Pseudochthonius galapagensis Beier, 1977

Mahnert, Volker, 2014, Pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) from the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), Revue suisse de Zoologie 121 (2), pp. 135-210 : 148-149

Pseudochthonius galapagensis Beier, 1977

Pseudochthonius galapagensis Beier, 1977: 98-99 , fig. 4 (type locality: Santa Cruz, Turtle Bay , “humus dans une crevasse au pied du barranco à 1 km de la plage”).

SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Gardner at Floreana: 33 3♀; arid zone, litter, 2.V.1992, leg. S. Peck & J. Cook (92-148). – Isabela: 39274; 1♀; Sierra Negra, west slope canyon above Scalesia quadrat , 780 m, under compressed scoria rocks, bottom of encanada, fern, Ipomoea, Zanthoxylum, Tournefortia , 25.I.1978, leg. W. G. Reeder. – 13; Sierra Negra, 1000 m, rim crevices, fern litter, 4.III.1989, leg. S. Peck (89-101). – 13; Sierra Negra, 1000 m, crater rim, horse dung, 4.III.1989, leg. S. Peck (89-102). – 13 3♀ 4T; Sierra Negra, 850 m, ravine, tree fern litter, 5.III.1989, leg. S. Peck (89-103). – 1T; Sierra Negra, 800 m, fern-moss litter, 13.III.1989, leg. S. Peck (89-130). – Pinzon: 39292; 1♀; 290 m, from finch nest of lichen built in Croton , 2 m above ground, Opuntia-Croton-Pisonia assoc., 4.II.1979, leg. W. G. Reeder. – 39289; 1♀; Old Crater Camp, 320 m, screened from litter of Scalesia , Zanthoxylum, Acacia, Prosopis , rock outcrop NNE of camp, 5.II.1979, leg. W. G. Reeder. – 1♀; Central valley, upper dry zone, 290 m, under Acacia macracantha , Croton scouleri ; dead grass litter and soil, 30.I.1987, leg. H. Schatz (87-569). – 13; southern crater of main caldera, Scalesia zone, 310 m, under Scalesia incisa , Croton scouleri, Lantana peduncularis, leaf litter and pieces of wood under rock, 31.I.1987, leg. H. Schatz (87-576). – 23 1♀; southerncraterrimofmaincaldera, Scalesia zone, 310 m, under Scalesia incisa , Croton scouleri, Lantana peduncularis, leaf litter and pieces of woodunderrock, 31.I.1987, leg. H. Schatz (87-577). – 1D; withoutlocality, 31.I.1987, leg. H. Schatz (87-588). – Santa Cruz: 39269; 13; transect from Caseta south to coast, 150 m, Quadrat E-2, 17.VIII.1970, leg. W. G. Reeder. – 1♀ 1T; forestnearLosGemelos, Scalesia zone, 600 m, Scalesia pedunculata , Zanthoxylum fagara, Tournefortia rufo-sericea and Psychotria rufipes, 8.III.1987, leg. H. & I. Schatz (87-G073). – 13 2♀ 1T; 4 kmSWPuertoAyora, alt. 1 m, litter atbottomofGrieta, 1.II.1989, leg. S. Peck (89-24). – 13; CDRS, GrietaIguana, cavelitter, 13.VI.1991, leg. S. Peck (91-225). – 1♀; PuertoAyora, CDRS, 2 m, GrietaIguana, stones, 30.V.1992, leg. J. Cook & S. Peck (92-227). – SantaFé: 39273; 1♀; rockoutcropsofsecond barranco 1 km SSW of Camp Bay, 100 m, litter of Cordia and Croton , sheltered but very dry, 24.I.1979, leg. W. G. Reeder. – Santiago: 13; PlayaEspumilla, littoralzone, 5 m, under Conocarpus erecta , decayed mangrove litter, under uppermost layer, 29.III.1988, leg. H. Schatz (88-916).

SHORT DESCRIPTION (43 2♀ from Santa Cruz, Gardner at Floreana, Isabela, Pinzon , Barrington ): The specimens correspond in most morphological characters with the original description; additional characters and variation in proportions and measurements are as follows. Chelicera: 5 setae on hand, serrula exterior 16, serrula interior 14 lamellae, rallum with 9 long, dentate setae. Pedipalps: femur with 18-19 setae (4-5/6/2/6), 4.9-5.8 (3) (♀: 5.1-5.3) times, patella 2.0-2.2 (♀ 1.9) timeslongerthan broad, hand 2.0-2.4 (♀ 2.1) timeslongerthandeep, chela 5.7-7.4 (♀ 6.1-6.2) times longerthandeep, fixedfinger 1.9-2.1 (♀ 1.9-2.0) timeslongerthanhand; fixedfinger with 28-36 acute teeth (in distal two thirds alternating in length), movable finger with 25-28 teeth (in distal half acute and retrorse, then rounded and partly indistinct). Leg IV (3♀): femur+patella 2.1-2.6 timeslongerthandeep, tibia 3.8-4.6 times, basitarsus 2.9-3.4 times, telotarsus 10.3-12.9 timeslongerthandeep, bothtarsiwithabasaltactile seta ( TS =0.28-0.33 and 0.10 repsectively) .

MEASUREMENTS of 43 (2♀): Totallength 1.10-1.21 (1.40). Carapace 0.34- 0.38/0.30-0.33 (0.38-0.41/0.37). Pedipalps: femur 0.40-0.50/0.07-0.09 (0.47- 0.48/0.09), patella 0.16-0.20/0.08-0.10 (0.18-0.19/0.10), hand 0.19-0.24/0.08-0.12 (0.23/0.11), lengthoffixedfinger 0.38-0.47 (0.45), lengthofmovablefinger 0.34-0.43 (0.40-0.41), lengthofchela 0.57-0.72 (0.67-0.68). LegIV: femur+patella 0.38- 0.48/0.16-0.20 (0.42-0.43/0.18), tibia 0.23-0.31/0.06-0.07 (0.27/-0.28/0.07), basitarsus 0.13-0.17/0.05 (0.15-0.16/0.05), telotarsus 0.26-0.32/0.02-0.03 (0.29/0.03).

REMARKS: I could not find clear morphological differences between specimens from different islands. Variation seems to be high for some characters (e.g. proportions of hand and chela), but without a clear relation to the one or other island population.

LECHYTIIDAE