 setae and 1 lateral microseta on hand, seta vb short (0.023–0.03 mm long), microseta 0.020–0.030 mm, microseta 0.018–0.023; hand with 5 dorsal and 1 ventral lyrifissure, lyrifissure ldb present. Fixed finger with 6 teeth decreasing in size proximally, two distal teeth distinctly larger than others, with 2–4 proximal microtubercles. Movable finger with an isolated subapical tooth (di), with 4–6 teeth decreasing in size proximally and 2–4 proximal microtubercles, the distal tooth larger than others; spinneret prominent and apically rounded in female and only slightly reduced in male (Fig. 137); seta gl 0.51–0.56 from base of movable finger. Rallum with 11 blades. Serrula exterior with 14–15 blades, serrula interior 11–13 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 (0.14–0.15 and 0.18–0.19 mm long, respectively). Chaetotaxy of sternites 9–10:(3)9–10(3):(2)6–7(2):8– 9:6:6:6:6:2T1T2:0:2, lateral setae on sternite III microsetal in size, sternite X with 2 submedial tactile setae (0.14– 0.15 mm long); 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 0.050–0.065 mm long; coxa I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, distal marginal seta 0.028–0.050 mm long; II 4 + 5–7 bipinnate coxal spines, III 5 + 3–4 bipinnate coxal spines and IV 6; intercoxal tubercle bisetose.

Pedipalp with femoral chaetotaxy 3:6:3:5:1. Chela (Fig. 138) with hand depressed at level of ib / isb, with a long hump distad of ib / isb and very abrupt slope (moderate in the male from Portugal) 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; width slightly shorter or equal to depth, maximum width level ib / isb; 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 17–23 teeth, mostly pointed, 1–2 distal teeth small, 2–3 proximal teeth rounded and reduced in size, all with dental canals, dental row reaching slightly proximad of sensilla pc, 1–2 microtubercles at base (8 microtubercles in the male from Portugal); tip of finger with a rounded or pointed accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; tip of fixed chelal finger of male with a deep hollow on paraxial face and subdistal protuberance (sp) (Fig. 136); one pair of long antiaxial sensory setae (as) at the base, on either side of lyrifissure fb, 0.025–0.035 mm long, distance between them 0.020–0.031 mm, fixed finger depth at the base 0.038–0.040 mm; 6–8 teeth at level of est / it occupying 0.1 mm, distance between successive apices 0.013–0.020 mm. Distal half of movable finger with 7–9 pointed and well developed teeth, the most proximad reduced and level proximad of trichobothrium st, all with dental canals, distally a protuberance without tooth; proximal half without marginal lamina, with 6–8 low vestigial teeth, dental row reaching up to level of sensilla pc, mostly without dental canals; basal apodeme long and apically indented; coupled sensilla pc between sb and b, slightly closer to sb. Trichobothria as in Fig. 138; trichobothrium ist usually slightly distad of esb (one female proximad) and well proximad of lyrifissure fb; distance between ib / isb and base of hand 1.1 times longer than between ib / isb and esb; distance between st and sb 1.9–2.7 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 paratypes: Body 1.6. Carapace 0.37/0.36 (1.0). Chelicera 0.30/0.15 (2.1), movable finger 0.16. Pedipalp: femur 0.45/0.09 (5.3), chela 0.63/0.14 (4.5), hand 0.27 (1.9), movable finger 0.37; ratio movable finger/hand 1.4, femur/movable finger 1.2, femur/carapace 1.2, chela/carapace 1.7, chela/femur 1.4. Other males and females from Spain (♀ in square brackets): Body 0.90–0.97 [0.97–1.08]. Carapace 0.31–0.32/ 0.29–0.30 (1.1) [0.32–0.35/0.33 (1.0–1.1)]. Chelicera 0.24–0.25/0.12–0.13 (2.0–2.1) [0.28/0.13–0.14 (2.0–2.1)], movable finger 0.13–0.14 [0.14–0.15]. Pedipalp: femur 0.34–0.37/0.07 (4.9–5.1) [0.38/0.08 (5.0–5.1)], patella 0.16/0.08 (1.9) [0.17–0.18/0.09 (1.8–1.9)], chela 0.49/0.11 (4.7) [0.54/0.12 (4.7)], hand 0.20–0.21 (1.9–2.0) [0.23– 0.24 (2.0)], movable finger 0.28–0.29 [0.30]; ratio movable finger/hand 1.4 [1.3], femur/movable finger 1.2–1.3 [1.3], femur/carapace 1.1 [1.1–1.2], chela/carapace 1.5–1.6 [1.5–1.7], chela/femur 1.3–1.4 [1.4]. Male from Portugal: Body 1.05. Carapace 0.34/0.30 (1.2). Chelicera 0.27/0.13 (2.1), movable finger 0.14. Pedipalp: femur 0.45/0.07 (6.3), patella 0.18/0.09 (2.0), chela 0.59/0.11 (5.2), hand 0.25 (2.2), movable finger 0.34; ratio movable finger/hand 1.4, femur/movable finger 1.3, femur/carapace 1.3, chela/carapace 1.7, chela/femur 1.3.

Remarks. Within the gibbus -group, E. gibbus shares with the species E. masoae n. sp., E. sevai n. sp. and E. zaballosi n. sp. the following combination of characteristics: no microsetae in posterior row of carapace, an isolated subapical tooth present on movable cheliceral finger and at least anterior eyes with convex lens. E. gibbus also shares with E. zaballosi n. sp. the absence of preocular microsetae, but differs in the spinneret shape in male, strongly prominent in E. gibbus and practically absent in E. zaballosi n. sp., and in the shape of the chelal hand, with the maximum width at level of ib / isb in E. gibbus and distinctly proximad of them in E. zaballosi n. sp. The above description incorporates in part the redescription of Gardini (2013).

E. gibbus has been recorded from many Mediterranean countries: Algeria, France (mainland, Corsica), Italy (mainland, Sardinia, Sicily), Malta, Morocco, Spain (mainland, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands) and Tunisia ( Beier 1975; Zaragoza 2007). Gardini (2013) excluded the presence of E. gibbus from mainland Italy and considered that other records from Mediterranean countries need to be checked. Based on my own observations, it seems likely that the distribution of E. gibbus is mainly limited to the middle of the Iberian Peninsula ( Portugal and Spain), with most of the other records being doubtful.