Chthonius carinthiacus Beier, 1951

Novák, János, 2024, An updated checklist for the pseudoscorpion fauna of Hungary (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones), Zootaxa 5433 (1), pp. 51-95 : 53-54

Chthonius carinthiacus Beier, 1951

Chthonius (Neochthonius) pygmaeus carinthiacus Beier, 1951: 165–166 .

Chthonius (Chthonius) carinthiacus : Novák 2012: 59–60; Novák 2018: 99; Červená et al. 2020a: 221, 225, 226.

Chthonius carinthiacus : Červená et al. 2020a: 221; WPC 2023.

Chthonius pygmaeus : Kárpáthegyi 2007: 82–83 (misidentification).

Occurrence: Austria ( Beier 1951), Czech Republic ( Rŭžička et al. 1995), Hungary ( Novák 2012), Italy ( Gardini 2014), Romania ( Novák et al. 2019), Slovakia ( Christophoryová et al. 2011a), Slovenia ( Ćurčić1974).

Known localities in Hungary: Miskolc: Forrás Valley ; Parasznya: mouth of Csókás-forrási Cave ; Répáshuta: Tebe-puszta ; Szilvásvárad: Geremmavár ( Novák 2012) . Aggtelek: eastern side of Veres Lake ; Jósvafő: Farkaslyuk ; Jósvafő: Tengerszem ; Mikóháza: Fekete Hill (Novák 2018) .

New data: Aggtelek: eastern side of Lake Veres , oak forest, 21.09.1953, leg. ZKA (HMHM Pseud-1459: 2♀) ; Börzsöny Mts : 1920, leg. ED (HNHM Pseud-1769: 1♂) ; Bükkszentkereszt: Hollóstető, Nagy-dél , beech-hornbeam forest, 21.08.1990, leg. GSI (HNHM Pseud-1522: 1♂) ; Darány: Nagyberek, Barcs Juniper Forest , 08.10.1984, leg. OM (HNHM Pseud-1654: 5 adults) ; Jósvafő: eastern side of Farkaslyuk , rockwall covered with beech forest, 23.0.1953, leg. ??? (HNHM Pseud-1478: 1♂, 2♀) ; Tengerszem , 20.06.1990, leg. OM (HMHM Pseud-1476: 1♂, 1♀) ; Mikóháza: Fekete-hegy , beech forest, sifted, 22.10.2012, leg. JN (HNHM Pseud-1329: 1♀) ; Miskolc: Svédfenyves , 31.03.1967, leg. SM (HNHM pseud-1169: 1♀) ; Tatabánya: litter of purple smoke bush, 18.10.1960, leg. IL (HNHM Pseud-1622: 5 adults) .

Habitat preference: this species has been previously reported from the litter of deciduous, pine and mixed deciduous forests, from moss, and in some cases from caves and tree hollows ( Beier 1951; Christophoryová et al. 2011a; Novák 2012). In Slovakia it was also reported from compost heaps ( Christophoryová et al. 2017a) and from tree hollows ( Christophoryová et al. 2017c). In Hungary it has been reported from beech, oak and hornbeam forests, and from rock face in beech forest (Novák 2018). During the present investigations this species was found in the leaf litter of oak, beech, beech-hornbeam, and juniper forests, and from the litter of purple smoke bush.

Remarks: Chthonius carinthiacus was described by Beier (1951) from Austria as a subspecies of Chthonius pygmaeus . It was later elevated to species level ( Gardini 2014). Christophoryová et al. (2011a) have reported it from neighbouring Slovakia, and Novák (2012) from several regions of Hungary. In the specimens from Hungary, the distal paraxial seta of fixed chelal finger displayed a sygmoid state.