Chthonius

Gardini, Giulio, 2013, A revision of the species of the pseudoscorpion subgenus Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpiones, Chthoniidae) from Italy and neighbouring areas, Zootaxa 3655 (1), pp. 1-151 : 15-16

Chthonius (E.) apulicus Beier, 1958

( Figs 13–17 , 285 )

Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) apulicus Beier 1958: 27 , fig. 1.

Not Chthonius (E.) apulicus : Beier 1975: 55 (Catania: misidentification; see C. concii ).

Type locality: Italy, Apulia, Foggia Prov., Rignano Garganico, Grotta Paglicci 300 Pu/FG (41°40ʹ0 0ʺN 15°34ʹ0 0ʺE).

Distribution. Italy: Apulia.

Diagnosis (3). An anophthalmic, hypogean Chthonius (Ephippiochthonius) from Apulia that differs from the species of the C. tetrachelatus group in the following combination of characters: highly specialized troglomorphic facies; movable cheliceral finger without isolated subapical tooth (di) and with weak spinneret; carapace without epistome, with 1 preocular microseta on each side and two macrosetae on the posterior margin; fixed and movable chelal fingers respectively with 22 and 9 triangular and pointed teeth; fixed chelal finger at level of est-it with 3 teeth occupying 0.1 mm; length of chela 1.78 mm, length of movable chelal finger 1.05; chela 7.4 times as long as deep; ratio of pedipalpal femur/carapace 2.0.

Type material examined. ITALY— Apulia: Foggia Prov. —1 3 (holotype), “ Chthonius (E.) apulicus n. sp. / det. Beier / Type! 3”, “Grotta Paglicci [300 Pu/FG, 110 m a.s.l. (41°40ʹ0 0ʺN 15°34ʹ0 0ʺE)] (Rignano Garg[anico]. Puglie) / 22.IX. [19]57 Ruffo l. / Coll. Mus. Civ. St. Nat. Verona” (MSNV).

Description of adult (3; Ƥ unknown). Facies strongly troglomorphic. Integument pale depigmented; lateral surfaces of carapace, cheliceral palm, ventrodistal surface of pedipalpal hand and base of movable finger with weak hispid granulation. Carapace 1.1 times longer than broad, posteriorly slightly constricted; anterior margin (fig. 13) dentate between median macrosetae, without epistome; no eyes or eye-spots, ocular area as in fig. 14; chaetotaxy m 4m:6:4:2:2 (18), macrosetae long, length of anteromedian macrosetae 0.185 mm. Chaetotaxy of tergites I–X 4:4:4:4:6:6:6:6:6:4. Chaetotaxy of sternites II–X 10:(3)9(3):(2)7(3):9:6:6:6:6:7; genital opening flanked by 10 setae on each side. Chelicerae (fig. 15) 2.35 times as long as broad, palm with 6 setae and 2 microsetae laterally; fixed finger with one large tooth and proximally with 4 small worn teeth; movable finger with 5 worn teeth, isolated subapical tooth (di) absent; gl ratio 0.58; spinneret weakly raised, keel-like; rallum with 10 (?) blades; serrulae interior and exterior respectively with 12 and 16 blades. Coxal setae: pedipalp 5 (including 2 on manducatory process), I 3 + 3 marginal microsetae, II 4, III 5, IV 6; coxae II with 15 and 17 coxal spines, coxae III with 8 and 10 coxal spines; intercoxal tubercle bisetose. Pedipalp (figs 16–17): femur 9.4 times as long as broad; chela 7.4 times as long as deep; hand of chela 3.1 times as long as deep, with a long slight depression proximad of ib-isb and a very slight hump distad of ib-isb; fixed chelal finger with 25 teeth: 22 triangular pointed teeth with dental canals, gradually reduced proximally, and 4 rounded, rudimentary basal teeth without canals; base of fixed finger with 4 microtubercles; tip of fixed finger with a modified accessory tooth (td) on antiaxial face; pedipalpal fixed finger at level of est-it with 3 teeth occupying 0.1 mm (distance between successive apices 0.044 mm); distal half of movable finger with 9 triangular and pointed teeth and one rounded proximal tooth with dental canals, proximal half of movable finger with 7 reduced, vestigial teeth, without dental canals, reaching back to sb; coupled sensilla pc just distad of sb; trichobothria as in fig. 16, eb-esb-ist placed in a straight line; basal apodeme of movable finger sclerotized, rectangular, apically truncate; ratio of movable finger/hand of chela 1.4; ratio of pedipalpal femur/movable finger 1.3; ratio of pedipalpal femur/carapace 2.0.

Measurements (in mm). Body length 2.5. Carapace 0.67 × 0.62 (0.58 anteriorly). Chelicerae 0.59 × 0.25, movable finger length 0.31. Pedipalp: femur 1.37 × 0.145; chela 1.78 × 0.24; hand length 0.74; movable finger length 1.05.

Remarks. Chthonius apulicus is the most troglomorphic species among the members of the C. tetrachelatus group in mainland Italy. It is related to the epigean C. tetrachelatus and the hypogean C. altamurae from Apulia (see Remarks under C. altamurae ). There are some minor discrepancies between the description of Beier (1958) and that above: the most important concerns the measurements of pedipalpal femur [1.30 × 0.13 mm, 10 times as long as broad in Beier (1958), 1.37 × 0.145 mm, 9.4 times as long as broad here].

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 17. Chthonius (E.) apulicus Beier, 1958, male holotype. 13, anterior margin of carapace; 14, anterolateral portion of carapace; 15, fingers of right chelicera; 16, right chela, lateral view; 17, tip of fixed chelal finger, dorsal view.

FIGURES 282 – 285. Distribution maps for the Italian species of the Chthonius tetrachelatus group. 282, Chthonius (E.) tetrachelatus (Preyssler, 1790); 283, Chthonius (E.) siculus Beier, 1961 and C. (E.) vachoni Heurtault-Rossi, 1963; 284, Chthonius (E.) concii Beier, 1953 and C. (E.) lucanus Callaini, 1984; 285, Chthonius (E.) altamurae n. sp., C. (E.) apulicus Beier, 1958, C. (E.) elymus n. sp., C. (E.) grafittii Gardini, 1981, C. (E.) messapicus n. sp., C. (E.) poseidonis Gardini, 1993 and C. (E.) sardous Gardini, 2008.